PHOENIX (May 6, 2009) – The stories of four young basketball fans who were granted their wishes to attend NBA All-Star 2009 will be told in an upcoming NBA TV special airing Friday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. ET. Narrated by Ernie Johnson, Emmy® Award-winning host of TNT’s Inside the NBA and NBA TV’s Premiere Night, the 30-minute show “NBA Cares: Make-A-Wish^® ” is produced by NBA Entertainment and features appearances by Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.

NBA Cares, the league’s social responsibility initiative, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation teamed to grant the four kids’ wishes to attend the NBA All-Star Game and related events in Phoenix this past February. The show features interviews with each of the wish kids and families in their hometowns, the challenges posed by the kids’ life-threatening medical conditions and a behind-the-scenes look at their wishes, including special moments with some of the NBA’s biggest stars. Johnson also met with the four wish kids during NBA All-Star festivities at the US Airways Center.

Following are the wish kids who appear in the special:

Jeremy Bishop, 19; Montreal
Medical condition: cardiomyopathy
Special moment: Jeremy, a promising 6-7 basketball player who was forced to give up the game because of his condition, accompanied Wade on his media-day interviews.

Austin Gatus, 12; Rancho San Diego, Calif.
Medical condition: leukemia
Special moment: Austin performed on his saxophone before an appreciative US Airways Center crowd during NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

Joanna “Jo” Johnson, 19; Tualatin, Ore.
Medical condition: Crohn's disease
Special moment: Joanna rode the East team bus as Garnett's guest to practice, where Garnett introduced her to his All-Star teammates.

Colin Kirkpatrick, 15; Abilene, Texas
Medical condition: lymphoma
Special moment: Colin rode the West team bus as Nowitzki's guest to practice, where Nowitzki introduced him to his All-Star teammates.

“We want to thank NBA TV for bringing these terrific wishes to television,” said David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer. “The kids and their families will be able to relive that thrilling weekend, and viewers will be inspired by the kids’ stories and the joy they had meeting their favorite NBA All-Stars.”

NBA TV is a part of NBA Digital, a landmark partnership between the NBA and Turner Sports to jointly manage the NBA’s digital assets, which include NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, NBADLeague.com and WNBA.com.

About NBA Cares: NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $105 million to charity, provided more than 950,000 hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 415 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

About the Make-A-Wish Foundation: The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 174,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish^® .