When tragedies happen, the best of humanity tends to show up, whether it’s to help people who were affected by the events pick up the pieces, or just to give them a little bit of hope. Perhaps it's as simple as putting a smile on the face of a person who is going through so much grief. The best of humanity is what Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden displayed recently.
John Hao, a 20-year-old student attending Michigan State University, was one of the victims of a mass shooting that took place on the school's campus Feb. 13. The injuries suffered by Hao left him paralyzed from the waist down. Hao likes basketball, and he's a huge fan of Harden's.
Upon learning about Hao's story and fandom, James Harden decided to step in and give a heartwarming gesture to the student. The footage is captured on the Twitter page of ESPN NBA Today host Malika Andrews.
Last week, 20-year-old John Hao’s life was changed forever. He was one of the students shot at Michigan State University and was left paralyzed from the waist down. Hao is a huge fan of James Harden, and when Harden heard Hao’s story, he stepped in: pic.twitter.com/Htm2RXRdQ2
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 23, 2023
Harden sent Hao a pair of game-worn shoes, contributed to his GoFundMe page and had face time with the student who's life has turned upside-down. Harden encouraged Hao to stay tough and keep pushing, and said more help is coming his way.
In seeing this footage, it's hard not to get emotional. A student is preparing to go through a grueling rehab process, wondering if he will have any normalcy in his life going forward. All of a sudden, his favorite basketball player comes in a contributes to his recovery in multiple ways.
There are so many emotions going through as this article is being written, but we can close with this. Harden has a fan in Hao, and now, Hao has a fan in Harden.
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