Nuggets star Jamal Murray took to the hardwoods on Tuesday, not as a player but as a coach. He wowed North Middle School students in a unified basketball game against Aurora Hills Middle School.
Unified Sports is a collaborative approach to creating opportunities for students with and without disabilities to participate in school sports.
“Anytime you can play basketball and put a smile on kids' faces, it's obviously a lot of fun,” Murray told CBS News Colorado's Kelly Worthman.
CBS
And perhaps there is no bigger smile than the one that spreads across Felipe Ábalos' face. North's eighth graders cheered when Murray entered the gym, but the crowd went wild when Felipe danced on the court.
“It's a lot of fun and we have a lot of fun together,” said Jonathan Avalos, who plays with his brother.
Although Felipe is a student with a disability, Murray quickly noticed that the eighth grader had amazing abilities on the court.
“Well, give Felipe the ball and get him out of the way,” Murray said with a laugh.
Winning or losing is not important in this game. Student-athletes say it's all about having fun.
“I was happy to see everyone having fun,” said Amy Bossie, an eighth-grader at North Middle School.
CBS
But Aurora Public Schools scored a big win when UCHealth donated $5,000 to support all unified sports in the district. When Murray matched the donation himself, he continued to surprise.
“I want to help in any way I can and help inspire and think about what's best for kids. That's my number one job,” Murray explained. “Hopefully they see me do that and one day when they get older they will realize the importance of it and do the same.”
APS said this generous donation will be used to purchase equipment for all uniformed sports.
