YouTuber explains how Alabama guard Mykal Riley's 3-pointer in 2008 potentially saved 20,000 lives
Former Alabama star Mykal Riley potentially saved fans from a disaster in the closing seconds of the 2008 NCAA Tournament quarterfinal. His heroic 3-pointer to force overtime against Mississippi State will forever live in March Madness lore.
A YouTuber released a video that demonstrates the magnitude and impact of Riley's clutch shot - potentially saving the lives of 20,000 people.
"Nearly 20,000 fans would have exited the arena directly into the path and at the exact moment the tornado hit. Thousands of people would have been in danger in the downtown area that was wrecked by the tornado," JxmyHighroller YouTube channel explained in a video. [Time Stamp - 5:45]
It was March 14, 2008, and the Crimson Tide were locked in a tight battle with SEC rival Mississippi State at Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Rick Stansbury's men were up on Alabama by three points with only two seconds left.
Mykal Riley, a 6-foot-6 forward, who had zero points in the later half of the game, received the ball near the left wing and scored a 3-point buzzer-beater to even the score at 59-59, pushing the game to overtime.
However, as the overtime clock started, a massive storm was heading to Georgia Dome from the west. In a few minutes, it turned into a strong EF-2 tornado with winds reaching up to 130 mph.
Even though nobody in the arena was hurt, the tornado caused damage to the building, but it could have been much worse. If Mykal Riley hadn't made that shot, thousands of fans might have been outside in the parking lot when the tornado struck. The last-second shot kept the fans in the arena, safe from the storm.
However, Riley’s heroism couldn't save Alabama, as Mississippi State eked out a 69-67 victory, ending the Crimson Tide's season.
Mykal Riley reflected on miraculous moment of divine intervention
What Riley did that night, saving all those people in the arena, was not short of a miracle. The next day he said in an interview that he had been thinking about it and couldn't sleep all night.
"A lot of people could be dead if that hadn't happened," Riley said. "I believe it was God. ... It was supposed to happen so that no one would be hurt. I believe God had his hand in that to protect the people who were in the Dome."
That game would also be his last for Alabama, as Mykal Riley declared for the NBA draft but went undrafted.