Video of a girl taking a tumble as she tries to steal the ball from dwarf basketballer Jahmani Swanson on a New York City crossing is going viral.
Swanson, who has been dubbed the "Michael Jordan of dwarf basketball" was shooting a commercial outside Manhattan's Flatiron Building on 23rd Street on Wednesday when the unscripted New York moment was captured.
He told NBC 4 New York the people he was shooting the Nike shoes commercial with were going up to "random people on the street" challenging them to steal the ball off him.
Connecticut teen Gillian Jordan, 15, accepted the challenge, but soon realized she wasn't a match for Swanson, as her arms darted around trying to get the ball and she eventually slipped on the zebra crossing and fell.
"It's not scripted, it's not staged, she's really trying to get the ball," Swanson said of the video.
Taking it in her stride, Jordan posted the video her mom shot to Twitter with the caption "My ankles were destroyed." It has been liked more than 75,000 times.
Swanson said he was impressed with Jordan's courage.
"People are congratulating her -- not a lot of people would do that, let alone a young female who doesn't play sport," Swanson said.
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"I told her the sky is the limit, enjoy it."
Swanson is living proof the sky is the limit. The Upper West Side native was born with dwarfism, but has gone on to have a successful career as a basketball player in a sport normally reserved for only the very tall.
Swanson works for Court Kingz, a company that puts on basketball events and fundraisers across the world.
He said this year he was due to play with the Harlem Globetrotters, and it was his dream to one day play basketball in the NBA Celebrity Games.
Meanwhile, the irony of the fact an unscripted moment posted by Jordan's mom was garnering more attention than a completed advertisement might was not lost on Swanson.
"That's how it's been, a quick upload and you can be famous," he laughed.
