Reid About It

Surely by now, everyone on the planet has seen the story of the autistic basketball player who hit for 20 points in five minutes. It's a great story, one that appeals to everybody even if they're not sports fans. I see what everybody is interested about, but I see that story and you know what I wonder?

What was it like for the guy who was covering him?

How about the coach on the other side, what was he thinking? I've known a lot of coaches, and I doubt that many coaches have the necessary sensitivity to handle that situation.

"Time out! Time out! Alright guys, get over here. Grab a drink...okay, I've just got to ask. Who's covering the retarded kid? You know, the autistic guy? The guy who started the game as a freakin' manager? Is that you, Danny? Good work out there. In case you can't find him, he's the one with a learning disability who shoots the ball every time it touches his fingertips. Yeah, him. The one over there getting water for the other players during the timeout."

"Dammit, Danny...we're going to be on SportsCenter for the rest of our lives, boy. Why can't you cover the guy? Every eye in the place is watching him, and they're watching him drain three pointers over you."

"(pulls Danny close and whispers) Now, listen son. I wouldn't do this, but we're getting our asses kicked out there. He gets the ball, you yell at him. Scream his name. Bark at him. Whatever it takes. You grab a freakin' camera from the crowd and set the flash off at him if you have to. You've been working out for this game all of your life, and you're getting schooled by a guy with rudimentary social skills. Step up, son! Get a hand in his face!"

"We're 10-11 this year, and I'm not going to lose my job because my finely-trained boys couldn't cover a kid with a learning disorder who's never played the game. You got me, Danny? You distract that guy, or I'll have you running drills every afternoon for the rest of your life."

"Alright, men...let's play some ball."