Andrew Jones is less than a year removed from being diagnosed with leukemia, but he is now back on the basketball court, playing pickup and, in the video you see below, throwing down as well:
After fighting cancer, Andrew Jones is back DUNKING 😵 @DrewdotCash pic.twitter.com/EndElaJzpo
— Overtime (@overtime) July 24, 2018
Jones’ story is inspirational. As a sophomore, his season was cut short when, in December, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He played in just 10 games before going in for treatment.
The good news is that Jones has progressed to the point where he is able to play basketball -- doctors had told him that he would be able to return to playing pickup once he was well enough to receive outpatient treatment -- but that doesn’t mean that he will be back to being the kid that was averaging 13.5 points for a Big 12 team before he was diagnosed.
Sources close to the program also told NBC Sports last week that a return to the court in 2018-19 is not a guarantee, as there are still some medical hurdles that Jones will need to clear in order to get cleared. They are hopeful, but it’s still very much up in the air.
But we’re talking about a kid who is just nine months removed from his diagnosis, and he’s already in the gym dunking again.
Maybe we shouldn’t bet against him?