GREELEY — Jesse Burnett stands in the middle of a basketball court, staring down at his shoes. Wearing bright blue athletic pants, the soft-spoken 35-year-old’s boyish charm radiates across the court. But as soon as he grabs a basketball, his shy nature disappears and he is all about the game.
The Greeley resident and Special Olympics athlete has a serious passion for basketball and the Special Olympics and National Basketball Association have taken notice.
The organizations have selected Burnett as one of 12 Special Olympics athletes from around the nation to travel to Orlando, Fla., for the NBA All Star Weekend from Feb. 24-26. The athletes will participate in many activities, including the first Special Olympics Unity game, according to a Special Olympics news release.
Burnett suffers from acute anxiety disorder and Fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition where a small part of the gene code is repeated on the X chromosome, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine website. But the conditions haven’t stopped him from reaching the level of Division A athlete, the highest athletic level for the Special Olympics, said Special Olympics of Colorado Northeast Area manager Andy Gonzales.
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