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Jason McElwain, second from left, shakes hands with President George W. Bush in March 2006. Jason McElwain, nicknamed "J-Mac" (born October 1, 1988), is an American with autism who made national news in 2006 when he played for four minutes during a high school basketball game and scored twenty points. McElwain was diagnosed On February 15, 2006, Greece Athena was playing Spencerport High School for a division title. Greece Athena got a large lead, so Johnson decided to let McElwain play in the last four minutes. After initially missing two shots, McElwain made six three-point shots and one two-pointer. After the final buzzer rang, the crowd dashed onto the court in celebration. Contents [hide] 1 Early life 2 February 15, 2006 basketball game 2.1 Reaction 3 Book 4 Film 5 Life after high school 6 References 7 External links // Early life Born on October 1, 1988, to David and Debbie McElwain,[1][2] Jason and his family lived in Greece, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York.[1] He had initially struggled when interacting with other children, but began to develop social skills as he grew older.[3] Although he was placed in special education classes,[3] McElwain enjoyed basketball, which he was introduced to by his older brother Josh,[4] and was appointed manager of Greece Athena February 15, 2006 basketball game Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson decided to add McElwain to the roster for the team's February 15 game against Spencerport High School, so McElwain could be given a jersey and sit on the bench for the team's last home game of the season.[6] Although the game between Greece Athena and Spencerport was for a senior night at Greece Athena High School, Johnson planned to allow McElwain to play a few minutes if Greece Athena got a comfortable lead.[6] With four minutes left in the game, Athena Greece had a double-digit lead, so Johnson decided let McElwain play out the last minutes of the game.[6] When teammates first passed the ball to McElwain he attempted a three-point shot and missed.[6] McElwain got a second chance to score with a lay-up which he also missed.[6] McElwain went on a "hot streak" shooting six three-pointers and one two-point shot, before the game ended.[6] The final score was Greece Athena 79, Spencerport 43.[3] As soon as the final buzzer rang, fans from the stands stormed the court in celebration.[7] Reaction In his hometown of Greece, New York, McElwain quickly became a celebrity. The family's | ||||
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