Former Kentucky star Nerlens Noel attended the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, and he brought with him a special guest. Noel has developed a relationship with a 7-year-old boy named Kelly Melton, who is currently battling leukemia. Melton was recently released from the hospital, so Noel asked him if he would like to accompany him to the biggest horse race of the year.
“I brought Kelly with me,” Noel explained, via the Courier-Journal. “He struggles with leukemia and I’ve known him for a while. He’s been in the hospital for a while. He just got out the other day so I invited him here to come experience this with me. It’s my first and it’s his first so it’s a great opportunity for us to come out here and enjoy it.”
Noel just turned 19 last month. Despite the fact that he suffered a knee injury in February and was held out for the remainder of the Wildcats’ season, he has decided to declare for the upcoming NBA Draft. The fact that he is already helping brighten the day of people like little Kelly is a good sign that he understands what it means to be a superstar athlete.
