The Sports World Has Witnessed

THE SPORTS WORLD HAS WITNESSED many remarkable comebacks from physical injury. But in 2000, Sean Elliott of the San Antonio Spurs returned to the court following an amazing gift.

On August 16, 1999, Elliott underwent a kidney transplant after being diagnosed with a disease that prevents the kidneys from properly filtering waste from the blood. Fortunately, his brother Noel provided a suitable match.

Virtually everyone but Sean considered his NBA career over. At first, he walked cautiously. Then he gradually worked up to light training. By February 2000, he began full-scale practice with his teammates.

The forward returned to the starting lineup when the Spurs hosted the Atlanta Hawks on March 14. In the first few minutes, the crowd of 27,000 hushed as Elliott collided with Dikembe Mutombo but cheered as he bounced back to his feet.

Another roar erupted when Elliott drove past Roshown McLeod for a right-handed slam dunk. In his first appearance since the transplant surgery, the 1989 third pick in the NBA draft played 12 minutes, scored two points, grabbed a rebound, and collected an assist. Elliott played the rest of that season and one more before accepting a job as a television commentator.

EXTRA < < < < < < < < < < < < < <

POINT Sean Elliott became a basketball-playing miracle. First his doctors had to locate the right kidney. The odds of finding a matching donor for a kidney transplant are one in four from a sibling and one in 1,000 for the general population. Then he had to survive the surgery and start the rehabilitation process. But Elliott didn’t stop there; he continued to train and got back into the NBA!

God enables doctors to transplant kidneys and other organs to those who would die without them. After all, he’s in the life-saving business. When Jesus walked the earth, he sent his disciples out to heal the sick.

GOAL! Think about ways you can help people who are sick. You could bring cheer to the hospital, take a neighbor some soup, or pray for someone who’s ill.