BOCA RATON, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida teen has become an internet sensation after doing something inspirational on the basketball court, and it was all caught on cellphone video.
Thirteen-year-old Jamarion Styles made one shot after another during a middle school basketball game with Eagles Landing Middle School in Boca Raton, but he’s far from the usual athlete.
He lost both of his arms when he was 8 months old due to a bacterial infection, but he hasn’t let that stop him.
“Football is one of my main sports,” Styles said. “I play different sports, but football in my main one. I just tried basketball, and it turns out, here I am.”
On Wednesday night, Styles made shot after shot during one of his games until the buzzer went off. “It really boosted me up, the confidence, so I try hard every day,” he said.
One team member said Styles has game, and his attitude really benefits the teams. “I think he plays just like everyone else,” Mark Steig said. “He goes through it. He has no excuses.”
That cellphone video of the game went viral, and it caught ESPN’s attention.
Styles just says that he’s enjoying every minute of it. “I love it right now,” he said. “My teammates just enjoying me, I’m enjoying it. It’s just a great feeling.”
Basketball player Benny Frost said his 13-year-old teammate puts in the work, just like the rest of his colleagues.
“He just works hard. He practices hard every practice,” Frost said. “He can really play basketball, even though he might have a slight disadvantage.”
The teen said that his success comes from skill and his good genes. “It’s natural,” he said. “Just stay positive, and you can do whatever you can if you want to.”
“He’s inspirational too,” Steig said. “He gives us hope, you know?”
Although Styles is being recognized for his basketball skills, he’s an even better football player and drummer.
He said when he gets older, he wants to be a professional NFL player.
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