No one will remember that Pacers game — except the kids who won't ever forget it

INDIANAPOLIS — Nobody would blame you if you glossed over what happened during halftime of the Pacers and Rockets’ preseason finale Friday night in Indianapolis. It’s the NBA preseason. The home team is going nowhere fast. There were maybe 7,000 people watching.

Some 24 NBA players, the epitome of physical strength, cleared the floor. A group of 13 kids, the epitome of heart, took their places.

There’s Tollsyn Crandall, the 13-year-old with Osteogenesis imperfecta, a brittle bone disease. There’s Max Stachel, Ean VanGordon and Elijah Taylor, who all have Spina bifida. Those are just four names, but there are so many more on the RHI (Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana) Jr. Racers roster. And for 10 minutes on a Friday night, they’re living their dream on the same court their idols play on.

Instead of leaping for rebounds, they’re jockeying for position with their wheelchairs. Their arms are plenty strong. Imagine pushing your own bodyweight, plus a chair, every single day. Their resolve? Even stronger.

“Being out there having fun, it makes me feel free,” Tollsyn said. “I haven’t really been able to play on a team that also has other people in wheelchairs. It’s fun.”

Tollsyn’s favorite Pacers player, by the way, is Myles Turner. Ean and Elijah’s favorite player? Buddy Hield.

These kids love basketball, and they’re darn good at it, too. The RHI Jr. Racers, part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, won 20 games last season, third-most in the country in the junior division.

“They watch these guys on TV. They know the players better than I do,” said Andrew Stachel, who’s in his second year as the team’s coach. “They love basketball. This helps them see the concepts we’re teaching. We’re teaching the same concepts. We’re a competitive team.”

Wheelchair basketball is a growing sport, thanks in large part to exposure in the Paralympics. Hannah Exline, who graduated from Brebeuf Jesuit in the spring, was part of Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana’s wheelchair basketball program for years. She’s a freshman at the University of Texas-Arlington, where she got a full-ride to play on their women’s adaptive basketball team.

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These Jr. Racers players might get to that level someday. But for now, they’re content mimicking their heroes.

“It shows that able-bodied people aren’t the only ones who can be great,” Ean said.

Said Tollsyn: “It shows everyone what we’re capable of even though we’re in wheelchairs.”

These kids get it. They understand that what they’re doing is about more than themselves. Ean and Tollsyn admitted they were nervous when they went onto the floor. But it wasn’t about makes or misses. It was, as Tollsyn said, “getting on the court and showing everyone what we can do.”

It wasn’t just about the kids. It was about their parents, too. Ryan Taylor got to watch his son “feel like the rest of them.” Stachel gets to watch his son, and the rest the Jr. Racers, conquer hurdles every day. Some growth involves basketball. Most doesn’t.

“There’s that disappointment that they can’t participate in school sports,” he said. “This fills that void to an extent. But they also see kids that have greater challenges than they have. They’re very grateful to play. They love to be together.”

There’s a wide spectrum of physical abilities among players on the roster, and their teammates accommodate. Some players have unique challenges — for instance, if Tollsyn gets hit too hard with a ball, his arm could break. So his teammates send bounce passes his way. Their differences unite them.

“They’re exceptionally aware,” Stachel said. “They’re sharp.”

Spoken with wisdom beyond his years, Ean says one of his favorite parts of playing basketball is watching his teammates get better.

“I love to see the improvement of everyone,” he said.

After the game, Buddy Hield was asked what it means to him that kids look up to him.

“It shows their fight and their willingness to compete,” he said. “Even though they’re not at full strength, they don’t have any complaints. I have a lot to be thankful for.”

Not many who watched the Pacers lose to Houston will remember the final score in 24 hours, let alone months or years from now. But the smiles on the faces of players in Section 114 of Gainbridge Fieldhouse couldn’t be wiped away. The memories will last for a lifetime.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Wheelchair basketball takes spotlight during Indiana Pacers game