Age 8 Boy Loses Mom to Cancer, Knows She's at Basketball Competition Months Later
At just 37 years old, Casey Lamb lost her life to breast cancer. The Indiana native from Fort Branch died in October 2017, leaving behind her husband, Korey, and their three sons.
Although she died far too soon, the mom made sure to pass down her humble personality to her boys. But, as a former basketball Hall of Famer at the University of Southern Indiana, she also passed down her athletic skills to her 8-year-old son, Knoxx.
The young third-grader, who attends Fort Branch Community School, has grown to become a basketball player just like his mommy.
He also has a talent for baseball — a sport he picked up from his father who once played for USI.
So, in honor of his mom’s memory, Knoxx decided to participate in a halftime competition during a Tuesday night game at Gibson Southern High School.
It was “Coaches vs. Cancer” night where all donations were in support of the American Cancer Society.
Since they were taking signups for half-court shooters, Knoxx wanted to give it a shot. Once his name was pulled, he went down to the court.
While his father and brothers, Jaxun and Brodey, rooted for him from the stands, Knoxx thought all odds were against him.
His opponent was a seventh grader, so he figured there was no way he could beat him.
“I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” he said. “I thought the other kid was going to win.”
Well, Knoxx was wrong. It took a couple of tries, but he actually made the shot first!
The surprising victory sent the crowd into a loud cheer. Believing his son would at least need a running start, Korey said, “I’ve seen him throw it baseball-style, and I knew he could possibly get it there that way, but it’s usually not close.”
Knoxx won a $60 prize and left with a moment to remember. He believed it was his mom’s spirit who was with him at the basketball competition, and Korey felt the same.
A video of the winning shot has risen to fame on the high school’s Twitter account. USI and the “Coaches vs. Cancer” page have both acknowledged the clip.
That very moment has meant so much to the Lambs, and especially to Korey who normally takes his kids to the high school basketball games.
It has always been his way of keeping his sons busy since their mom’s passing, but now the activity has brought some comfort in knowing that Casey’s presence is working through all the prayers and support, and they couldn’t be more thankful.
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