A wheelchair basketball tournament gives Phil Ford and Chasity Melvin a new perspective

Chasity Melvin scored more than 2,000 points as a basketball All-American at N.C. State in the 1990s before a 12-year career in the WNBA.

But the points came a bit harder Monday in basketball games at PNC Arena.

“It’s a lot tougher shooting without using your legs,” Melvin said.

Melvin was playing in a wheelchair. She was taking part in August Madness, a wheelchair basketball fundraiser for Bridge II Sports that was both competitive and fun for those who participated.

The tournaments had 15 teams playing 15-minute games. Many of the players were not physically disabled, as local corporations sponsored teams, but as former Duke star Gene Banks said, “To be out there with those guys, it’s a level playing field, and against guys who know their games and are pretty savvy.

“It’s exciting, it’s cardio, it’s everything. It’s much tougher than I thought.”

“I was very depressed but it opened up my eyes,” he said. “There was more to my disability than just lying around, moping. It got me up and moving. It got me interested in other things.”

Playing with the Port City Spokesmen, a team in the Wilmington area, Smith was a big part of two national champions in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association -- the Spokesmen winning in 2003 in Cleveland and again in 2004 in Bloomington, Ill. Smith was named the 2003 tournament MVP.

“Now I like passing my knowledge along to the young guys,” he said. “Be court aware. Always stay moving. Be positive and keep a sportsmanship attitude.”

The games Monday had a certain amount of intensity. There are fast breaks and turnovers and rebound battles, with constant movement.

“The hardest part is mentally focusing,” Melvin said, smiling. “You’re trying to balance it all out, trying to coordinate the chair and catch passes. I kind of got the hang of it. Roll and then catch.”

Others taking part Monday were former UNC star Phil Ford and Chucky Brown, who spent 13 years in the NBA after leaving N.C. State. Ford’s game was once all about speed and quickness and Brown offered all-over-the-court versatility, but Ford said the wheelchair game brought a different perspective.

“They make it easy for us who can run and jump when we see how hard they work and how emotional and intense they are and involved in these games,” he said.

Ford had fun when he was on the court. He once threw his hands back after a play under the basket.

What was that about?

“Hey, I was trying to draw a charge,” Ford said, laughing.

Ashley Thomas, founder and executive director of Durham-based Bridge II Sports, said the August Madness event -- played for the seventh straight year at PNC Arena -- was the nonprofit’s top fundraiser. The teams raise a minimum of $1,000, with a goal of $2,500, to enter and a draft for the “all-star” players was held Sunday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The money raised helps fund other sporting events for disabled athletes by Bridge II Sports such as kayaking, cycling, volleyball and archery. The organization also holds the Valor Games Southeast, a three-day event for disabled military personnel and veterans, held in the Triangle.

“Everyone can play,” Thomas said. “I can’t tell you how many times people, “Oh I can’t because ...” and we say, ‘No, you don’t know all the adaptions we have.”

Thomas said she was born with spina bifida and not ambulatory after age 18. She said she has had several hip replacements.

“Eventually the wheelchair was my friend,” Thomas said. “It was my chair of freedom.”

This story was originally published August 28, 2018 at 11:22 AM.