Game reps mean something different as a fan. As a player, the shots you practice are supposed to mimic what you would take in a game. That all changes when you're a college student or fan who eagerly hopes to be chosen for the coveted break-in-the-action, half-court shot.
The half-court try is the shot that can win you cash, pay your mortgage, or fund a pyramid scheme; If you're Miami Heat fan Michael Drysch, it gets you a bear hug from superstar LeBron James.
LeBron James Tackles Heat Fan Who Hit $75,000 Shot
Drysch, a 50-year-old computer technician and Illinois native, had been practicing his game reps. He was in Miami on behalf of the LeBron James Family Foundation after winning a drawing to shoot for $75,000. He spent the two days prior to the Heat game against the Detroit Pistons on January 25, 2013, practicing his form.
Before the shot, Drysch received a tip from a friend. Per ESPN's Michael Wallace:
"They told me to put some spin on the ball, and get it up there as high as I could," Drysch said. "I had made that shot something like 1 percent of the time in my life."
The advice paid dividends. Drysch stepped up to half court, took one dribble, and launched a skyhook. It drifted in the air and found the back of the rim. The AmericanAirlines Arena crowd went bananas. Drysch was $75,000 richer.
That's not even the best part. The reigning MVP tackled the lucky fan in celebration, gleaming with a huge smile. The half-court hook shot was by far the biggest make in the Heat's 110-88 win.
The Heat eventually went through the gauntlet of the playoffs and beat the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals. LeBron probably didn't hug his teammates as fiercely as he embraced Drysch.
Kareem and Drysch are to skyhooks what LeBron is to dunks.
