Wall of dreams

On January 25 and 26, the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the New York Knicks invited Jarell from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York for a special opportunity to fulfill Jarell’s wish of “being part of the Knicks.” The day started at the MSG Training Center where Jarell and his family received gift bags, which included personalized jerseys for each family member. Jarell was then welcomed to practice by New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher, the players, and coaching staff. After taking a photo with the team, Jarell and his family enjoyed watching the Knicks prepare for their big game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Once practice was complete, each of the players, including Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick Williams, Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, and Lance Thomas, visited Jarell on the sideline to talk and sign his basketball. Carmelo Anthony also signed one of his jerseys for Jarell and Sasha Vujacic brought him out on to the court to shoot free throws and test his range at the NBA three-point arc.

The next day, before the Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, Jarell and his family visited MSG Networks to attend a pre-game production meeting. With aspirations of being a sports broadcaster, Jarell received an inside look at the Knicks game coverage for the evening and received advice from broadcasters Mike Breen and Al Trautwig. Afterwards, Jarell and his family made their way to the arena where they enjoyed Knicks shoot around. During shoot around, Jarell received high-fives and nods from all of the players and rebounded while they warmed-up. Jarell also met Knicks legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier, John Starks, and J.B. Smoove while on the court. One of the most memorable and impromptu moments of Jarell’s wish was when Vujacic surprised Jarell as he brought him from his seat to the team huddle just before tip-off.

Jarell capped off his wish day by cheering on his favorite team courtside as they battled into overtime against the Thunder. Expressing his gratitude, Jarell shared that his wish with Garden of Dreams and the Knicks was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.