PHILADELPHIA — In February, students on the campus of Michigan State University were victims of a mass shooting. Three people died and five were injured.
One of those injured was John Hao, who left a big mark on the life of James Harden. Members of Harden’s team made the trip to Michigan and put Hao on FaceTime with Harden, and the future Hall of Famer did his part to make sure he makes a positive impact in Hao’s life.
On Sunday, Harden had Hao and his family as guests for Game 4. The Beard put on a show for him; he had 42 points on 16-for-23 shooting to lift Philadelphia to a 116-115 overtime win over the Boston Celtics.
“He’s my good luck charm,” Harden said of Hao. “I’ve been keeping in contact with him. Obviously, any of us in here, for a tragedy like that to happen, it’s a lot of nonsense going on in the world. For him to be a victim of that is heartbreaking, but he’s strong, he’s bouncing back, and he’s recovering real well.”
John Hao… 6th Man! #Uno pic.twitter.com/dKqLjq7PSF
— James Harden (@JHarden13) May 7, 2023
Hao has been through a lot, and Harden wants to be a positive light to give him something to smile about.
“I feel like it’s my job to just give him that light, that smile that he deserves and he needs,” Harden finished. “Hopefully, today is one of those days that he’s smiling and that’s all I’m here for.”
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