Utah Jazz sign 5-year-old with leukemia
Oct 7, 2014, 4:34 AM | Updated: Oct 8, 2014, 4:21 pm
The Utah Jazz have a brand new addition to their team, and he is only five years old!
JP Gibson signed a one-day contract with the Jazz just in time to suit up and play in the team’s intrasquad scrimmage on Monday. According to Deseret News, JP put his crayon to paper next to Jazz president Randy Rigby near the team’s locker room.
“We are a young team and we decided that we’d go even a little younger,” Rigby said with the sharply dressed youngster at his side in front of media. “JP Gibson is the newest member of the Utah Jazz team for the day.”
The youngster has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia since 2012, but was able to focus on other things Monday.
Whether it was his own press conference, the rookie dance off or a late-game slam dunk, JP got to live his dream in a green Utah uniform.
“We’ve been going through this grueling training camp, and it puts things in perspective for you,” Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward said. “To have him come out there and then for Rudy to lift him up and to dunk was pretty cool. It was a special moment for all of us.”
In a time where professional sports is constantly in the news for negative things, it is nice to see the good that sports teams can do in their community.
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