(WSVN) - One Parkland victim is being honored in a very unique way. The teen’s memory, and his father’s mission, will soon be part of a video game.
Inside Alex Schachter’s bedroom, it’s obvious the 14-year-old loved sports.
Max Schachter: “He always wanted to beat his big brother in football, basketball. And so they would always play on the court in our driveway.”
Max says his son wasn’t the tallest kid on the court, but he had plenty of hustle.
Max Schachter: “He was a tenacious defender. He was fast, he could dribble and he could shoot. He just loved to be out there.”
After Alex was killed, the Miami Heat hosted his teammates at a game.
Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat coach: “We know that y’all have been through a lot, and we have all been thinking about you, praying about you.”
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra presented Max with a signed replica of a Heat championship trophy.
It was a meaningful moment at an NBA game, but soon Alex’s memory will live on in an NBA video game.
Max Schachter: “I was just blown away. I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s amazing.'”
Max’s friend Matt Karch is the CEO of Saber Interactive, a gaming company that created “NBA 2K Playgrounds 2.”
After the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Matt wanted to help.
Max Schachter: “We hadn’t talked in a while, and after this happened he reached out to me and said that he really wanted to do something to keep Alex’s memory alive and raise money for school safety.”
7News received a sneak peek at the game: a two-on-two matchup featuring Michael Jordan and LeBron James versus Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
They’re playing in a “Safe Schools for Alex” basketball gym.
Gamers will see Alex’s name everywhere: center court, the scorer’s table and a digital sign along the baseline.
And how’s this for a cameo?
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas band was recorded performing Alex’s favorite song from the band Chicago.
The song will be mixed with the game’s graphics.
Even rapper Vanilla Ice will be featured in the game’s soundtrack.
Max says Alex would have loved the game.
Max Schachter: “I think he would say it’s awesome. You know, it is absolutely awesome. And I know that he’s looking down on us from heaven and I hope that he’s proud of what I’m trying to do to keep Alex’s memory alive.”
The “Safe Schools for Alex” add-on will be available for free download on March 7 for owners of the game.
“NBA 2K Playgrounds 2” is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and the Steam platform on PC.
The creators of the game are asking for donations for the Safe Schools for Alex foundation. If you’d like to help, click here.
2K Games and Saber Interactive will combine to match donations up to $100,000.
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