Ok, ever seen that old 80's movie House of Cards, or Rainman? I am wondering if an NBA team would sign an autistic person (ala Billy Bob in Slingblade) that slung 80% from the 3 point line. Shooting proficiency in general is the only basketball skill, other than playing hard (whole other thread) that I can possibly see an autistic person having. I seem to remember something similar happening with a man named Mike Penberthy and the Lakers a few years ago. But I think he was a amputee? Worst case scenario, you have to keep a man on him behind the 3 point line. He would be a situationas specialist (obviously a HUGE detriment for his team defensively) I could see him coming in and Icing game 6 in a playoff series for someone. I smell movie script.
There are lots of players that can shoot 80% in an empty gym with no defender, so the autistic guy had better be able to do something else. Now if he could shoot 80% from half court....
Yup, I think Chris Mullin used to routinely put up 90+/100 in practices. like 97, 95 and stuffs. I dont know about that but its in the articles.
The movie Blind Side is about a borderline "r****d. Some of the stars of this league *cough* rose *cough* would probably be 2 standard deviations from the mean.
This guy... old but not autistic. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NzYh4CGAbCU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NzYh4CGAbCU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
I would definitely believe it. I saw him on Inside the NBA once and he was shooting for about five minutes without missing a shot. I wouldn't be surprised though if a lot of players could do that.
Autistic basketball player Jason McElwain has the game of his life <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1fw1CcxCUgg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1fw1CcxCUgg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Now thats just dumb. How about someone signs Magic Johnson to inbound the ball from halfcourt for last second attempts? He is 6-7 (to see over defenders) with long arms (get off the pass) and the best passer of all-time (so I hear) so he would be the perfect situational guy for that AND he can do it until he he dies from old age.
Why would someone with autism be more capable of shooting 3 pointers at a high percentage than a neurotypical person? I don't get it.
Some autistic people are savants http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savant_syndrome, but I've never heard of savant basketball players.
Even better, he's 6'9"!! But seriously, does autism augment physical abilities? I've heard of several mental abilities that take on freakish and near computer-like dimensions in people with autism and/or are savants, but can't think of any where physical abilities are exceptional. Maybe they exist. That being said - this won't work. :grin:
What? Oher didn't have a mental handicap at all. In college, he made the dean's list. Ohhh, I see, you're using "r****d" as a synonym to "unintelligent." How politically correct of you.
I recall the Rockets had someone with Asberger's syndrome, a form of Autism if I remember correctly. And boy, is Rafer Alston a great shooter.
Autism very frequently impairs a person's fine motor skills (writing, buttoning a button) and is also knows to affect gross motor skills (throwing/kicking a ball). Still, autism is a spectrum disorder, and people fall anywhere from noncommunicative to obtaining PhD's (see Dr. Temple Grandin). The way it affects each person can be completely different. Moreover, like Dr. of Dunk said, most savant behavior is focused upon mental tasks (for instance, I work with a kid who can tell you, in order, every exit on I-95, from South Florida up through part of New England), but muscle memory and mental memory are handled by completely different parts of the brain. Still, with the variable and unpredictable ways autism can manifest itself in people's lives, it's not totally inconceivable that a person could be so singularly focused upon shooting 3's that they became near perfect at it. Autism could also affect a person's performance in game time situations positively or negatively. On one hand, anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of autism, and I can't think of anything more anxiety-inducing than playing a team sport in front of thousands of people. Plus, the task of playing a team sport is difficult for persons with autism, as social cues are completely lost on those with the disorder. On the flip side, an autistic person's ability to be so completely in their own heads, so shut off from exterior environmental forces, could make it possible for someone with autism accustomed to the routine of playing basketball capable of putting up "practice" numbers in a game setting. It's all about comfort levels and routines for most with autism, and an autistic person with a high comfort level in a game-time could be just as mentally focused at the task at hand as MJ in Game 7 tl;dr - Autism is an unpredictable mental disorder, and anything is possible.
Beat me to it... But yeah, if we wanted a 3-point specialist* who probably would play zero defense** why not get someone like this guy. * Spoiler ** Spoiler
someone like novak, who prob hits 90% in an empty gym and almost 50 in games can barely hold on to his roster spot...and he can do more than that, but not well, so if an autistic man can only shoot a little bit better i don't see him making it.....i think a better question would be if the autisitc man was 7'4 or sumn...because when it comes to perimeter play, you need to actually be able to play and move...and even guys like ben wallace who only play one side can do a few things like blocking, rebounding, defense...the only one specific single skill that's going to get you in the nba is way above average height for a ball player..
