Typically, when we hear about a college or pro sports team showing interest in an 8-year-old kid, we get pretty disgusted. These days, college coaches are always on the lookout for the next big pro prospect. So they frequently keep an eye on kids who are still in elementary and middle school—and in some cases, even get these kids to make verbal commitments to their college programs years before they're eligible to sign letters of intent—simply because they're so afraid of missing out on a talented athlete. But even with all of that in mind, the story that we just heard about an 8-year-old getting drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies might just be our favorite sports story of the year.
Earlier this week, the Grizzlies drafted 8-year-old Charvis Brewer and made him the youngest person to ever be drafted by an NBA team. They did it because Brewer—who suffers from cerebral palsy—told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that it has been his dream to get drafted by an NBA team one day. So the Make-A-Wish Foundation worked with the Grizzlies to make his dream come true this week. He was drafted by the Grizzlies, signed a contract with the team, and even attended his first practice and game with the team when the Grizzlies played the Bulls last night. It's been a special week for Brewer, for sure.
Take a look at a few photos from Brewer's first day with the Grizzlies in the thumbs gallery above. The cool thing about all of this is that, despite the fact that Brewer won't actually play for the Grizzlies, his name will be listed in the NBA's history books as the youngest player ever drafted. How cool/amazing/heartwarming is that?
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[via NBA]
