Washington Wizards guard John Wall will never forget Dec. 8, but not because of the 26 points and career high 17 assists he racked up in an overtime win against the Boston Celtics.
That morning, Wall lost a six-year-old fan, Miyah Telemaque-Nelson, to cancer.
“This was an emotional game for me,” Wall said during an interview after the game. “This was for Miyah, one of my close friends who I lost that I met last year. It’s just tough, man, to see a little kid fight so hard for cancer and can’t beat it. This is for her. It’s a tough day for me and I really cried.”
Shortly after, Wall broke down in tears and walked to the locker room.
“Yeah, it was a tough day for him,” coach Randy Wittman told ESPN. “I thought he handled it well, but he was hurting at the end.”
Wall donated the proceeds of his shoes, jerseys, shorts and more to the family of Telemaque-Nelson.
Telemaque-Nelson was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a cancer that starts in the immune cells and is recognized as the fastest growing human tumor.
“She was my biggest fan, but I don’t think she understands how big of a fan I was of her and came into my life with a certain situation,” Wall told ESPN. “I was happy to be a role model and a bigger person for her.”