The kid is hilarious, and Cash knows his stuff. He’s also battled back from an ankle injury that attempted to derail the young phenom early in his basketball career (more on that later). Thankfully, it was nothing a little Ace bandage couldn’t fix.
Cash’s TikTok videos have amassed millions of views, and Friday night in Dallas, he joined the Mavericks on the sidelines to cheer on his favorite hometown team.
When we found Harris before the first quarter, he was already hoarse. By then, his pre-game advice and encouragement to the Mavs had caused Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood to laugh and come over to meet the little fella.
His hero, Luka Dončić, later paused to shake hands with him. Harris was ready to go, decked out in his fresh new Luka 1s, and Dončić and Harris high-fived like old teammates. Game recognizes game.
Nothing rattles the kid.
Cash is already putting in work on the hardwood with the Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks. His mom says through the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) league, Cash could possibly compete in the Paralympics one day.
“He’s taught us to live life with no expectations,” said his mother, Carly Harris. “Cash is living out his dreams.”
Cash Harris is far from an ordinary child.
Sure, the facts are there. He was born with spina bifida and is currently in a wheelchair, but those are just minor details. Cash’s heart really tells the story. He radiates hope and joy, and his light shifts atmospheres. Harris loves basketball and knows every detail about the Dallas Mavericks and other NBA players.
As the Bucks’ Grayson Allen and Jrue Holiday warmed up on the other end, Harris was commentating facts about them, too.
Repeat: Cash is four years old.
“If you just listen to him at four years old, his basketball knowledge is incredible,” his father Chase said. “His love for the Mavericks is just amazing. He’s commentating on every player’s warm-up. He’s in heaven right now.”
To his parents, Carly and Chase Harris, their son’s ability to capture the hearts of everyone is normal.
They knew Cash was a fighter from the day doctors wanted to terminate the pregnancy when Carly was 20 weeks along. The couple refused, and Cash Harris burst on the scene on Friday, April 27, 2018.
“Hearing Cash’s sweet little cry brought us instantly to tears,” Carly wrote on her blog. “It was a very symbolic moment. It was time. All of the preparation, the tears, and the prayers were meant for this moment. My 8-pound, 9 ounces miracle boy was here. And he was perfect. We were so smitten with a head full of hair, the plumpest cheeks and lips, and the sweetest little angel kisses on his forehead and eyes.”
For over a month, Carly and Chase drove to the NICU, nearly an hour from home, to visit their newborn son while caring for their young daughter, Charlee, who is now eight years old.
After six weeks, 42 days and six surgeries later, Cash was discharged from the hospital weighing a healthy 13 pounds.
“We were told that he actually wouldn’t have a very good chance of living,” Carly shared while proudly watching Cash visit with the Mavs. “They offered abortion over anything, and we were not for that, and knew what God had in store for us. God has blown us away and been with us every step of the way. Cash is infectious; he loves life. I can’t imagine life without him.”
What Cash might lack in physical stature by the world’s standards has been returned 100-fold in personality and spirit. The little boy is hilarious, and that’s precisely why one particular TikTok video recently went viral.
Fans will have to watch the video, but to sum it up, Cash likes to shoot paper towel shots after washing his hands at school. He missed a shot one day and suddenly felt his ankle tweaked.
Ankle injuries get the best of athletes – even those on wheels — so it’s understandable. Cash’s nurse recognized the importance of affirming the young boy and decided to wrap his ankle in an Ace bandage after the missed shot. In Cash’s mind, the shot was likely a one-legged fade, from the logo, with the clock ticking down in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Thus, the missed shot and ensuing injury was significant.
Anyway, so Nurse Rhonda wrapped Cash’s ankle and left a message for the parents in case they wondered why their wheelchair-bound son was wearing an ankle wrap. Dad Chase thought the message was so outlandishly funny that he shared the video on TikTok.
The world loved it. The video has been viewed almost 12 million times with over 14,000 comments.
“So, it was actually just a moment,” Chase explained before the Mavs’ game. “That’s something we get every other month with him playing around. His imagination with basketball is just so out there. So, the fact that she put an Ace bandage on his ankle made me imagine what he would look like once we got home. Sure enough, I took his shoe off, and the ankle was wrapped.”
Friday night, the bandage stayed home, but Cash’s same exuberant personality still shined. Mavs TV partner Bally Sports Southwest and the team tweeted his interactions with players. Cash’s sister Charlee proudly stood by his side. AAC floor security boss Ben Wise ensured that the family got a close sideline viewpoint of the court.
Players were thrilled to visit with the entire family and their friends.
The NBA has a slogan that says, “This Is Why We Play,” and Cash’s story is the epitome of the message. He reminds players about the importance and impact of the game far beyond just the court.
“Cash teaches us that regardless of your circumstances or situations, you can still love life and make the best of it,” his father Chase said.
The family has come a long way in two short years.
In January 2020, they’d just learned that Cash would need a wheelchair. They always knew with a diagnosis of spina bifida there was a chance he might struggle to walk, but to actually hear the words shattered their hearts.
“I stayed in a fog of emotions for a couple of weeks until I finally had a lightbulb moment,” Carly wrote on her blog. “I had had enough of my pity party and realized I couldn’t help Cash move forward feeling this way! You see, when I was comparing Cash to other children (typical developing or medically fragile), I was allowing the negativity of comparison to steal my joy. I wasn’t able to be present at the moment. I was neglecting to see what God has brought Cash through thus far. I was neglecting to see the goodness of what we do have!”
A shift in perspective changed everything. That’s because Cash was destined to change the world.
At four years old — he already is. One jump shot at a time.
@chase_cashman @Dallas Mavericks thank you! #fyp #bubba #GenshinImpact33 #spinabifida #4yroldphenom #wheelchairbasketball #moveunited #shooter #paralympics ♬ Summer day – TimTaj
@chase_cashman Luka is the man!! #fyp #bubba #spinabifida #4yroldphenom #wheelchairbasketball ♬ I Can’t Stop (Ekali Tribute) – Flux Pavilion
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