LeBron James, young fan with leukemia share embrace during great moment at Cavaliers scrimmage
Scores of Cleveland Cavaliers fans packed Quicken Loans Arena for Wednesday’s Wine and Gold Scrimmage to catch a glimpse of the new-look Cavs as led by returning hero LeBron James. One special fan, though, got a lot more than a glimpse … and for good reason.
Jackie Custer, 16, has leukemia, and has been undergoing treatment since June. Her fight’s been anything but easy — since her cancer diagnosis, she’s suffered a stroke, a blood clot and an infection — but Custer has remained positive and proactive, even choosing to donate 10 inches of her hair to the charity Locks of Love this summer before her treatment would have prompted hair loss. She was one of the 18 fans in attendance on Wednesday to win a scrimmage-worn jersey right off the back of one of the Cavaliers players, and when it was her turn to collect, she got not only the most sought-after jersey of the evening, but also a big ol’ bear hug from the man himself:
A wonderful moment for Custer and the King alike, and a fittingly community and fan-focused grace note in a night that saw nearly 17,000 Cavs fans turn up to celebrate the excitement of a new era in Cleveland basketball, according to Tom Withers of The Associated Press:
“I can’t believe this,” said 19-year-old Alex Krocker from Bolivar, Ohio. “I’ve waited my whole life for a Cavs team like this, for a Cleveland team like this. It’s crazy.” […]
A successful international coach, [David] Blatt will face his former team, Maccabi Tel Aviv on Sunday in the Cavs’ first official exhibition game. It’s sure to be an emotional night for Blatt, who has witnessed Cleveland warmly wrap its arms around James again.
“It’s a very special group of people who live here that appreciate things about people and about life that are admirable,” he said. “I’m not surprised at all at how he has been received.”
Nor, you’d suspect, by how James has received them, including the one brave young lady around whom LeBron wrapped his arms.
Hat-tip to SB Nation’s Seth Rosenthal.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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