Jason McElwain, nicknamed J-Mac (born October 20, 1988), is an American amateur athlete in both basketball and marathon and public speaker with high-functioning autism. McElwain came to fame on international news in 2006, when he shocked the world playing in a high-school basketball game and scored twenty points in the final few minutes of the game. The game was described as a “miracle” by many in attendance. The game was shown on ESPN, CBS, CNN and many news networks around the world, and video clips of the feat when viral.
In 2003, Jason McElwain was appointed as the manager of the Greece Athena High School Trojans men's basketball team by basketball coach Jim Johnson. On February 15, 2006, he played in a senior night basketball game against Spencerport High School, for a division title. Greece Athena got a large lead, so Coach Johnson decided to let McElwain play in the last four minutes and nineteen seconds of the game. After initially missing two shots, J-Mac became "hot as a pistol". McElwain made six three-point shots and one two-pointer, finishing with twenty points. Every shot he made shocked staff, students and parents alike. After the final buzzer rang, the crowd dashed onto the court in celebration. Footage of the event was featured on ESPN days after the game, and a short film about McElwain's life was in production. The movie, The Magic Of J-Mac, released in 2009.
Ten years later, McElwain made his professional basketball debut with the Rochester Razorsharks.
Early life
Jason McElwain was born on October 20, 1988, to David and Debbie McElwain, and was diagnosed with autism at the age of two years. Jason and his family lived in Greece, New York, a suburb of Rochester, New York. He initially struggled when interacting with other children, but began to develop social skills as he grew older. Although he was placed in special education classes, McElwain enjoyed basketball, to which he was introduced by his older brother Josh, and was appointed manager of Greece Athena High School's varsity basketball team. He was given the nickname “J-Mac”, after former Syracuse player Gerry McNamara who had the nickname “G-Mac”.
February 15, 2006, basketball game
Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson decided to add McElwain to the roster for the team's February 15 game against Spencerport High School, so McElwain could be given a jersey and sit on the bench for the team's last home game of the season, and allow McElwain to play a few minutes if Greece Athena got a comfortable lead. With four minutes left in the game, Greece Athena had a double-digit lead, so Johnson decided to let McElwain play out the last minutes of the game. When teammates first passed the ball to McElwain he attempted a three-point shot and missed. McElwain got a second chance to score with a lay-up which he also missed. McElwain then got "hot as a pistol", sinking six three-pointers and one two-point shot, before the game ended. The final score was Greece Athena 79, Spencerport 43. As soon as the final buzzer rang, fans from the stands stormed the court in celebration. Johnson described the celebration at the end of the game as “living the movie Rudy”.
McElwain's performance was videotaped by fellow Greece Athena student Marcus Luciano, who was substituting for the team's normal videographer. Before the game, Johnson gave Luciano strict instructions to track only the game formations. However, according to ESPN writer Elizabeth Merrill, Luciano "had a well-deserved reputation for breaking the rules"; when he saw McElwain make his first shot, he ignored Johnson's instructions and instead panned the crowd reaction to McElwain's performance. Johnson was initially angry, but he soon changed his mind, calling Luciano's decision "a brilliant move".
Reaction
Teacher Andy McCormack was in the audience that night to see the game. McCormack was Jason's Speech/Language Pathologist throughout high school, and the day after the game he got a copy of the video to local sports newscaster John Kucko who put it on the news that night. Others followed suit, and within days the tape reached a national audience. McCormack continued to support Jason over the next few months in school, helping coin alternative language expressions to his now-famous "hot as a pistol" phrase and helping him construct an introduction speech when Magic Johnson came to Greece Athena to speak to the student body.
In his hometown of Greece, New York, McElwain quickly became a celebrity. The family's home phone was always ringing, and when the McElwains went out for a meal, a group of fans ran into the family, praising Jason.