Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Patrick Andres

James Harden Shares Sweet Moment With MSU Shooting Survivor After Game 4 Win

On its own, 76ers guard James Harden's monster 42-point, eight-rebound, nine-assist performance against the Celtics on Sunday afternoon was one for the ages. The future Hall of Famer hit game-tying and game-winning shots as Philadelphia evened its Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.

However, Harden's interactions with Michigan State shooting survivor John Hao before and after the contest gave the win extra meaning.

After expressing a wish to bring the 20-year-old Hao to a game once he was well enough to attend, Harden fulfilled his promise. Hao, who was paralyzed from the chest down in the shooting, embraced Harden during pregame warmups.

Then, after his virtuoso role in the 76ers' 116–115 overtime win, Harden signed his shoes and gave them to Hao.

Harden added a Twitter salute to Hao, calling him the team's sixth man.

Hao and Harden spoke via FaceTime in February, shortly after the shooting that killed three and wounded five.

"They put me on FaceTime with him. He’s actually doing a little bit better. So the more I can just encourage and rub off this energy that I have and give him hope, I feel like that’s what I’m here for," Harden said at the time.

It appears safe to say that Harden made good on his word.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.