Paul will honor boy whose wish to see the Hornets went unfulfilled

by Katy Reckdahl, The Times-Picayune Wednesday May 07, 2008, 10:07 PM


Before tonight's playoff game, the New Orleans Hornets' superstar point guard Chris Paul will write the name "Brian" on his shoes, paying tribute to an 8-year-old fan who died Monday night before he could meet his basketball hero.

Brian, who had cancer, wore his Chris Paul jersey nonstop, said Michael McMyne, president of A Child's Wish of Greater New Orleans, an all-volunteer nonprofit that helps fulfill the wishes of about 100 critically ill Louisiana children each year. McMyne asked that Brian's last name not be used to respect the privacy of the grieving family.
Brian's wish was simple: He wanted to go to a Hornets game.
So McMyne got him tickets to Monday night's playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs.
But at the last minute, a friend of Brian's family called to cancel. The boy had been rushed to the hospital with a high fever, she said. He died hours later.
In his final weeks, Brian told his family that he knew he was going to heaven and that he wanted to meet Jesus wearing his Chris Paul jersey.
Someone within the Hornets organization sent around an e-mail telling Brian's story. It caught the eye of Paul and Hornets owner George Shinn. Both cried.
"It was very touching to me. Tears welled up in my eyes," said Shinn, who sent flowers and a letter to the family and offered to help with funeral costs. The family, overwhelmed with grief, was touched by his kindness but declined. The location and time of the funeral also are private.
Shinn and his wife hoped to attend the funeral with Paul and his parents. But the team will be on road at the time, so that isn't possible, Shinn said. The family plans to bury Brian in his favorite jersey, as he requested.
Footwear tributes aren't new, Shinn said. But usually the name is directly connected to the player. His mother. A family member. A favorite coach. "The NBA allows you to do that, to honor that person," Shinn said.
Shinn has never before seen a player write a fan's name on his footwear, "particularly a fan that the player hadn't even met," he said.

Very sad to hear. I knew of this little fella. In God's hands, bless him.

Sure does put things in perspective... But he's, in a better place !!