Steph Curry pays tribute to high school star who died in car crash
Before every Golden State Warriors game, Stephen Curry sends the same two-word, one-hashtag tweet to his nearly 5 million followers: “Lock in! #DubNation.” Before the Warriors’ Wednesday game against the New York Knicks at Oracle Arena, though, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player added something to his pregame routine:
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Lock in! #DubNation #33forever @LHS_Tigers
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) March 17, 2016
“@LHS_Tigers” is the Twitter handle of the Lakewood High School Tigers, a basketball team in Lakewood, Colo. “#33forever” references the uniform number of Mackenzie Forrest, a Lakewood senior and the Tigers’ all-time leading scorer, who died Sunday from injuries she suffered during a car crash on I-70, according to Neil H. Devlin of the Denver Post:
Forrest, 17, lost control of a 1997 Toyota 4Runner eastbound on I-70 around 3:25 a.m. The SUV careened up an embankment, returned to the highway, rolled twice and ejected her, Colorado State Patrol trooper Tim Sutherland said of the crash. She was the lone occupant.
An ambulance transported Forrest from Summit County to St. Anthony’s [Hospital], where she was pronounced dead on Sunday evening.
Hours earlier, she’d been “watching high school girls basketball championship games on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder,” according to the Post. Forrest was set to play college ball at Regis University in the fall, and wanted to watch a fellow Regis commit, Jaz’Myne Snipes, play for the state title, according to USA TODAY.
A Colorado State Patrol spokesperson said Forrest “wasn’t wearing a seat belt when the vehicle rolled twice, and alcohol is suspected of playing a part in the accident.” An investigation is underway.
Like so many young basketball players today, Forrest loved watching Curry play, and wanted to emulate his rise from undersized and overlooked prospect to top-notch shooter and scorer as she continued her basketball career:
Forrest’s fellow Lakewood High seniors reached out to Curry via Twitter after her death:
It would truly mean the world Mr. Curry! @StephenCurry30 #formac #33forever pic.twitter.com/jo1Y0G5Cs7
— LHS SENIORS 16 (@LHSseniors16) March 15, 2016
While someone with as many followers as Curry can sometimes find it difficult to find signal amid all the noise on social media platforms, he did get this message and made sure to respond accordingly, which meant an awful lot to those at Lakewood still grieving Forrest’s loss.
The Denver Nuggets, who sponsored a high school all-star tournament in which Forrest played in 2014, also showed their support for Forrest’s family and friends and the Lakewood community:
To the Forrest family and the entire @LHS_Tigers community: we are with you. #33Forever pic.twitter.com/OnlBdnUBhY
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) March 15, 2016
A stray tweet here and there might seem like a small thing, but small gestures can make a major impact for those trying to find some peace following the bracing loss of a loved one.
“She just had that infectious smile, and she could shoot the darn ball,” Terri Ward, who coached Forrest in that 2014 all-star tournament, told the Post. “That is for sure.”
@StephenCurry30 thank you so much Mr. Curry. This means the world. I’m sure Lil Mac is freaking out in heaven. 💙💛💙💛💙
— Lakewood High School (@lhs_tigers) March 17, 2016
Hat-tip to Adi Joseph at The Sporting News.
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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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