<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There are approximately 78,000 reasons why John Hoebee believes in fate. Most of them will be in his bank account by lunchtime. "I believe things happen for a reason, and we were blessed," Hoebee said. "Now, we have to pay it forward." Hoebee, a 40-year old sergeant with the Glendale Police Department, was handed the jackpot Thursday at U.S. Airways Center. He was presented with a $77,777.77 check for a shot he didn't even make. And if you haven't heard his story, get ready for the tale of an unpredictable owner, a magical gorilla, a starstruck young boy and a father who just wouldn't listen to his wife. Luckily for Hoebee, the latter decision actually worked in his favor. When Hoebee randomly was selected to shoot a basketball for money during a Suns' in-game promotion on April 7, he had three choices: A made free throw would net him $777, while a made three-pointer would yield $7,777. But a successful shot from half-court - a heave and prayer from 47 feet away - would command nearly $78,000. "You go to the free-throw line and miss, people will be all over you," he said. "You get a little respect from the three-point line, but they'll still boo you if you miss. But if you miss from half-court, it's no big deal. People don't expect you to make that shot." But then he called his wife, Paula, and she urged him to get closer. Shoot the three, she said. After all, he had no background in basketball; eight grand was a lot of money to discount; and his son's nickname was Trey, short for John III, and Trey was the only reason he attended this game in the first place. But for some reason, the husband wouldn't listen to practicality, logic or omens. "I came with nothing and the worst I could do was leave with nothing," he said. "No guts, no glory." Besides, something special was in the air that night. Hoebee was a season ticket holder, but his eight kids, 10 grandkids and his wife's recent illness (fibromyalgia, a condition of widespread muscular pain and fatigue) just wiped out the entertainment budget. He sold off most of his tickets to pay medical bills, keeping only a few select dates on the schedule. One was for a late-season game against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, the game young Trey just had to see. Yet the game became all about dad and his shot, so much that the father and son spent part of the first half outside, shooting baskets at the Suns' outdoor pavilion. Of course, it seemed to be for naught when Hoebee missed his half-court shot at glory, banking it just a bit wide off the rim. Except owner Robert Sarver was sitting courtside, and was duly impressed at how close Hoebee's shot had come to going in the basket. He gave Hoebee a second chance. But this time, he made the team's famous mascot - the Gorilla - shoot in his stead. "The mascot in Utah and in Denver shoot that shot all the time," Sarver said. "I've never seen them make one." To worsen Hoebee's dwindling odds, the Gorilla attempted the mulligan with his back to the basket. "At first, I felt really good about having a second chance," Hoebee said. "I've seen the Gorilla shoot, and he's pretty good. But then he turned around to shoot it backward . . . and I'm thinking, 'Oh, my wife, she was right again.' " Incredibly, the Gorilla made the shot, banking it off the backboard and through the basket. The crowd went nuts. Sarver was on the hook. Or was he? At this point in time, the Suns owner deserves much credit for playing fair and generous. He could've gotten lawyerly with Hoebee, denying him the money on some fine print or legal basis. Or he could've attempted to negotiate a lesser settlement. Without hesitation, he said he would write a check for the full amount. "The gorilla came over and apologized to me," Sarver said. "He said he'd kick in the 77 cents. So I'm glad he took partial accountability. But after the game, we had a meeting and the other partners said I met the definition of gross negligence. So they won't be paying their share. But it was a lot of fun. And I'm glad the guy won."</div> Source
