Ref stops game to let St. Charles boy with autism get a basket

ST. CHARLES, Ill. (WLS) -- A heartwarming moment unfolded on a west suburban basketball court over the weekend.

The St. Charles Storm was two minutes away from finishing their last game of the season when the referee called in 7-year-old Liam, who has autism, as a sub.

Liam's parents watched in disbelief as the ref handed their son the ball on the court and told the other team to let him shoot.

It took him 14 tries, but Liam finally sunk the shot. The crowd - for both teams - went wild.

As both teams looked on, Liam took his first shot - a miss. Without missing a beat, the ref motioned to the players to rebound the ball and pass it back to Liam.

"The patience all of the kids had - ours coaching him on what to do, the opposing team rebounding and handing over the ball," Liam's dad CJ said. "Not adults, not high school or young adults, 7-year-olds. Insanely mature, amazing 7-year-olds. Kids that know an autistic teammate should still be included on the team."

It took him 14 tries, but Liam finally sunk the shot. The crowd - for both teams - went wild.