This is NBA All-Star Game Weekend in New York City, and the surprise star of the Friday night All-Star Celebrity Game?at Madison Square Garden was 13-year old Mo’ne Davis. The eighth grade girl?arrived on the national sports scene?in 2014 when she was the first female pitcher? to pitch in and win a Little League World Series game. Davis also plays on her local high school varsity basketball team.
During the player introductions made prior to the game,?Davis received one of the loudest ovations despite being the youngest player on the floor.
In the first quarter of the game, she drove past?comedian Kevin Hart with an amazing spin and made a fine layup.?When asked how it felt to?beat out the 4-time MVP and make the score, Davis said,
“That was pretty cool. I work on it, but usually don’t do it. It was the right time to do it.”
Her thoughts on playing in the celebrity game?
“It was a lot of fun, a lot of people never saw me play basketball. To play in the celebrity All-Star game was pretty cool.”
Davis?racked up a total?four points that night, to help West win with a score of 59-51.?In a field of WNBA players, music stars, television and movie actors, and?NBA players, Davis managed to hold her own and prove once again how she earned the?Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award for 2014.
Keep your eye on Mo’ne Davis. Her superb skills in baseball and basketball, and even soccer, will develop further and we may be looking at a future athletic powerhouse. Hopefully she is inspiring other girls to develop their sports strengths and to compete.
