Player’s attempt to save ball instead scores incredible bucket on own team
In its heyday, the wildly popular Dave "Chappelle's Show" on Comedy Central featured a recurrent sketch called "When keeping it real goes wrong." The premise was that dedication to an overwrought tough-guy image tended to precede a downfall. With that in mind, the video you see directly below is the absolute test case in "When saving the ball goes wrong."
The player you see attempting to make one of the season's more acrobatic saves -- and instead hitting one of its most unlikely and unlucky baskets -- is one Daniel Helm of the Chatham (Ill.) Glenwood High basketball team. In the midst of a 59-37 whitewash of Lincoln (Ill.) High at the Meijer Glenwood Winter Classic, Helm found himself rushing toward a sideline chasing after a loose ball.
He got to the ball in time to keep it in bounds, but had to hurl it behind him as he went hurtling over the sideline and toward the crowd. Instead of finding a teammate -- or even an opponent for that matter -- the ball found the backboard and the bottom of the net, scoring a badly needed three points for Lincoln.
Incredibly, Helm's acrobatics had led to what was quite literally the worst possible result. Instead of helping his team get another shot, he hit a 3-pointer for his opponent.
At least Helm was able to keep a level head about the entire incident, chuckling his way up the floor after realizing that his errant save had instead gifted points to Lincoln. If nothing else, it gave him a heck of a shot to lean back on when he and teammates are comparing difficult buckets in years ahead.
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