Cancer survivor helps inspire college basketball doubleheader exhibition to benefit St. Jude

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Nick saw the dark circles under his eyes that never went away, noticed how he struggled across basketball courts he used to sprint across and how he had to rest on the exam table when his pediatrician called his mother took off his eyes outside to talk.

In the car, the high school freshman closed his eyes while driving with his mother until she drove over a speed bump.

He looked up to see St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and asked, “Do I have cancer?”

The 14-year-old actually had cancer, specifically acute lymphocytic leukemia. The treatment a decade ago that kept him alive also ended the Division I prospect's hopes of playing for his hometown Memphis Tigers or elsewhere.

Memphis plays on Tuesday a Basketball doubleheader exhibition that Nick contributed to the inspiration. The Tigers host No. 9 North Carolina in FedExForum, followed by the Women play defend State champion South Carolina in the tires for St. Jude Tip Off Classic.

It's something of a birthday celebration for Nick, who turns 25 that day, but it's much more than that.

Hoops goes from scrimmages to fundraisers

The event is a fundraiser for a hospital dedicated to the care of children, and it is not the only one of its kind. College basketball teams used to play behind closed doors for years, but changes to NCAA rules allow teams of the Division I now plans to plan exhibitions where 100% of ticket proceeds can go to a specific charity.

No. 12 Tennesseethe ruler Southeast Conference Champion, hosts Indiana on October 27th, the money goes to the John McLendon Foundationwhich provides scholarships to minority graduates seeking careers in athletics administration. John Calipari's Arkansas debut takes place Oct. 25 against Kansas, with ticket sales split between Fore the Kids Foundation of Kansas and Arkansas Children's Hospitals.

North Carolina coach Hubert Davis played against Memphis coach Penny Hardaway in the NBA and the two friends have talked about pitting their teams against each other. Davis' mother died of cancer.

“The opportunity to serve together was a given for both of us and I am truly excited for the opportunity,” Davis said.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley had tried to schedule a regular season game with Memphis coach Alex Simmons. The Gamecocks, who have won three national titles since 2017, are without a chance at a return game for a few more years. Staley said Simmons was kind enough to agree to an exhibition.

“I just got a St. Jude envelope in the mail. “I gave to St. Jude,” Staley said. “In this way we will carry out hospital visits to meet the people who care for the families and children. The need is quite remarkable and I want my players to experience it.”

This doubleheader is the first step in what Richard Shadyac Jr. hopes to become an annual event. The president and CEO of ALSAC, St. Jude's fundraising and awareness organization, said cancer is the most common disease that kills children in the United States

Survival rates for children diagnosed in low-income countries are worse, and an estimated 400,000 children develop cancer each year. That's why St. Jude's mission is to help bring cancer medicines to more than 120,000 children in 50 countries within five years.

“It's fundraisers like this, awareness events like this, that allow us to set these bold and courageous goals,” Shadyac said.

Nick's inspiration

Nick's father rushed to his birth on the night of Midnight Madness with Memphis on Oct. 15, 1999, and was racing from his job as a Memphis high school coach when his wife called him to meet her at St. Jude in 2014.

For Paris and Tangela, their son's diagnosis – the requirement to identify him only by his first name – meant their world had been turned upside down. Fortunately, Paris said, everyone at St. Jude was clear about what Nick expected and what the recovery rate was.

The best part? Not a single bill, so the family can focus on helping Nick in the fight.

“The things that St. Jude offered us gave us the opportunity to focus on him and also ourselves and make sure we were as strong as we needed to be to help him through the process,” said Paris.

For Nick, the treatments took away the gym where he could exercise his emotions. He began writing to deal with his anger. Other St. Jude patients draw or paint. When he heard Nick trying to create a beat, someone from St. Jude handed him an iPad and he later bought a microphone for $15.

Music replaced basketball as his new passion, and his current album “Concrete Dreams” was published in October 2022.

The fundraiser is the result of a conversation between Nick and the Memphis men's basketball team last December.

Memphis' tight-knit basketball community knew Nick had been through something. His father played for the Tigers and his son's experience brought with it the inspiring work done at the world-famous hospital.

“It definitely put a face to it and a voice to something that they knew about, but now they can actually experience it and feel those emotions,” Nick said.

The family's basketball dreams now lie with his younger brother Paris III. Nick, his father and brother will be at the doubleheader and we hope the fundraiser will continue for years to come.

What would this mean for Nick after his fight?

“It’s worth it,” Nick said.

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AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard and AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli contributed to this report.

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