High 5: Cambridge Rindge & Latin's Ben Pimlott

♪ FOR HIGH 5 THIS WEEK, LYNCHIE HEADS TO BROADWAY IN CAMBRIDGE, WHERE THE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM CONTINUES ITS STORIED TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE. AND THIS YEAR’S SQUAD INCLUDES ONE UNFORGETTABLE YOUNG MAN. ♪ LYNCHIE: HE IS ONE OF THREE CHILDREN HIS MOTHER ADOPTED FROM CHINESE ORPHANAGES. BORN WITHOUT A FULL RIGHT ARM, LATI SENIOR BAND HAS BEEN PLAYING BASKETBALL SINCE HE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD. WITH NO TV IN THE HOUSE, BASKETBALL QUICKLY BECAME HIS PASSION. >> I’M PROUD OF MYSELF, HOW FAR I HAVE COME, AND MY PERSEVERANCE. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I HAVE CONSIDERED QUITTING OR GIVING UP, BUT I JUST KEPT PUSHING. LYNCHIE: WHAT CAP YOU GOING? JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE -- THE HARD WORK M PARENTS PUT IN, AND WHAT I CAN CONTRIBUTE. NO EVERYONE HAS ONE ARM. IF HAD TWO ARMS, I WOULD PROBABLY JUST CONTINUE PLAYING SOCCER BUT I HAD A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE DISABLED UNITY AND SHOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AS LONG AS YOU PUT THE EFFORT IN. LYNCHIE: WHE BEN WAS IN SIXTH GRADE, HE WAS CUT FROM THE TRAVEL TEAM. HE WENT BACK TO WORK. THAT’S THE LAST COACH THAT CUT BEN. IT’S NEVER AN ISSUE. HE WORKS HARDER AND HARDER EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOU WATCH HIM IN PRACTICE AS LONG AS WE HAVE, THERE IS NOT ANYTHING H CAN’T DO. WE WATCH HIM BALL HANDLE, WE WATCH HIM PASS, HE HAS -- HE IS AS GOOD AS ANYONE WITH TWO ARMS. LYNCHI HE ONCE MADE 83-POINTERS IN A SINGLE GAME. DEFENSIVE PASSING IS HIS FORTE NOW ON ONE OF THE STRUGGLES PROGRAMS IN THE REGION. IF I WAS OUTSIDE LOOKING IN AND SAW AN KI 5’7", ONE ARM, I PROBABLY WOULDN’T HAVE GIVEN HIM A CHANCE EITHER. SO I HAVE TO PRACTICE EVERY DAY AND UNDERSTAND I AM ALREADY AT A DISADVANTAGE SO I HAVE TO SHOW MY HEART AND DO MY BEST TO PROVE THEM WRONG. LYNCHI BEN HAS THEM -- HAS BEEN EMBRACED BY TEAMMATES, COACHES, CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS. NOW HIS MESSAGE IS CLEAR. >> THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS GIVE UP. I WON���T BE MAKING THE PROS ARE ANYTHING BUT I WILL BE HAPPY KNOWING THAT I GIVE IT MY ALL AND DID MY BEST RATHER THAN QUITTING. LYNCHIE: WE PROUDL SALUTE BEN PAM L -- AS THIS WEEK’S CHAMPION. [LAUGHTER] BOB: BEN