Newton North High School student with Down Syndrome sinks shot at Garden

NEWTON, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A Newton North High School student with Down Syndrome makes the shot of a lifetime on a court reserved for professionals.

Brendan Durkin, 20, was pulled into Saturday's Good Sport Invitational at the TD Garden with two minutes left in the game.

"I missed the first shot, did a 360, 2-point shot, that's it," Durkin said as he recalls the buzzer sounding right after the basket was made.

"It was awesome, I loved it a lot, I've never been famous before," Durkin continued.

He's been one of the team managers for the Newton North Tigers for the last seven years. He practices with the team, but has never played in a game. Saturday, at the Garden, was Durkin's first time on the court.

He said, "I felt proud, I've never done such a big thing before."

His coach, Paul Connolly, and teammates shared his pride, though confident all along in his abilities.

"Good things happen to good people who do good things that's why he made it," said Coach Connolly.

Brett Stanton, a junior at Newton North, calls Durkin a leader on the team.

"He's the best teammate we have, I've been saying it for years," he said.

Durkin says he plans to remain manager of the basketball team for the two years he has left as Newton North.

Cox Media Group