TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - A special moment took place at a middle school basketball game earlier this month when a boy no one expected to play made a three-point shot in the final seconds.
But to understand why that moment meant so much, you have to know the journey 13-year-old Chris Hupp took to get there.
At 5'8'' and 13-years-old, Hupp is quite the athlete. He's a nationally ranked tennis player and was sure to be a star on his school's basketball team.
But right before tryouts, he says he got a sinus infection that moved into his brain.
"I got really sick and just lost movement out of nowhere," he said.
Hupp spent two months in the hospital undergoing two surgeries. While recovering, he attended his school's basketball games wishing he could play.
Then he got his chance.
"One of my friends in the team asked the coach if i could play and I'm like no because I can't run and I'm rusty," said Hupp. "And the coach gave me a jersey and said I would play in the last seconds."
His father Rick Hupp says Chris told him during his recovery that he would play again.
"He was determined to work through it and get there," said Rick Hupp. "That was really inspiring, totally was,"
Chris Hupp is still recovering from his illness but says he is determined to play basketball next year in high school.
