The names adorning the backs of the jerseys for the Colorado men’s basketball team on Saturday will be recognizable only to a select few fans.
Yet to those select few, the otherwise unfamiliar names will mean the world.
The Buffaloes will participate in UCHealth’s “Bigger Than Basketball” program for Saturday’s home game against Cal State Bakersfield. Instead of the typical surnames adorning the jerseys like “Battey” and “Walker,” the Buffs instead will sport the names of cancer fighters. Some of those cancer patients will be in attendance at the CU Events Center and will be honored during the game.
“On behalf of our patients and their families and friends, this will be an amazing tribute to see college athletes on the court playing in their honor,” Khari Reed, UCHealth’s senior director of cancer care services in the Metro Denver region, said in a statement. “We greatly appreciate student-athletes dedicating their talent and gifts to showcase extraordinary individuals who are fighting or have fought cancer.
“To all the fans in the stands and watching from afar, we thank you for standing together with us to support, celebrate and honor loved ones as we improve the lives of cancer patients through advancements in clinical care, discovery and education.”
The Buffs participated in a Zoom meeting with several of the cancer fighters being honored, allowing a chance for the team to hear some of their stories.
“For me personally, itap a gratifying experience when you can hear other peoples’ stories and what they are going through and try to symbolize their fight onto the court,” CU senior Evan Battey said. “For our team, thatap going to be the theme on Saturday — fight is what they are doing and thatap what we have to do as well.
“The uphill battle for them, it speaks volumes to their character and mindset and thatap what we should embody as a team. So, I feel like our guys are going to be really excited and motivated to play well and perform with a lot of energy because we’re going to fight for them.”
