Special Ball Player

The manager of a Pennsylvania high school basketball team made his national debut on ESPN2’s “First Take” Wednesday.

It’s not for his skills as a team manager, but for his brief appearance on the court. You see, Danny Oberst has down syndrome, but that didn’t stop the freshman from sinking a shot in the final seconds of a game. To say Danny loves basketball is an understatement. For months he was the manager of the Westmont Hilltop freshman basketball team. But that all changed in February when Danny got to play. Westmont Assistant Athletic Director Tom Callihan said, “We contacted the coach first and the next thing is that he didn’t make the decision, the team did.” “Just to give him a chance because all year he was the water boy and helped us out all year, let him shine,” said player Zach Drennen.

After missing a few shots, Danny had one last chance with only seconds remaining in the game. Danny said, “I get the ball right here an I dribble and make the shot.” “He just jumped up and down. His friends were all cheering for him and the crowd and his brothers and I had tears in our eyes, a real exciting time,” said Danny’s mother Patty Oberst. “Tears of joy came down my face. I was just laughing so happy he got a chance,” said Danny’s brother Mike.

And now that magical moment is getting Danny some national attention, who knows where it will go from there.