The Utah Jazz made a big roster move on Monday night after signing a five-year-old child to a one-year deal to play in their team's scrimmage.
JP Gibson, who is suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, signed the "contract" on Monday in front of Jazz president Randy Rigby, who said in jest that their young team got much younger.
"We are a young team and we decided that we'd go even a little younger," Rigby said Deseret News. "JP Gibson is the newest member of the Utah Jazz team for the day."
JP was accompanied by his parents - Josh and Megan - during the press conference along with his two-year-old sister, Elsie. After the press conference, JP played in the scrimmage where he was used in the third period, scoring two points when he was lifted by Jazz center Rudy Gobert for a dunk.
JP also engaged in a dance off against Dante Exum and Rodney Hood where he was declared as winner after showing his special dance moves.
Megan Gibson, JP's mother, also expressed gratitude to the Jazz organization for making her five-year-old son's wish, saying that JP loves basketball so much that he wanted to play for the Junior Jazz.
"JP loves most sports, but basketball is definitely his favorite," Megan Gibson said in a statement via ESPN. "When he was just over a year old, he would sit with my husband, Josh, watching games. He started insisting on shooting hoops for an hour each night before bedtime when he was just 15 months old. He knows he has to be 6 before he can play Junior Jazz, and he reminds us all the time that he can't wait until he's 6."
Jazz star Gordon Hayward, who is the favorite player of JP, said after the scrimmage that the child's appearance in the scrimmage made their night extra special.
"We've been going through this grueling training camp, and it puts things in perspective for you," Hayward said. "To have him come out there and then for Rudy to lift him up and to dunk was pretty cool. It was a special moment for all of us."
Watch JP Gibson's appearance at the Jazz team scrimmage in the video below.
