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Hansel Emmanuel, a one-armed HS basketball player, shows incredible handles in trending video

Cassandra Negley
·WNBA and women's college basketball reporter
·2 min read

A high school basketball player who lost his arm at the age of 6 is still taking social media by storm with his talent on the court.

Hansel Emmanuel's skills were being shared widely on social media on Thursday after footage surfaced from the Orlando Winter ShowDown in Kissimmee, Florida, last weekend. A native of the Dominican Republic, he earned a scholarship to play for Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, per Noticias Sin out of Santo Domingo.

Videographer and photographer EyeG captured the team for the weekend. The team won two of its three games, per EyeG on YouTube, and Emmanuel averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds per game. He and Angel Montas were a high-scoring duo as Montas averaged an eye-popping 43 points and 12 rebounds, per EyeG.

Emmanuel, 16, lost his left arm when a wall accidentally fell on him at the age of 6, per Noticias Sin. He said he remembers the accident as a life lesson that God exists and has given him the power to exceed challenges he faces.

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He goes by the nickname Kikimata, and said he wants to keep growing while helping his grandmother and family.

Roberto Olivero of 1st Pick Photos captured an incredible photo of Emmanuel in the air ready to throw down a dunk.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hansel Enmanuel (@enmanuelhansel)

His Instagram caption, roughly translated to English, says, "I just want to see my family proud of me and I will keep pushing forward to see it well."

Emmanuel is one of several one-armed players who have gained traction on social media for their skills on the court. Some have broken out past high school ball.

Zach Hodskins, born with a birth defect that caused his left arm to end right below the elbow, played for Florida as a walk-on in the late 2010s. And Robert Whitaker Jr., who lost his left arm as a result of an electric shock as a child, famously traveled the world working to become a professional basketball player.

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