OT: CJ Leslie helps fan in wheel chair up when fans stormed the court after NC State beat Duke

Submitted by reshp1 on

Following NC State's upset of #1 and undefeated Duke, the students rushed the court. A fan in a wheelchair was knocked down in the chaos, NC State player CJ Leslie cleared a spot around the fallen fan and held him up until his wheelchair could be located.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/01/14/photo-emerges-of-cj-les…

(The video the guy in the wheelchair took with his phone is pretty nuts too)

GetBetterDaily

January 15th, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^

I remember watching the game live and seeing the kid in the wheelchair rushing the court. Glad he got to experience something like and was able to participate. I'm sure even though he got knocked down it was worth it.

GOLBOGM

January 15th, 2013 at 10:05 AM ^

That's pretty awesome!

Quite possibly the most exciting moment of his career (life?) and he still knows whats most important and does the right thing!

This is the type of thing to be proud about as a coach or fan.  Plenty of guys can score and rebound- developing good men and people is so imprtant and what really makes the most difference!

superstringer

January 15th, 2013 at 10:24 AM ^

Roy Tarpley gave me a high five on the court, when we stormed it after beating IU by like 30 pts in the very last game of the 1986 season to win the B1G (when, you know, the Big Ten conference actually had only ten teams) and get a #1 seed.

OK I have no real reason for posting that here.  I just remembered it when I read this article.

(I think I might have also patted Butch Wade's sweaty shoulder from the backside, too, but I don't believe that was any affirmative act on his part so I don't really put that in the same category.)

I've wasted enough of all your time now, I return you to your regularly-scheduled thread....

Tater

January 15th, 2013 at 10:28 AM ^

It's great to see players exhibiting class, and possibly saving this fan from great bodily harm.  It's also predictable that the larger websites didn't bother to cover the story.  If he had a DUI, though, it would be a top headline.  Kudos to Leslie and kudos to USA Today for the coverage.

Moleskyn

January 15th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^

Yeah, I saw them discussing this on PTI last night. Don't remember which one, I think it was Wilbon, was saying this was a dark spot on the night, and that they were inches away from a disaster. While I understand where he was coming from, I think it's safe to say that the kid will never forget that night. Granted, everyone would be singing a different tune if he had gotten trampled and injured, but I haven't heard anything saying he was pushed out there against his will.

APBlue

January 15th, 2013 at 10:42 AM ^

This is a great story.  It appears that no one was seriously hurt.  The president of the student body rightfully admitted that pushing Privette onto the court was "the dumbest thing he's done in college".  I think his heart was in the right place, but obviously not a good idea.  Privette's got one hell of a story though.  

Definite respect for Leslie.  It's nice to see stories that show the good in college athletics/athletes.  There are enough examples of the other.  

Noahdb

January 15th, 2013 at 10:57 AM ^

Privette's wheelchair was damaged in the crash. The father of an NC State student saw the footage and got in touch with him and they managed to fix the wheelchair.

 

switch26

January 15th, 2013 at 11:16 AM ^

i remember the announcers talking about this right after the game ended.. i didn't catch everything they said, but this must of been it

Noahdb

January 15th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^

but I sort of think it was incredibly stupid. The guy could've easily gotten trampled and injured (or killed?) in the melee

 

For what it's worth, Privette agrees with you. He's 20 or so and he's spent his whole life in the wheelchair. He's a huge sports fan (He keeps stats for the baseball team) and I think he just wants to join in the fun once in awhile. He's in a wheelchair because he was born with deformed legs. 

I think he just wanted to play with the rest of the kids for once. I can't imagine how isolating it must feel to constantly have to sit on the sidelines. Watching thousands of your peers engage in an orgy of pure bliss....do you want to join in? Of course!

lhglrkwg

January 15th, 2013 at 12:59 PM ^

Yeah I don't doubt that he loved getting to go in there. I just remember when I saw him flying in there at the end of the game I thought 'holy crap that guy is going to die.' Glad he got the experience, but if he was my kid I would've given him the 'You could've gotten yourself killed!!" lecture

LSAClassOf2000

January 15th, 2013 at 3:03 PM ^

The click-through story on USA Today talks about Privette's background a little bit, right down to how he claims to have missed only one Wolf Pack hoops game this year and plans to go to the remainder of the home games. Even though Privette was in danger, it was touching somehow - especially when he continued cheering as Leslie held him, waiting for the wheelchair to be located. I found that moving in a way. A very awesome story and major props to C.J. Leslie.