NC teen hurt in basketball dunking accident wakes — but can’t remember it, school posts

The North Carolina teen who crashed onto his head while dunking the ball at a March 9 state championship game has regained consciousness, but is plagued by memory loss, according to updates shared on Facebook by his high school.

Christian Martin, a senior at Southwest Guilford High in High Point, has been hospitalized since he fell during the state 3A boys West Regional basketball final with Concord Cox Mill at Lenoir-Rhyne University, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Martin has been on a ventilator in critical but stable condition for days, but awakened toward the end of the week and began talking, according to an update posted by Craig Ceresi of the Southwest Guilford High Athletic Booster Club.

Among Martin’s first requests: He wanted a Quarter Pounder and a Coke, Ceresi wrote in the GoFundMe page update with information provided by Martin’s mother, Christina.

“He asked where he was and what happened...His short term memory isn’t there yet so every time he wakes up, he is confused,” Ceresi wrote. “He asks what happened and when you tell him he fell, he says ‘No I didn’t.’ He did ask if they beat Cox Mill. He had a lot of sedation medication over the past week, so it is still working it’s way out if his system.”

Southwest Guilford High won the game 88-58, reported the Charlotte Observer on March 9.

The school also posted a March 15 Facebook update from the teen’s mother who said the injury is “slowly healing.” The post has since been removed.

“It is likely that he will be in the hospital for at least a couple of more weeks (and the) possibility of inpatient rehab,” the update from his mom said. “He still needs a lot of rest.”

The accident occurred in the second quarter of the championship game, the Charlotte Observer reported.

“Martin glided to the basket for an apparent dunk. He leaped into the air and missed the dunk, then got a hand caught in the netting,” reported the Observer’s Steve Lyttle. “Martin...fell to the floor, landing on his head. He appeared to lose consciousness briefly.”

Southwest Guilford Coach Guy Shavers described it as “a freak accident,” Fox8 reported, and Martin hit head first when he “came crashing down on the court.”

A GoFundMe account set up by the booster club to cover medical expenses had raised more than $10,000 toward a $15,000 goal as of Monday morning.

This story was originally published March 18, 2019 at 10:50 AM.