SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP, OH (WLIO) - From juggling, dribbling, and spinning a basketball, students at Maplewood Elementary in Shawnee were treated with some fun during a special assembly.
Jim "Basketball" Jones captivated third and fourth graders with a mix of basketball stunts and a positive message. The session motivated kids to respect others, give everything their best shot, and never give up. Randomly selected students had a chance to test their skills by spinning a basketball and were rewarded with small gifts. One of the stunts included signing an autograph on a basketball with a spinning ball on top of the pen.
"I'm a special ed student. I was in special ed for 10 years. I sort of used a basketball to come out of my shell and find my purpose in life. So I started spinning basketballs in 6th grade, eventually did shows for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA," said Jim "Basketball" Jones, motivational speaker & author.
Jones refused to let his disability define him as he graduated with honors from Bowling Green State University. He hopes his story inspires our youth that anything is possible if they work hard and apply themselves.
