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Student Well-Being

Teenager With Down Syndrome to Play for Harlem Globetrotters

By Bryan Toporek — February 26, 2014 1 min read
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The illustrious basketball career of Kevin Grow added another chapter on Tuesday, as the Harlem Globetrotters announced that next month in Philadelphia as a “three-point specialist.”

Grow, an 18-year-old with Down syndrome, has been the team manager of Bensalem (Pa.) High School’s basketball team for the past four seasons. Earlier this month, Grow checked into the team’s Senior Day game with two minutes left and quickly proceeded to knock down four three-point shots.

Last week, the National Basketball Association’s Philadelphia 76ers signed Grow . He attended practice, shot around with his fellow Sixers teammates, received a custom jersey, and stood with the team during the national anthem before they took on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 18.


Now, Grow is set to become the first person to suit up for the 76ers and the Globetrotters since NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, . In the second game of the team’s doubleheader in Philadelphia on Sunday, March 9, Grow will enter the game in the fourth quarter to do what he does best: drain three-pointers with reckless abandon.

In the week leading up to the game, two Globetrotters—Handles Franklin and TNT Maddox—will visit Bensalem High School for a school assembly. There, they’ll present Grow with his personalized jersey, featuring his new nickname, “KG3.”

At the game, he and his father will sit on the team’s bench until he’s called upon in the fourth quarter. Not such a bad way to spend a Sunday, eh?

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Schooled in Sports blog.