The Sixers are looking to make a comeback Wednesday night when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers, but gave a select group of fans an unforgettable experience before the game.
Eleven-year-old Caysen Bastian was one of 40 military children chosen to participate in an hour-long basketball clinic at the Wells Fargo Center, part of the team’s Stars and Stripes initiative during Military Family Appreciation Month.
Caysen enjoys shooting hoops, but said he never thought he would be able to play basketball on the same court as the Sixers.
“I feel excited,” Caysen said.
The kids learned the basics – everything from foot speed to ball control – under the guidance of Sixers coaches.
“This is an annual event for us where we cannot honor those who served, but we can honor their family members, who also sacrificed,” said Josie Snyder, social responsibility manager for the Sixers.
Caysen’s father, Rick Bastian, can speak to those sacrifices. He is an air transportation student at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
“You miss a lot of birthdays, holidays and milestones in your children’s and your spouses’ lives,” Bastian said, “so there’s a lot to take into account, but it’s worth everything.”
He said the gesture makes him feel appreciated. Roland Garrett, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 15 years, echoed that sentiment.
“It’s cool because they give the military an opportunity to come in and be part of the Philadelphia 76ers arena and see their players and do fun activities with the team,” Garrett said.
Those fun activities included meeting the Sixers’ mascot, Franklin, and members of the dance team. Caysen said it was a day he will never forget.
“I’m going to look back and think about being on an NBA court and playing on it,” Caysen said.
The basketball clinic wasn’t the end of the experience. The Sixers and Toyota surprised 500 current and former military personnel with free tickets to Wednesday’s game against the Cavaliers.
Madeleine Wright
