Wish kid Avi loves basketball and has always had a dream of being in the NBA – not as a player, but as a coach!
“I love basketball but I’m too short to dunk, someone would have to pick me up,” he joked.
Avi has grown up around the sport and has shown a real interest in being a part of creating the strategy behind the game he loves so much. Avi wished to be a coach of his favorite team, the Denver Nuggets and Make-A-Wish Colorado made it come true!
Avi & his family were given the VIP treatment as they were welcomed to Colorado by representatives from Make-A-Wish, Southwest Airlines and the Nuggets. He and his siblings walked through a receiving line of adoring, cheering fans!
Then, it was time to get down to business! He went to work as a guest coach at a Denver Nuggets clinic, where he honed his play-calling skills and the important coach ability to hold a clipboard and blow a whistle at the same time.
Now that he was warmed up, all it took was him to step foot onto the court at Ball Arena and he suddenly transformed into a real NBA coach! He donned his official coach’s sweatshirt and went on a behind-the-scenes tour to watch the players warm-up.
He met the team and sat through their pre-game meeting, trading jokes with the Joker himself, Nikola Jokić!
“He drew up a few plays just in case they called on him,” his dad said. He even participated in a press conference with Coach Malone, fielding questions about the game plan against the Pelican’s.
“We can’t tell you that,” Avi said with a grin. “It’s confidential!”
He shared a laugh and a high five with Coach Malone, something not many 10-year-old kids can put on their coaching resume!
“Make-A-Wish Colorado and the Nuggets have far exceeded anything we could have expected. There are just no words to say how thankful we are!” – Avi’s parents
Learn more about Make-A-Wish Colorado at wish.org/colorado or attend the upcoming event, Whiskey, Wine & Wishes presented by Chevron! Tickets and information at https://events.handbid.com/lp/whiskey-wine-and-wishes-2025.
