Raptors Fan With Autism Scores Basket Thanks To Teammates

A boy with autism was called into his school’s competitive basketball game and scored an emotional shot sending the crowd wild. Toronto Raptors fan Dylan Hutton, aged 10, was swarmed by his teammates and cheered by the opposition having made the basket. Despite living with autism, the condition has never held Dylan back from loving his favorite sport, and coach Angelo Bruno, of St. Luke Catholic School in Ottawa, Canada, was determined to reward his dedication. Having accepted Dylan into the team’s practice sessions in the weeks prior - and developing a play specifically for Dylan - Coach Bruno saw a five-school tournament on April 18 as the perfect time to introduce his new star. The coach spoke to the heads of opposition teams and the tournament's referee, asking if they would be okay with St. Luke’s running Dylan’s play at the end of a game. Angelo informed Dylan’s parents, Brian and Kathy, who then witnessed their son come into one of the games to much excitement. Encouraged by both sets of teams, Dylan approached the basket and shot underarm, sinking the shot. Dylan’s proud parents said the moment really “tugged at the heartstrings”, and Coach Bruno added that the shot galvanized his team later in the tournament, seeing their results improve with every game after Dylan was introduced.

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