Autistic Teen Heads For Silver Screen
Magic Johnson Meets Jason McElwain, Confirms Deal
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Play CBS Video Video Hoops Hero Meets Bush Correspondent Steve Hartman was at the front of the pack when President Bush greeted autistic teen basketball manager Jason McElwain during a stop in upstate New York.
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Video Autistic Player Meets Bush CBS News RAW: At the airport in Rochester, N.Y., President Bush met with Jason McElwain, the autistic student who scored 20 points in the last four minutes of his first varsity basketball game.
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Video Town Pats Troops On Back Byron Pitts meets a group of greeters in Bangor, Maine, who make U.S. troops feel appreciated as they ship out or return home.
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Jason McElwain (left) and Magic Johnson (AP Photo/Democrat & Chronicle)
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Video High School Hero CBS News reports on an autistic teen basketball star whose 15 minutes of fame has gone into overtime.
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Interactive Breaking The Silence Find out more about autism, and where to get help for someone who may have this neurological disorder.
"If I could release a name ..." the autistic teen said Wednesday as he stood next to Johnson in the gym where he made six three-pointers in his first and only appearance for Greece Athena High School's varsity team.
Catching his mother's eye, McElwain hesitated. Then, in a firm voice that drew a burst of laughter, he said, "I don't care who plays who — as long as it's a great movie."
Asked how difficult McElwain's feat was, Johnson said, "Oh man, I know I couldn't have done it."
"Yeah, you could have! Yeah, you could have!" an incredulous McElwain, who's come to be known as "J-Mac," interjected.
"No, no," Johnson insisted, laughing. "I'm not a shooter. I could run the show and get it to guys like you 'cause you can shoot it. That was my job."
Johnson, who has become a business entrepreneur, political activist and part-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers since retiring from basketball more than a decade ago, stopped off in the Rochester suburb of Greece, N.Y. to make it official — he's bringing McElwain's "amazing story" to the big screen.
"I think it would give young people a lot of hope," Johnson told reporters. "And not just young people living with autism, but all young people. It would help them to reach their goals and dreams. and tell them never to give up. And also, be ready for your shot when called upon."
In February, the 17-year-old basketball manager known to all as "J-Mac" suited up for Greece Athena's final home game of the season. Put in with 4 minutes to go after his team opened a large lead, he scored 20 points and was carried off the court on his teammates' shoulders.
His jaw-dropping feat, captured on a student video, drew international attention and a flood of calls from Hollywood. Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures recently acquired the life rights to McElwain and his parents, Debbie and David.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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