Basketball is a game of many skills: there's dribbling, passing, defense.

But Ronnie Awtry is just like many of us who hoop it up.

“What do you like basketball most?”

“Shooting,” Awtry said.

And over the last four years, he's had a shot to play the game and earn a varsity letter as part of a team with Lockport High School's Special Olympics Unified Sports program.

“When he's on the basketball court he just lights up. He becomes a completely different person. He's social, he talks, he laughs,” said Elizabeth Smorol, Lockport physical education teacher and coach.

And he shares that joy with his partner on the team, Sean Dennison.

“I don't know, he just makes me laugh,” said Awtry.

The two formed a friendship as freshmen in high school, and jumped at the chance to pair up on the basketball team.

“When we were in the class, even if I wasn't supposed to, I would run over to him and push him a little bit to keep him on his toes,” said Dennison.

The Special Olympics New York Unified Games are underwritten locally by Bryant & Stratton College.

Sean has pushed Ronnie on the basketball court.

“He teaches me how to shoot, to aim in the square,” said Awtry.

And he's pushed him in other ways too.

“I was able to find him on Instagram so we go back and forth on there too and he'll post something and I'll see him the next day I'll poke fun at him a little bit, it's all light-hearted stuff,” said Dennison.

Sean has taken his own lessons from Ronnie and the rest of their teammates.

“It changed me mentally, to really look past the surface when I see somebody or meet somebody new and don't judge them immediately and try to see where they’re coming from,” said Dennison.

Sean has even helped Ronnie gain the courage to go to prom this year. They have a true partnership they plan to carry on long after their playing days end.

“Starting out at the beginning of high school I didn't expect to have that. But now that I have that it's something I wouldn't trade for anything,” said Dennison.