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The coolest basketball player in St. Louis is 6-years-old

He was ready to compete in 'Kids vs. Cops' and a special office joined him in the competition.

ST. LOUIS — He doesn’t have a jump shot. He can’t run a full court press. He certainly can’t dunk. But the word ‘can’t’ isn’t in Liam Niemira’s vocabulary.

And that’s exactly why, despite his limitations, the 6-year-old is leading a local basketball team.

“You have to, like, block them, from shooting the ball into the basket," said Liam, giving instructions to his cousin, Owen Conway, Thursday morning.

Conway is an able-bodied athlete trying wheelchair basketball for the first time.

“I didn’t have any practice going into it. Ya know. I had a feeling Liam was going to take me to school, apart from being at his school," he said.

Liam was born with Spina bifida. He has no feeling below his knees. He started playing basketball at 3 years old with a custom-built wheelchair his dad made.

Conway is a St. Louis County police officer who decided to join Owen on the court after what he saw a year ago.

“I was so blown away," he said.

Liam is the youngest member of the “Rolling Rams,” Missouri’s only junior wheelchair basketball team. The team thought they would try a new fundraiser last year, 'Kids vs. Cops.' It was a huge success.

Conway knew he wanted to join the fun.

“I have to be a part of this," he said.

So, the St. Louis County police officer joined another force Friday night, playing in 'Kids vs. Cops Part II.'

All because of Liam.

“What can you say? He’s all smiles. All the time," said Conway. “He’s a pretty special kid.”

He's a special kid, alright.

He's also a teacher.

“My secret is to try to get it past them [with the ball]," said Liam.

“I have a feeling we should probably bring a notebook and a pen because Liam’s gonna teach us a few lessons," added Conway.

He's a competitor

"I’ll never take it easy on you," said Liam.

Most importantly, he's a friend. And that's why he loves basketball the most.

“Because I get to hang out with a couple of my friends, and plus Owen," smiled Liam.

The Rolling Rams had a goal of raising $12,000 Friday night at 'Kids vs Cops Part II.' All the proceeds go towards equipment and travel costs for the team.

You can learn more about the Rolling Rams on their website.

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