Man thanks his lucky stars even after missing $1 million half court shot

His unlucky half-court shot has become a viral sensation, but Virginia resident Scott Park doesn't mind; he's just happy to be alive.

Park, 56, was on an all-expenses-paid trip with his wife Ellen to the ACC Tournament semifinal between Notre Dame and Duke this past Friday in Greensboro, NC. Park was selected to participate in the halftime half court shot for $1 million. But when Park took the shot, he missed badly, far from even making contact with the hoop before the ball dropped to the ground.

The shot was captured by sportswriter and Vine user Ryan Fagan, which quickly went viral with over 7.5 million loops.

But even though Park's shot was far from a success, the environmental engineer is still very much a winner, seeing how he was supposed to have died five-and-a-half years ago.

In 2007, Park had complications resulting from open heart surgery. His organs began shutting down, and doctors couldn't figure out why.

"By end of the weekend...I had five organs starting to shut down: my kidney, liver, spleen, gallbladder, pancreas. They were scratching their heads, the doctors, because they couldn't figure it out," Park told the Sporting News.

Park was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS). The disorder, which only 400 people have ever been diagnosed, was looking to take Park's life. His doctors had even begun to inform Park's wife to expect the worst.

But then, the doctors tried their last card and all of Park's organs began to function again, except for his kidney. After two years on dialysis, Park found a perfect match in a fellow churchgoer named Bucky Blanton, according to the Sporting News. When the surgery was finished, Park made history as the first person in the world with CAPS to get a transplant.

So even though Park's half court shot was a fail, he still made a thrilling, come-from-behind victory in the game of life.

"The halfcourt shot wasn't pretty, and then I got a free throw and that didn't get to the basket. And then, I couldn't believe I blew the layup," Park told the Sporting News. "The Lord has blessed me probably as much or more than a lot of people. I feel that every day. God has been a power in my life, and he keeps giving me miracles every day."