*Billy Donovan, whose Florida team went on to win the first of its two straight NCAA crowns, and who has also agreed to write the foreword for The Miracle of J-Mac: “I think (J-Mac) made us understand that with the stage we're on, we do have the opportunity to inspire others. Maybe in some way it inspired us to play the game the way it's supposed to be played.”
*Mike Lupica, New York Daily News columnist and ESPN commentator: “I was in Lake Placid when the Americans beat the Soviets in 1980, I saw Kirk Gibson’s home run in 1988, I saw the Red Sox come back on the Yankees in ’04, I saw the ball roll through Bill Buckner’s legs in 1986. I wish I had been there to watch Jason in person. That was one I missed.”
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May 27, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COACH, AUTHOR TEAM UP FOR J-MAC BOOK
Coach Jim Johnson and national award-winning writer Mike Latona, both of Rochester, New York, have teamed up to write a book about the incredible 2005-06 season in which Jason McElwain -- better known as “J-Mac” -- electrified the world.
The book, tentatively titled "The Miracle of J-Mac: A Coach's Life Lessons" will capture Johnson’s reflections on the ups and downs of that season as his Greece Athena High School basketball team struggled through internal turmoil to come away with league and sectional championships. Best known to the public, however, are the few short moments that made J-Mac -- so named by Coach Johnson -- an international sensation and got Hollywood calling.
On Feb. 15, 2006, Coach Johnson extended the kindhearted gesture of inserting J-Mac, his autistic manager, into Athena’s final home game. J-Mac scored 20 points in just over four minutes, including six three-point baskets, to become an instant national celebrity and win the ESPY for "Best Sports Moment" at the ESPN awards show later that year. Both J-Mac and Coach Johnson were featured in major news outlets around the country and have met such luminaries as President George W. Bush, Governor George Pataki, Senator Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Jim Rome and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the NBA legend who is involved in making the J-Mac story into a major motion picture.
Jim Johnson is now a highly sought-after public speaker, delivering his messages with a heartfelt style that has brought audiences to their feet. In this new book he uses the season of J-Mac as a backdrop for important life lessons learned about teamwork, sportsmanship and how to succeed in life. He has served as Greece Athena’s varsity coach for 11 years and has won nearly 300 games in a career spanning more than two decades.
Mike Latona has served since 1991 as staff writer for the Catholic Courier newspaper in the Diocese of Rochester. He has won numerous honors over his 24-year career, including seven first-place national awards from the Catholic Press Association. Recently, a 2006 feature he wrote on J-Mac was awarded second place nationally by the Catholic Press Association as well as second place statewide by the New York Press Association. Latona also writes regularly for major national Catholic magazines.
Further inquiries about the book can be made by contacting Coach Johnson at 585/764-0220 or Jim.Johnson@greece.k12.ny.us, or Mike Latona at 585/328-3228, ext. 1515, or mlatona@catholiccourier.com. You can also visit Coach Johnson’s Web site at www.coachjimjohnson.com.
"Jim gave him that opportunity. You do the right thing like that, you may change a life forever." -- John Calipari, Head Basketball Coach: Memphis University Tigers
"I think it's a great story -- to follow your dream, follow your goals and never ever quit. It's a great story for people of my age, people of any age." -- Dick Vitale: ESPN Basketball Commentator and Basketball Hall of Famer
"As a pro coach, it's about doing what is needed to win the game. But in high school, somebody like Jim has more of a responsibility to teach so many more things." -- Jeff Van Gundy: Pro Basketball Analyst and former NBA Head Coach.
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