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Jason McElwain (aka J Mac, born October 1, 1987) is an autistic man who hails from Greece, New York. He is best remembered for scoring 20 points for his high school basketball team, the Greece Athena High School Trojans on February 15, 2006. He lives with his mother and father, and his older brother Josh. At the age of two, he was diagnosed with autism. He could not interact with other kids at first, but developed strong social skills in the end. Despite being in special education classes, McElwain was interested in basketball, primarily from his brother.
On the night of February 15, 2006, the Trojans faced the Spencerport Rangers. Until then, McElwain was the team's manager. Then, the coach of the Trojans, Jim Johnson, gave him a jersey and allowed him to play a few minutes of the game. At that time, Greece Athena had a big lead and Johnson sent McElwain in during the game's final minutes. On his first try, he missed a three-point shot. Then, he missed a lay up. Soon enough, he scored six three-pointers and a two-point basket as the fans roared like crazy. In all his interviews, when asked about that night, McElwain said that he was "hot as a pistol". Greece Athena defeated Spencerport by a score of 79-43. When time expired, the fans stormed the court and mobbed McElwain. He was then carried on his shoulders.
Since then, McElwain's story hit national newslines and he has gained high popularity. He has been featured on ESPN (which he won an ESPY in 2006). He has also visited then-president George W. Bush, was featured in Topps trading cards, made a commercial for Gatorade, and made other sports appearances. There was a song dedicated to him, which was performed by Iron Butter. McElwain also wrote an autobiography called, The Game of My Life, with assistance from his friends, family, and coaches.
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