On Sunday, during NBA All-Star Weekend, 18-year-old college student, who has never been on a basketball team, Jaren Barajas went head-to-head in a three-point contest with Milwaukee Bucks NBA All Star Damian Lillard! The MrBeast $100K Challenge required Barajas to sink one deep three-pointer before Lillard could pull off three. With Lillard went first and hit it. Jaren threw up an airball. Damien missed his second and Jaren hit the backboard and nothing else. Damien swished his next shot. Jaren finally hit the rim but it was short. Damien rattled his next but it fell out. Barajas drained his final attempt and the crowd at San Francisco’s Chase Center went wild.
The moment drew reactions from NBA legends, including Shaquille O’Neal, who celebrated with the teen, and Steph Curry, who watched in disbelief from courtside. Barajas, a freshman at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California said “This is going to mean the world to me, it’s going to help my family a lot and definitely my future”.
After sinking the shot, he was lifted onto the shoulders of mascots and tossed into a box filled with cash as bills rained down.
In addition to Barajas’ cash prize, the NBA announced a $50-thousand donation to Lillard’s scholarship fund and another $50-thousand to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland and San Francisco. Lillard, a nine-time All-Star, praised the event, saying he enjoys moments where he can make an impact.