During the second quarter of Tuesday night's game featuring the Boston Celtics hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James looked up at the big screen and was moved to action.
The Celtics were honoring Aaron Miller, a Boston-area high school student who overcame brain damage and being told he might never walk or talk again to being able to play both basketball and golf at Newton North High School, ESPN reports.
The sports site notes that Aaron, 16, had to endure "hours of surgery and physical therapy in efforts to overcome a medical condition doctors believed would paralyze him for life."
After a timeout, TD Garden gave Aaron a standing ovation. James sought out Aaron and walked over and shook his hand. The surprised Aaron stood there in shock. After the game, which the Cavaliers won 89-77, James found Aaron to hand him his game shoes.
"I wasn't able to hear the whole story because I was in the game and Coach was drawing up the play," James said. "But I looked up by the Jumbotron and I saw what [Aaron had] been through and where he is now. I think the doctor said he would never walk again or talk again. … I looked up there and right from there, it became so much more than basketball."
James told reporters after the game that he noticed Aaron was wearing a pair of Nike Zoom Soldier 8 Flyease, shoes designed specifically for people with disabilities, ESPN reports.
"He also had my shoes on," James said. "I designed those shoes for kids with conditions where they can't tie their own shoestrings, and he had a pair on. Those shoes that he had on are made for kids that can't tie their own shoes, and it's just one strap. When I saw his story, it was just like, I don't know, I felt like I was a part of him. Just showing my respect, gave him my shoes. It was well-received by him. It was not for you guys or the fans. It was for him."
Read more at ESPN.