In July, 33-year-old Jeffrey Harrison became Internet famous after a Twitter video of him playing pickup basketball in full Michael Jordan garb went viral.
Harrison, an Idaho man with autism, has garnered the nickname “CDA MJ,” taken from his hometown of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. He’s been donning the full-MJ Bulls regalia, complete with leg and arm band, to play since 2010. The original tweet now has almost 10,000 retweets.
After local news station KREM featured Harrison, the station got in touch with Jordan himself, who decided to give Harrison a gift, from one MJ to another. Get your tissues ready.
Before receiving the gift from Jordan, Harrison had two uniforms to choose from when playing. He now has two full boxes of Jordan garb to take his pick from, and a phone call and personalized letter to draw on when times get tough.
“I was just making sure you got all your gifts I sent you,” Jordan told Harrison on the phone. “I sent you a bunch of stuff so that you don’t have to wear the same outfit. You can wear anything you want to wear to go out and play basketball, man.”
The reporter behind the story at KREM added on Twitter that Harrison isn’t on any medication for his autism, but he channels his energy on basketball, which helps him focus. Some inspirational words from his idol can’t hurt, either.
“Continue to believe in yourself. Play hard and always remember to enjoy the game,” Harrison read from the letter. No, that’s not dirt in your eye. You’re crying. Embrace it.
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