LISTEN: A high school basketball player left paralyzed by a car accident will have a VIP experience at an NBA game, thanks to a youth sports nonprofit. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports.

a man in a wheelchair speaks while people stand around him listening. They're in front of a brick house

Brandon Simmons met a crowd of supporters in front of his house. Simmons held his sister on his lap as he shared how much the surprise means to him.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

simmons smiles as he receives custom Nike shoes painted blue and green like the Minneapolis Timberwolves

Simmons received customized shoes with the Minnesota Timberwolves' colors from a local artist.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

a young man seated in a wheelchair smiles and poses with about 10 other people standing and smiling

Brandon Simmons was joined by his family, Shaquille O'Neal and Henry County law enforcement to celebrate his dream vacation.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

Shaquille O’Neal and a youth sports nonprofit collaborated to surprise a high school basketball player with a VIP experience at an NBA game after he was left paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident. 

On Wednesday morning, Dream on 3 and the basketball legend arrived at Brandon Simmons’ home in McDonough for the surprise: Simmons will be going on a three-day VIP trip to Minneapolis. It includes court side seats and a meet and greet with his favorite team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Simmons was a basketball player at Union Grove High School in McDonough. Since 2024, he’s been focused on relearning how to walk after the accident. 

He said O'Neal is an inspiration.

“Even in basketball, you work out, you keep working, you'll keep pushing, you get rewarded,” Simmons said. “That's how, you know, he got to NBA, he kept pushing, he kept working, got rewarded being in the NBA. I keep pushing in therapy every day, got rewarded to walk again. So that's my mindset I kept every day.”

Henry County Sheriff Reginald B. Scandrett and O’Neal are also donating $10,000 to the Simmons family. O’Neal said the family has been through a lot.

“I have children; I could imagine what the parents are going through,” O'Neal said. “So we just want to make this young guy smile. He's walking, for all the people that are concerned. A lot of people thought he would never walk again, but he's very resilient.”

Simmons is not the first McDonough athlete to be recognized by Dream on 3. A girl named Layla Kendall was flown out to visit Steph Curry in March 2025.

Tags: Shaq  Georgia  Nonprofit  NBA  Henry County