This is will melt your heart. Eighteen-year-old Yitzi Teichman was diagnosed with brain cancer last year, and just 10 months after having surgery to remove a tumor, he got to experience the dream of a lifetime. Thanks to the Make a Wish Foundation, for one day, he got to experience what it’s like to be a Los Angeles Laker.
Tiechman, who appeared with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to announce the signing, got to hang out with the Lakers in team meetings, shoot around with them before the game, and even sit on the bench during their loss to the Hornets on Sunday.
During the press conference to announce his signing, Tiechman had some great one-liners about how he accomplished his life-long goal. “It’s either you gotta be good at basketball or have cancer. So, I went with the cancer route.”
Teichman has a great sense of humor about his experience, but just months ago, his life was very much on the line, as he and his father described to NBA.com.
“We didn’t know what the future was going to be,” Michael said. “We didn’t know if he was going to live or die.”
And though comedy has fueled his recovery, Yitzi himself realizes how dire his diagnosis was.
“A lot of people who have my surgery end up in wheelchairs or dead,” he said. “The fact that I’m able to fly out here is amazing.”
Right in the middle of his battle with the disease, Teichman got an assist from none other than Kobe Bryant himself, who sent some words of encouragement in a video message to the young Lakers fan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/0mEbThM-EU/
After being signed, Teichman joked that his first word after being born was “Kobe,” and he finally got to meet his idol when he flew out to LA. For his part, Bryant said the teenager fit right in with the rest of the team.
“He was just like part of the crew,” Bryant said. “He just came in here, hung out, sat next to me. He was here for the pregame, here for halftime and here postgame. He fit in very well.”
Teichman looked like he had pretty good form on his jumper, and considering the Lakers lost the game by 29, they should have given him some garbage-time minutes to see what he’s got.
(Via NBA.com)
