Philadelphia 76ers host basketball clinic for military kids to show appreciation for service members, veterans
The Sixers are looking for a comeback Wednesday night as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers, but before the game, they gave a select group of fans an unforgettable experience.
Eleven-year-old Caysen Bastian was among 40 military kids chosen to participate in an hourlong basketball clinic at the Wells Fargo Center, part of the team's Stars and Stripes initiative during Military Family Appreciation Month.
Caysen likes shooting hoops but said he never imagined he'd get to play basketball on the same court as the Sixers.
"I feel excited," Caysen said.
The kids learned the fundamentals — everything from foot speed to ball control — under the guidance of Sixers coaches.
"This is an annual event for us where we are not able to celebrate those who served, but their family members, who have sacrificed too," Josie Snyder, social responsibility manager for the Sixers, said.
Caysen's dad, Rick Bastian, can speak to those sacrifices. He's an air transportation apprentice at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
"You miss a lot of birthdays, vacations, milestones in your kids' and your spouses' lifetime," Bastian said, "so there's a lot that goes into it, but it's worth everything."
He said the gesture makes him feel appreciated. Roland Garrett, who has served with the U.S. Air Force for 15 years, echoed that sentiment.
"It's cool because they're giving the military a chance to come in and be a part of the Philadelphia 76ers arena and see their players and do fun activities with the team," Garrett said.
Those fun activities included meeting the Sixers' mascot, Franklin, and dance squad members. Caysen said it was a day he'll never forget.
"I'm going to look back and think how I was on an NBA court and got to play on it," Caysen said.
The basketball clinic wasn't the end of the experience. The Sixers and Toyota surprised 500 current and former servicemembers with free tickets to Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers.
