FORT COLLINS, Colo.—He always was going to shoot it.
No, the thought passing it up never entered Garrett Karp’s mind. Never mind the strangeness of a 6-foot-5 post player dribbling the ball past midcourt and then launching a 3.
But hey, when you’re on a roll, you’re on a roll. And Karp was on a heckuva roll Feb. 16.
The Rocky Mountain High School senior found out earlier in the day he was on the fast track to beating cancer when his doctor told him that his Hodgkin’s lymphoma was in remission. Hours later, Karp celebrated by banking in a 3-pointer during the final minute of Rocky Mountain’s 54-37 loss to Fort Collins.
“Just a really, really good day,” Karp said. “It was just like going from one good thing to another. We (my family) were just in disbelief when we heard the word remission, and then hitting that shot was like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I usually shoot the two-footers, and I tried one of those earlier that just rimmed out. I figured why not try a 3.”
That Karp made the shot and found out his cancer is in remission on the same day is a story that people have been quick to pick up on. Feb. 19 may as well have been media day for Karp. Two television stations came out to interview him and he had a photo shoot for a newspaper at Rocky Mountain.
His shot also has hit the Web site YouTube where it has been viewed more than 3,000 times.
“It was pretty exciting at first,” Karp said of his newfound media stardom. “But now, I guess we’re just not used to it at all. That’s what it is.”
Rocky Mountain coach Bruce Dick deserves his place in this story. Where a lot of coaches would have shied away from playing a player who had not played or even suited up at all during a blowout loss to a rival, Dick not only played Karp, he made him an honorary captain for the game.
“To me it was a no-brainer,” Dick said. “I made the experience to play him before the game. It didn’t matter if it was a close game or it wasn’t, we were going to put Garrett in the game.
“This is what life is about at times. We’re very much into character building in our program and at Rocky. Garrett’s just taught us so much that it was nice to see him have a positive experience during our basketball season. It’s been fun for Garrett, and it’s been fun for our team and our school. He’s a great role model for so many people.”
The moment was all the more special for Karp because his younger brother Ethan, who is a sophomore, was on the court with him when he made his shot.
“It was exciting just to see him get in after all the stuff he’s been through,” Ethan Karp said. “When he made the shot, everyone just went crazy. It was pretty emotional. That was probably one of the best days our family has had in a long time. Being out there with him on the court is a moment I’ll never forget.”
As one could only imagine, Garrett Karp’s senior year has been difficult to say the least. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma on July 3 with his mother Claudia by his side at Poudre Valley Hospital.
“It took a little while for me to realize exactly what was going on,” Karp said. “It definitely got to my parents more than me. I was just ready to fight.”
While Karp was unable to do a lot of things he had planned to do as a senior, he suited up for the majority of Rocky Mountain’s football games and hopefully will get to throw the discus (he’s a returning state qualifier) some this track and field season.
“Sports were a big distraction for me,” Karp said. “They really helped me stay positive. Having all that stuff done to you definitely takes a lot out of you. Being able to be around my friends and teammates really helped me get through all of this.”
When Karp’s not banking in 3-point shots in front of sold-out crowds, he’s probably busy eating. He’s convinced he helped put an all-you-can-eat pizzeria out of business.
“I was on a lot of steroids so I could really eat a lot,” Karp said. “They probably closed because of me.”
Karp also is very interested in cars and said he wouldn’t mind pursuing a career as a mechanic. But for now, Karp is busy celebrating some well-deserved attention for a shot that always will be remembered by everyone in attendance that night.
“Making that shot was just a good chance for me to scream and forget about all the cancer,” Karp said. “It gave me the chance to just be a normal kid again.”
