Bush Visits With Autistic Basketball Manager

Jason McElwain didn't think anything could beat the night he scored 20 points in four minutes for his high school basketball team and was carried off the court on his teammates' shoulders.

But then came Tuesday, when President Bush visited with the autistic basketball manager during a swing through western New York.

"It's a tough choice," the 17-year-old senior said yesterday on ABC's "Good Morning America" when asked whether meeting Bush was better than his stunning performance on the court last month. "I think meeting the president is a little bit better."

Last month, McElwain's coach had him suit up for Greece (N.Y.) Athena High School's final home game of the season and put him in with four minutes to go when the team opened a large lead. In his first and only appearance for the team, the 5-foot-6 manager hit six three-point shots and a two-pointer.

The jaw-dropping performance was caught on a student video and made national news.

"Our country was captivated by an amazing story on the basketball court," Bush said, standing with his arm around McElwain after stepping off Air Force One at the Rochester airport on Tuesday. "It's the story of a young man who found his touch on the basketball court, which in turn touched the hearts of citizens all around the country."

Bush said he learned about McElwain from seeing him on TV.

"I wept, just like a lot of other people did," he said.

McElwain, who is known as J-Mac, never imagined he'd touch so many people.

"I didn't realize that until e-mails came from families and kids with autism," he said.

Since McElwain's awe-inspiring performance on the court, his parents have received a flood of calls from Hollywood.

"It's a dream come true," McElwain said.

-- From News Services