CBS Colorado, YouTube/PexelsPlaying basketball requires exceptional hand-eye coordination. Having to dribble the ball with one hand while simultaneously keeping your opponent from stealing the ball with the other, then having to get to the net and shoot the ball into the hoop isn’t a simple task. Especially when you have to take it from one side of the court to the other!
There are plenty of opportunities for the ball to get stolen, that’s what makes the sport exciting! Especially when it’s the third quarter with only seconds until the buzzer goes. Sometimes you just have to go on a wing and a prayer and pull a big trick out of the bag to win!
Andrew Regan is a special needs student at Cherry Creek High School in Denver, Colorado. He’s been playing basketball since he was 5 years old, and currently plays on the school’s unified basketball team, a team that gives differently abled students the opportunity to play in a team setting with each other. In the final moments of the second last quarter, Andrew is seen breaking away with the ball as he approaches the half court line and springs into launching the ball across the court, sinking it perfectly into the hoop. No bouncing, no backboard, just the sound of a swoosh followed by an eruption of cheering.
The crowd went wild. Everyone, including team members, coaches, and the audience, shot to their feet yelling and screaming. The incredible million dollar shot was captured on video and posted to social media, racking up thousands of views and getting picked up by local news. Some might think this shot was pure luck, but Andrew’s best friend Ben says he’s been practicing. “He’s been making that shot every day. I’ve just been waiting for him to use it in a game.”
Andrew first learned how to shoot hoops when his dad was coaching his YMCA team. Since then, basketball has always been close to his heart, and his dad too. Andrew’s father passed away when the boy was only 11. “His dad would just be so proud of him,” says his mom. Everyone is cheering the teen on, and he’s turned into somewhat of a star athlete amongst his circle of friends. He is still processing this new found fame, saying the whole experience has been so “surreal.” “It felt amazing to me!”
Click the video below to watch this unbelievable shot and all the love and support Andrew is getting!
