Allan Franklin Davis III – Bud, as he was called – waited only until he was eight years old to do something significant, and it happened on the basketball court. By this time, he had already been playing for four years. So, when the season began that year, Bud was surprised to learn that most of the players on his team had never played basketball before. Needless to say, they lost most of their games.

During the final game Bud gave 110%, but at the half his team was down by about fifty points. Then Bud came up with a new game plan.

In the second half he worked even harder to get his hands on the ball. But instead of dribbling it down the court and shooting, Bud kept passing the ball to a boy named James, even though each time James would take a shot at the basket—and miss. You see, James was autistic and, according to his parents, had never made a basket in his life.

But Bud continued to pass to James. After awhile the other team stopped guarding Bud and even passed him the ball a couple of times. James was given dozens of opportunities to make a basket.

Bud never gave up on him. With five seconds left in the game he passed one last time to James, who threw the ball up in the air and, SWISH, made his first basket! Everyone went wild! James’ parents were crying—in fact, almost everyone was crying.

Bud showed that day what it meant to do something important—to be selfless and compassionate. He demonstrated what the apostle Paul wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). Thanks, Bud, for your great example.