Brandon Wechsler's spirit permeates packed Pinnacle gym in basketball loss to Liberty

In the end, the scoreboard read, "Peoria Liberty 91, Phoenix Pinnacle 76."

But that's not what Friday night inside packed Pinnacle's gym was all about. It was about Brandon Wechsler, that smile that radiated across the north Phoenix campus, his love for others and the courage he showed rallying from countless surgeries.

After Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy — the disease that kept him from walking but didn't take away his ability to inspire — caught up with him in late November, when he died at age 28, nobody at Pinnacle will forget the team's manager from the 2010s.

That's why Pinnacle started the first B-Inspired Legacy Game and invited Liberty, one of the best and classiest programs in the state, to be the first opponent Friday.

"It was an extreme honor that Coach (Charlie Wilde) invited us," Liberty coach Mark Wood said. "We're blessed to be a part of that space.

"Everyone he had here, all of the alumni, it was a real tribute to Charlie and what he's built here."

They came out to celebrate Brandon's spirit.

Some of those former players were Dorian Pickens, Tosh Baker, Drew Bender. Even the Hatten twins — Hayden and Hogan — who left Pinnacle and transferred to Scottsdale Saguaro during their high school careers, flew in from Canada to part of Wechsler's night.

Both walls behind the Pinnacle baskets were draped with banners about Wechsler. One had a sketch of his face with that wide smile and the words, 'He's got a smile to inspire."

Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley and former Suns player Cedric Ceballos, a longtime family friend, were part of the standing-room only crowd.

After graduating from Pinnacle, Wechsler did double-duty, managing both the Pinnacle and ASU men's basketball teams, always showing up in his wheelchair, smiling and asking people how they're doing.

A shoe drive took place during Friday's game. Wechsler couldn't walk, but he loved to wear those bright, sparkling shoes. He frequently received shoes, some from NBA players. He had over 100 basketball sneakers. Those were like his trophies. He had shoes from Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, LeBron James.

"He never could walk so they always looked brand new," said Eydie, Brandon's mom, who cared for him growing up. "He had a love for Kobe Bryant's, Durant's, LeBron's. All colors. All styles."

The shoes collected, Eydie said, will go to other schools for basketball players who can't afford sneakers.

At halftime, a video was played of Wechsler becoming the first wheelchair-bound AIA athlete to play in a game. He received the jump ball and handed it off to Pickens. It was eight seconds of pure joy. The gym was packed, like Friday night. The students chanted, "Brandon," like they did Friday. His No. 42 was retired and put on a wall in the locker room.

After Pinnacle won its second state title in a row in 2019, Wilde made Wechsler an honorary coach for life.

"You know what, he was a special guy to all of these kids," said Len Wechsler, Brandon's dad. "They came in to see Brandon. Some of them flew in from different states and surprised us. Just taking this all in, the support at Pinnacle, we started this in the eighth grade. We never left. How gratifying it is to see someone come up to you and say, 'I liked that kid.' "

Brandon's presence was felt Friday night, and, even though Pinnacle (7-6) gave it a strong fight, it just couldn't stop the perfectly executed offense of Liberty (14-3), which got 24 points from Ky Green and 21 points from Davis Hester, three nights after Pinnacle knocked off top-ranked Gilbert Perry 65-63.

"We're going to do this once a year," Wilde said. "He was special. His legacy here was tremendous. Win or lose, it was the right thing to do for the family, for him, and for our kids. They realize what he meant.

"Everybody coming out. Our kids realized that people with disabilities, whatever it might be, it's OK. They're special. And they bring out thousands of people, because they're special."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brandon Wechsler's spirit permeates Pinnacle gym in loss to Liberty