Yitzi Teichman is an 18-year-old Los Angeles Lakers fan like any other, except for the fact he's fighting brain cancer.
Teichman is a native Californian who currently lives in Baltimore. Last night, he not only got to watch his team in Los Angeles, he became a full-fledged member of the organization.
Signing Make-A-Wish recipient, Yitzi Teichman to a one-day contract before we tip-off! pic.twitter.com/noZquI0ATz — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 1, 2016
He was signed to a one-day contract thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and, despite the Lakers losing the game, he couldn't have been more ecstatic about his experience.
Teichman said,
I've got all the players' gaming shoes. Kobe [Bryant] signed a ball. Kobe signed shoes. My room is going to look nice when I get home.
He was also extremely thankful for what Make-A-Wish did for him.
He continued,
I can't thank them enough. This is not even possible, and they made it possible. They were like, 'What do you want to do for your wish?' It was pretty easy, I want to be a Laker. I didn't have much of a shot considering my height; so it was either I've got to be good at basketball or get cancer. So, I went with the cancer route.
In addition to getting autographs and other goodies, Teichman, who said his first word as a baby was "Kobe," shot around with the Lakers before the game started.
Lakers signing for Make-a-Wish recipient pic.twitter.com/eQvUdsp3wV — Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 1, 2016
When he was younger, Teichman nearly went blind after a tumor in his brain started bleeding. He reportedly suffered damage to a nerve in his face and soon underwent cancer treatment.
His remarkable positivity is inspiring to say the least.
Teichman said,
A lot of good happened... People think this is crazy, but it needed to happen, I guess. I'd rather it happen to me than anybody else. I can deal with it, a lot of people can't. If it had been one of my siblings or one [of] my parents, I wouldn't have known how to deal with it.
Kobe Bryant was extremely impressed with the Lakers' most recent acquisition, saying,
It was awesome. He was just a part of the crew. He came in here and just hung out. He sat next to me. He was here for the pre-game, he was here for halftime, post-game. He fit in very well.
This was one night Yitzi Teichman will never forget.
Citations: The Lakers sign Make-A-Wish recipient Yitzi Teichman for one night, giving them a win (Los Angeles Times)
