Matt Scott (born March 27, 1985) is an American
wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people with varying physical disabilities that disqualify them from playing a non-disabled sport. These include spina bifida, birth defects, cerebral palsy, paralysis due to accident, amputations (of ...
player.
Biography
Matt Scott was born in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, where he began playing wheelchair basketball with the Sterling Heights Challengers in the
NWBA Junior Division.
As a high schooler, he was on the gold medal-winning US team at the
2007 Parapan American Games
The 2007 Parapan American Games, officially the III Parapan American Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, celebrated in the tradition of the Parapan American Games as governed by the Americas Paraly ...
in Brazil, where he was coached by Tracy Chynoweth, head coach of
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
's college wheelchair basketball team. Scott played five years for the UW-Whitewater Warhawks in the NWBA College Division, winning championships three out of five years in 2004, 2005, and 2007. During his time at Whitewater, he competed in the
2004 Summer Paralympics
)
, nations = 136
, athletes = 3,806
, events = 519 in 19 sports
, opening = 17 September
, closing = 28 September
, opened_by = President Costis Stephanopoulos
, cauldron = Georgios Toptsis
, stadium = Olympic ...
and
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was ...
. He also won a silver medal at
IWBF World Championship in 2006 in Amsterdam. He was nominated for the
Best Male Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award in 2008. After college, Scott played professionally for
Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...
in Istanbul, Turkey for six seasons from 2008 to 2014. In 2012, Matt Scott helped Team USA to a bronze medal in their 61–46 victory over Great Britain.
Scott continued his professional career with Comune Di Porto Torres in Italy for two seasons from 2014 to 2016, during which time Scott's game film of him making multiple three-point shots in front of a crowded arena went viral, prompting the sports blog
The Undefeated to publish a write-up titled "Meet the Steph Curry of Wheelchair Basketball."
Whistle Sports
Team Whistle (formerly known as Whistle or Whistle Sports) is an American digital media company focused on sports-related and entertainment content.
History
Since its launch in 2014, Whistle Sports has raised more than $56 million in funding t ...
also shared the game film, which has garnered over 2.5M views on Facebook.
Scott left Italy to play three seasons with the RSB Thuringia Bulls in Exleben, Germany. He competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, where Team USA defeated Spain 68–52 to win Team USA's first gold medal since 1988. Scott then returned to RSB Thuringia where he and Team USA teammate Jake Williams helped the Bulls win the
IWBF Champions Cup
The IWBF Champions League, formerly IWBF Champions Cup, is the top European competition in wheelchair basketball clubs in mens.
Events
Since 2009, the European club competitions work as this:
*Eurocup 1: IWBF Champions League
*Eurocup 2: André ...
in 2018 and 2019. In November 2018, Scott fell ill and contracted sepsis, leading to months-long hospitalization during which time he went into a coma for two weeks. He later recovered and returned to playing, but credits the episode for putting his life and basketball career in perspective.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was uncertain whether the German
RBBL would execute a season, Scott signed with CP Mideba in Badajoz, Spain. In 2021, he competed in the
Tokyo Paralympic Games and helped secure a repeat gold medal for the United States in a 64–60 victory over Japan. Matt now resides in the Bay Area.
Scott is one of the most sought-after wheelchair basketball players by well-known brands. He was the first US Paralympian to star in a
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...
advertisement, "No Excuses", where the viewer is made unaware of his disability until the camera zooms out to show his basketball wheelchair at the end.
Scott has also been a spokesperson for Travel Wisconsin, participated in a digital marketing campaign for the
Apple Watch
Apple Watch is a line of smartwatches produced by Apple Inc. It incorporates fitness tracking, health-oriented capabilities, and wireless telecommunication, and integrates with iOS and other Apple products and services. The Apple Watch was rel ...
, and has been an athlete ambassador for
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Matt
1985 births
Living people
American men's wheelchair basketball players
Galatasaray S.K. (wheelchair basketball) players
People with spina bifida
Basketball players from Detroit
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater alumni
Wheelchair category Paralympic competitors
Paralympic wheelchair basketball players of the United States
Paralympic gold medalists for the United States
Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States
Paralympic medalists in wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball players at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
Wheelchair basketball players at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Wheelchair basketball players at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Wheelchair basketball players at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Wheelchair basketball players at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
21st-century American people