(Photo Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
On a basketball court in Berkeley, 16-year-old Ben Thornton takes a pass from a teammate, makes a move, puts a shot up and watches the ball go through the hoop. It’s as common a scene as those that take place in basketball games on playgrounds, in school gyms and even in professional sporting arenas all over the country.
Only, it really isn’t.
Unlike Golden State Warriors stars such as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant, Ben doesn’t have the advantage of playing basketball on two legs. Instead he has the five wheels of his wheelchair because he has never been able to walk, much less run the length of a basketball court.