TUCSON, Ariz — Number one ranked Arizona Men’s Wheelchair Basketball hosted teams from around the country today but that's not all. The program retired its first jersey in history in honor of Rudy Gallego.
Tucson native Rudy Gallego was instrumental in the start of the Adaptive Athletics program 50 years ago.
The Vietnam veteran lost his legs in battle and turned to wheelchair basketball.
He was one of the original athletes in the Adaptive Athletics program at UA. Gallego also started the juniors active in wheelchair sports program.
He passed away in November of 2023 and tonight was honored as the first jersey retired in the UA Wheelchair Basketball program.
“It’s a cool honor, we just wish he was here to do it," Gallego's son, Rudy Gallego said. "I think as a family we want it more than he does because he never really wanted the spotlight. He wasn’t really a guy big on the spotlight, he was more about everybody else.”
Gallego will also be inducted into the UA Adaptive Athletics Hall of Fame in April.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
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