Former Jayhawk Jalen Wilson invited parade shooting victim to Kansas basketball game

The Kansas City Chiefs are months removed from the tragic events of their Super Bowl LVIII victory parade in February. Since that dreadful day, there have been more stories of triumph and perseverance from those who were affected.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Kansas Jayhawks and current Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson on behalf of Barcode about his goals for his second NBA season and his reflections on inviting a young Chiefs parade shooting victim to a Kansas Jayhawks basketball game earlier this year.

“I just want to go into the season… I want to put in even more work, understand that no job is ever finished, and achieve the goals I have,” said Wilson. “It starts, of course, with training camp and leaving a season; two is going for that not leaving anything behind is working and understanding that every day is just an opportunity to get better.”

Wilson’s determination is only matched by his heart and desire to help others. He spoke about reaching out to ten-year-old Samuel Arellano, one of the more than two dozen victims injured in the shooting at the Super Bowl celebrations, to invite him to a Kansas Jayhawks basketball game.

“That was a moment that was really important to me,” Wilson explained. “I was so thankful that my mom could find that. She was following on Twitter (X) and saw so many victims being impacted by this. It’s an unfortunate situation. We ran across a beautiful family going through the same type of problem, and I think we both have the same idea and want to come together. If we can just give them (at least) one percent of happiness, try to fill any void you have from that situation. We’re going to try our best, which was very important.”

Wilson couldn’t be with Arellano during that night but sent a touching video message that was played at Allen Fieldhouse during the game.

“I feel like Kansas does a great job, and it speaks of embracing people whenever they are in an unfortunate situation,” said Wilson. “We were able to accomplish that, and we signed the jersey for the family. It was a really cool moment to help someone and understand that you can bring peace of joy.”

Founded by Mubarak “Bar” Malik and Kyle Kuzma, Barcode is the first premium, natural performance and hydration drink on the market. As the proud fitness water of the Brooklyn Nets, Barcode is plant-based with added benefits and ingredients, including Vitamin D, B6, B12, and Magnesium. It offers a functional alternative to sugar-packed sports drinks and is perfectly designed to optimize overall health.

Check out the website for more information on Jalen and Brooklyn Nets’ partnership with Barcode .