Matt Scott had some talented teammates during his time as a wheelchair basketball athlete at UW-Whitewater, with three national championships to their credit, and is a longtime member of the U.S. men's team.
That opened the door to a couple of brushes with fame. He appeared in a Nike "No Limits" ad that aired on New Year's Eve 2007, and was a 2008 ESPY nominee for best male athlete with a physical disability.
But his recent opportunity to take the court alongside Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls was a step above, because it provided Scott a chance to stump for Chicago's bid to host the Paralympics in conjunction with the Summer Olympics in 2016.
Scott and Deng appear in one of several promotional videos made available to International Olympic Committee members who will vote Friday on the location of the Games.
"Making the video was an amazingly positive experience," Scott , a member of the 2008 U.S. Paralympic team that competed at the Beijing Games, said in a statement released by UW-Whitewater.
"I was pumped for the opportunity. I believe the video was successful in showing that not much separates Olympians and paralympians."
To see the video, click here or on the link at left.
Chicago is competing against bids from Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid.
"Chicago is a fantastic city with a lot of diversity," Scott said. "I believe they would do an amazing job hosting and being a good representative not only of the Olympic spirit, but of the American spirit as well."
Scott, a 24-year-old Detroit native who was born with spina bifida, is playing professional wheelchair basketball with the U.S. Paralympic team in Istanbul, Turkey.
He aims to play in the 2012 Paralympics in London, and also would have a chance to represent the U.S. in 2016 when he would be 31.
"What a life experience this has been," he said. "Living my dream of being a professional athlete and traveling the world experiencing new things."
Posted in Amateur on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 2:55 pm Updated: 3:34 pm. | Tags: Uw-whitewater, Matt Scott, Olympics, Paralympics, Chicago 2016
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