Mickey Mitchell got up from the Arizona State bench and went over to the scorer's table to check into a non-conference tune-up the Sun Devils were playing against Prairie View A&M with 4:06 remaining in the first half.
Before he took his first step on the court, the crowd at Desert Financial Arena gave him a standing ovation.
It was a moment that Mitchell admits really touched him. He was surprised the Sun Devils faithful knew who he was, let alone what he had gone through. A crippling back injury not only kept him off the court for a year but away from the team as well.