New Jersey HS Basketball Star Overcomes Biggest Challenge Ever

All three of my kids played organized basketball. Two of them were 4 year varsity starters in high school. One of them is a high school 1000 point scorer.

None of them accomplished any of it while battling cancer.

If you haven’t heard this amazing story about New Jersey basketball player “Johnny Buckets,” when you do, it will bring you to tears.

Johnny Jackson attends Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey, Bergen County. He’s been leading his team since his coach handed him the keys during his freshman year.

He received his first college scholarship offer during his sophomore year when his total point tally reached nearly 1000 points.

Through his first three years on the team he dominated games and in most cases, was the best player on the court.

Then one day, during his junior year, he started to feel sick. He noticed that his energy and stamina during games weren’t the same. Johnny Buckets had shortness of breath, was uncharacteristically fatigued, and was constantly exhausted. He would often wake up suffering from significant pain.

After his parents took him for several tests with multiple doctors, they had no diagnosis.

Then they finally learned that their son, their child, their baby, had Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. That meant that the cancer had spread to at least one organ outside Johnny’s lymphatic system. It’s the type that attacks the immune system, and the “B” signifies that symptoms are present.

Almost immediately, Johnny began his first of 12 painful, vomit-inducing, energy-draining treatments for 6 months at the Hackensack University Medical Cancer Center.

Through the horrible process Johnny was motivated by his goal of playing opening night of his senior season. After only 10 treatments he accomplished his goal and led his team to victory with 30 points.

Johnny finally completed his treatment with not only his family present, but Johnny was also surprised by his High School basketball coach, Mike Troy, all of his team mates, and the many others there to greet him afterward.

Just last month, "Johnny Buckets" Jackson learned that he was cancer-free.

Johnny Buckets has scored over 2000 points, is Ridgewood High School’s all-time leading scorer, and is currently continuing his high school basketball career in the playoffs.

Check out the full story which just aired on ESPN SC Featured here…

Sports Games are a time when fans from the local community can come together, but for this young sports fan, it was another chance for him to try and impress a suitor with his Costco Membership card—now reading that you're probably thinking one of two things. One being no way someone did that and two no way it worked. Well, you'd be wrong on both accounts.

At the Detroit Mercy vs Boston College Eagles game, some viewers couldn't help but notice a young man pulling out a Costco card in what was an attempt to impress the girl he was talking to. Clearly a genius move as her reaction was a big "Wow". It's entirely possible that she's just being polite so as not to embarrass him we don't know for sure, but the internet found the whole few-second clip funny and got Costco trending on Twitter. With some saying they should use that for their next commercial.

Reading through the memes I had to share some of the best ones I saw with you so here we go.

This poor guy must have been having a bad game, because he looks unimpressed but that worked in the internets favor as some made memes saying that he must not have a Costco membership. My man didn't deserve this he was just trying to watch the game but the internet turned him into a meme anyways.

Imagine you're on a lovely dinner date with someone you're meeting for the first time... Candles are lit, food severed on a silver platter, but your date asks if you have a membership to Costco. Some have pointed out that having a card like that shows some possible good qualities in a possible suitor. I think it's just a membership card nice to have sure, but looking way to deep into it.

What's better than free marketing?! Nothing and for the retail store to be trending over a six second clip that's as free as you can get. I think it would be funny if they recreated this for a commercial in the future. Who knows perhaps they already are.

Don't get me wrong no flag on the play for this one, it is funny, but you have to have a certain amount of confidence to actually pull out any type of membership card and use it as a Flex. I'm cringing thinking about it. Though in the guys defense we don't know what they are actually saying so it's all just assumptions until we see them shopping together at Costco.

Is It a competition now!? Cause you have that, but you also have an 'Executive Member' card that people are joking about saying that's how you really impress someone. It reminds me of the old school days where kids online would say there day works at a company and are gonna get you banned. Weird flex, but okay.

"Excuse me, I'll have you know I have an executive Costco card." Oh my lord no please never let this come out of any living persons mouth. It's all in good fun and I hope the people involved were able to get a good laugh out of it, but it's funny moments like these that just make me think that no way on this earth is this happening.

It's just so stupid it might work comes to mind when thinking about this guys game plan. What makes it better is the way he's dressed. I so badly wanted to see him either throw a flag (despite it being basketball and not football.) or put his hands up like a referee.

With today's pop culture it isn't hard to become a viral sensation or have your five seconds of fame, so give it a day or two and the internet will move on, but one thing they'll never do is fully forget that you good sir were the man who used a Costco card to try and impress someone at a basketball game.

I would genuinely like to see if membership applications for these cards were increased by this cause I know some on the internet would do it. Not because they really want one or will use it, but just to be apart of the meme and if nothing else that's the part that blows my mind.