It’s been two years since multiple sclerosis was at the forefront of NBA consciousness. The Dallas Mavericks called Chris Wright up from the Iowa Energy on March 13, 2013 and signed him to a 10-day contract. Wright played sparingly in three games for the Mavericks, logging a grand total of four minutes and scoring two just points.

Adding a player to the roster for a handful of games is commonplace this time of year, but Wright’s deal was a significant one for the more than 2.3 million people that multiple sclerosis affects worldwide. Wright is the only player in NBA history known to have MS, making him a hero among the community.

The Mavericks didn’t sign Wright to a second 10-day contract, but his basketball journey didn’t stop there. Wright played for the Brooklyn Nets at the summer league in Orlando two summers ago and represented the Denver Nuggets in Las Vegas last July. He was under contract with the D-League’s Energy and Bakersfield Jam this fall, but was placed on waivers by the Jam on Dec. 29.

In and around Wright’s flirtation with the NBA, the Georgetown alum has played in Turkey, Puerto Rico, France and Italy, where he is currently. In five games with Vuelle Basket Pesaro, he is averaging 18.6 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 32.2 minutes. He’s shooting 43.4% from the field.

Wright, still just 25, has more than enough time to make his way back to the NBA and in the interest of full disclosure; I’m pulling for him.

RealGM first published my words in this space 10 years ago and in that time I’ve written a few pieces campaigning the NBA to champion MS awareness more prominently. In the eight years since my first ‘NBA for MS piece, I’ve had conversations with several front offices about putting together events supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the leading non-profit for the disease.

In the years since I first spoke out, the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks have taken my lead by putting together MS Nights at their respective arenas. While I worked as the intermediary between local NMSS chapters in Indiana and Wisconsin and the aforementioned teams, the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks have also supported the cause.

Wright isn’t the only member of the NBA family with ties to MS, although his are of the strongest kind. Grant Hill’s wife, the singer Tamia, revealed in 2003 that she had been diagnosed with the disease. She has kept her symptoms in check and sang O Canada prior to the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden last month.

I first spoke with Channing Frye about MS back in 2006 when he was in his second season with the Knicks. The big man, who has gone on to play for the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and now the Orlando Magic, worked to raise awareness for MS through charity walks and bowl-a-thons. Frye was touched by MS through an aunt, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago. 

Multiple sclerosis has also touched basketball through the hands of Jerome Kersey, who tragically passed away last month from a pulmonary thromboembolism at age 52. Kersey met his wife, Teri, shortly after she was diagnosed with MS in 2004. Kersey worked closely with the guys at Caddies 4 Cure to raise money for MS research. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Kersey family and those at Caddies 4 Cure, especially Ryan DuChene, who is the organization’s founder and president.

I have little in common with Hill or Kersey, but we do share one link. My wife was diagnosed with MS in August 2004, less than a year after we started dating. Thankfully, she’s been beating the disease since the initial symptoms that led to her diagnosis. Not everyone is as lucky. Multiple sclerosis is one of the most unpredictable diseases known to man. 

Wright isn’t currently on an NBA roster, Hill is retired and Kersey has passed, but that doesn’t mean the league can’t help push MS to the forefront. The NBA does a tremendous job of supporting several worthy causes, including (but not limited to) Autism Speaks, Make-A-Wish, UNICEF, the Special Olympics, the American Red Cross and league-run programs promoting youth fitness, a green lifestyle and troops, but they need to make room for MS (and specifically the NMSS).

This time of year is perfect. Not only is this when Wright brought MS to the forefront, but it’s also MS Awareness Week. There is no reason why the league can’t introduce a few PSAs, or even produce MS-inspired warm-up shirts for a few mid-March games. Someone like myself doesn’t carry enough weight to do anything more than grease the wheels, but there are more important people that care.

Ask Grant Hill. Ask Channing Frye. Ask Chris Wright.

I spoke to Wright a few months after his brief tenure with the Mavericks as he was on his way to play in Puerto Rico. We discussed a lot of things, including his basketball immortality and how he decided to wear his MS diagnosis as a badge of honor. Wright became a father for the first time around the same time as his 10-day deal with Dallas and expressed a desire to show his son that nothing can hold you back.

At the time of our conversation, my wife was several months pregnant with twin boys. Wright played in an NBA game just a few months after struggling to walk, but couldn’t fathom the physical toll carrying two babies must have taken on my wife while she also fought off a disease that wreaks havoc on the central nervous system. I’ve since lost contact with Wright, but make sure to keep tabs on his career. It’s very comforting to know that teams, from the NBA all the way to Italy, will judge him solely on his basketball talents and give him a chance. There is no predicting the effects MS can have.

Maybe he’ll get another opportunity in the NBA, allowing him to continually inspire his son and the millions that have their dreams complicated by an illness. I’ll do my part, nudging the NBA towards raising awareness and funds for MS. I want my own children to know that you can make a difference in a variety of ways. 

If you have an MS story of any kind, Andrew would be happy to listen. You can e-mail him (Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com) with comments, questions or any help you may be able to provide as he looks to raise awareness. He’s also willing to aide other MS endeavors.