The NBA draft may have just wrapped, but 8-year-old Zeke Ortiz is coming for them—and one day, he may be their first deaf player.

Recently, Zeke, who lives in Frederick, Maryland, left his deaf team to join a more competitive league. Now he is the only player on the team who is hearing impaired.

His dad, Tony, who is also deaf, started coming to every game and has begun interpreting for his son.

zeke deaf basketball with dad NBC video

Zeke’s coaches started uses drawings and gestures to communicate, and the kids on the team have even developed their own sign language.

The youngster is well on his way to all-star status: this weekend, he will be playing with his team in the National Championships.

(WATCH the video from NBC above)

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