Minnesota
Minnesota family who served 50+ foster children supporting son’s athletic fight
The Sibleys’ oldest son plays basketball in Minnesota with a bleeding condition. As Mike Max explains, it’s just a small piece of life for the family that is making a difference beyond what most feel is possible.
Video Transcript
BASKETBALL PROVIDES A A STORY THAT EXTENDS WELL BEYOND THE GAME.
BASKETBALL PROVIDES A A STORY THAT EXTENDS WELL BEYOND THE GAME.
THE SIBLEY FAMILY HAS AN OLDEST SON WHO PLAYS BASKETBALL WITH A CONDITION THAT MAKES IT COMMENDABLE THAT HE PLAYS IT ALL, BUT THAT’S JUST A SMALL PIECE OF LIFE FOR THE FAMILY BEYOND WHAT MOST FEEL IS POSSIBLE.
THE SIBLEY FAMILY HAS AN OLDEST SON WHO PLAYS BASKETBALL WITH A CONDITION THAT MAKES IT COMMENDABLE THAT HE PLAYS IT ALL, BUT THAT’S JUST A SMALL PIECE OF LIFE FOR THE FAMILY BEYOND WHAT MOST FEEL IS POSSIBLE.
THE STORY STARTS 17.
THE STORY STARTS 17.
YEARS AGO, WHEN A YOUNG COUPLE WENT TO COLUMBIA TO MEET THEIR NEW ADOPTED SON.
YEARS AGO, WHEN A YOUNG COUPLE WENT TO COLUMBIA TO MEET THEIR NEW ADOPTED SON.
AT THE ORPHANAGE I WAS THERE, YOU ACTUALLY, YOU YOU WAIT IN A GREEN ROOM FOR, YOU KNOW IT COULD BE A 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR.
AT THE ORPHANAGE I WAS THERE, YOU ACTUALLY, YOU YOU WAIT IN A GREEN ROOM FOR, YOU KNOW IT COULD BE A 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR.
IT’S UNCLEAR.
IT’S UNCLEAR.
AND THEN THEY BRING YOU YOUR CHILD.
AND THEN THEY BRING YOU YOUR CHILD.
AND SO THEY BROUGHT LUCAS INTO US, PLACED HIM IN OUR ARMS.
AND SO THEY BROUGHT LUCAS INTO US, PLACED HIM IN OUR ARMS.
AND THAT WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH LUCAS.
AND THAT WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH LUCAS.
AND LUCAS WOULD GROW INTO A TYPICAL TEENAGER FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE GAME OF BASKETBALL.
AND LUCAS WOULD GROW INTO A TYPICAL TEENAGER FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE GAME OF BASKETBALL.
THAT’S HOW I FOUND MOST OF MY FRIENDSHIPS IS WITH BASKETBALL.
THAT’S HOW I FOUND MOST OF MY FRIENDSHIPS IS WITH BASKETBALL.
AND SO LIKE, THAT’S BEEN FUN.
AND SO LIKE, THAT’S BEEN FUN.
HIS PARENTS, HIS MOTHER, A BEHAVIORAL THERAPIST, AND HIS FATHER, AN EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR, THEY NOTICED SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR SON WHEN HE HAD WISDOM TEETH PULLED LAST YEAR.
HIS PARENTS, HIS MOTHER, A BEHAVIORAL THERAPIST, AND HIS FATHER, AN EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR, THEY NOTICED SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR SON WHEN HE HAD WISDOM TEETH PULLED LAST YEAR.
THIS LAST FALL, HE HAD SOME WISDOM TEETH THAT WERE EXTRACTED AND HE KEPT BLEEDING.
THIS LAST FALL, HE HAD SOME WISDOM TEETH THAT WERE EXTRACTED AND HE KEPT BLEEDING.
HE WAS BLED AND BLED.
HE WAS BLED AND BLED.
HE WAS DIAGNOSED A HEMOPHILIAC, A BLEEDING DISORDER.
HE WAS DIAGNOSED A HEMOPHILIAC, A BLEEDING DISORDER.
SO A ROUTINE INJURY LIKE THIS TO HIS LEG TURNED INTO FIVE WEEKS ON THE SHELF HE’S BACK AND HE’S PLAYING.
SO A ROUTINE INJURY LIKE THIS TO HIS LEG TURNED INTO FIVE WEEKS ON THE SHELF HE’S BACK AND HE’S PLAYING.
DESPITE THE CONDITION, THE BEHAVIORAL THERAPIST THAT IS HIS MOTHER SHE UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF SPORTS.
DESPITE THE CONDITION, THE BEHAVIORAL THERAPIST THAT IS HIS MOTHER SHE UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE OF SPORTS.
TO ME IT’S ABOUT BEING ON THE TEAM.
TO ME IT’S ABOUT BEING ON THE TEAM.
IT’S ABOUT STRIVING FOR SOMETHING.
IT’S ABOUT STRIVING FOR SOMETHING.
IT’S ABOUT WORKING HARD.
IT’S ABOUT WORKING HARD.
IT’S ABOUT IT’S ABOUT ALL OF THE ENERGY THAT YOUR BODY NEEDS TO DO, THAT THE CHARACTER NEEDED AROUND THAT IT’S ALL IT’S THE LEARNING OF THE DOING OF THE THING AND THAT’S WHERE THIS STORY GETS FASCINATING.
IT’S ABOUT IT’S ABOUT ALL OF THE ENERGY THAT YOUR BODY NEEDS TO DO, THAT THE CHARACTER NEEDED AROUND THAT IT’S ALL IT’S THE LEARNING OF THE DOING OF THE THING AND THAT’S WHERE THIS STORY GETS FASCINATING.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST MET SEE, WHEN TED BECAME A DOCTOR AND ERIN FIRST WORKED AS A TEACHER, THEY GOT A CALLING BEYOND LUCAS THEY NOW HAVE LIFELONG SPECIAL NEEDS, AND THEY HAVE NOW SERVED AS A FOSTER HOME FOR 52 CHILDREN.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST MET SEE, WHEN TED BECAME A DOCTOR AND ERIN FIRST WORKED AS A TEACHER, THEY GOT A CALLING BEYOND LUCAS THEY NOW HAVE LIFELONG SPECIAL NEEDS, AND THEY HAVE NOW SERVED AS A FOSTER HOME FOR 52 CHILDREN.
OVER THE YEARS.
OVER THE YEARS.
THE SIBLEY BOAT IS REALLY BIG WITH A LOT OF CREW.
THE SIBLEY BOAT IS REALLY BIG WITH A LOT OF CREW.
IT’S ON FIRE SOMETIMES, BUT IT’S GOT A LOT OF CREW AND IT HAS A LOT OF RESOURCES.
IT’S ON FIRE SOMETIMES, BUT IT’S GOT A LOT OF CREW AND IT HAS A LOT OF RESOURCES.
THIS JOURNEY HAS BECOME ABOUT ONE COUPLE BUCKING THE LIFE THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE WHEN THEY MET IN COLLEGE.
THIS JOURNEY HAS BECOME ABOUT ONE COUPLE BUCKING THE LIFE THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE WHEN THEY MET IN COLLEGE.
AND THEN I WAS GOING TO HAVE TWO HEALTHY BABIES THAT LOOKED LIKE ME, AND I WAS GOING TO.
AND THEN I WAS GOING TO HAVE TWO HEALTHY BABIES THAT LOOKED LIKE ME, AND I WAS GOING TO.
YEAH.
YEAH.
AND I WAS GOING TO LIVE IN THE BURBS.
AND I WAS GOING TO LIVE IN THE BURBS.
THEY’VE ACCEPTED THE CHAOS THEIR SON PLAY BASKETBALL WITH HIS CONDITION THAT’S JUST A BUMP THAT IS BRIDGED BY A COUPLE THAT HAS A ONE DAY AT A TIME FAITH.
THEY’VE ACCEPTED THE CHAOS THEIR SON PLAY BASKETBALL WITH HIS CONDITION THAT’S JUST A BUMP THAT IS BRIDGED BY A COUPLE THAT HAS A ONE DAY AT A TIME FAITH.
JUST LIKE HIM.
JUST LIKE HIM.
YOU KNOW, ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL PLAY SPORTS, AND LIVE HIS LIFE.
YOU KNOW, ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL PLAY SPORTS, AND LIVE HIS LIFE.
IT’S REALLY WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.
IT’S REALLY WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.
WHEN WE AND THE BOY THEY TOOK HOME FROM AN ADOPTION AGENCY CAN FEEL THAT LOVE.
WHEN WE AND THE BOY THEY TOOK HOME FROM AN ADOPTION AGENCY CAN FEEL THAT LOVE.
SUPPORTED.
SUPPORTED.
I’D SAY THAT’S THE WORD SUPPORTED BY THEM.
I’D SAY THAT’S THE WORD SUPPORTED BY THEM.
LIKE, I MEAN, MY MOM AND DAD LOVE TO SEE ME PLAY, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE IT UPSETS ME WHEN AN INJURY HAPPENS.
LIKE, I MEAN, MY MOM AND DAD LOVE TO SEE ME PLAY, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE IT UPSETS ME WHEN AN INJURY HAPPENS.
LUCAS HAS LEARNED MUCH IN HIS WELL.
LUCAS HAS LEARNED MUCH IN HIS WELL.
GROWING UP IN WAYS MANY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND OR EXPERIENCE.
GROWING UP IN WAYS MANY WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND OR EXPERIENCE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFICULT AND SOMETIMES MESSY THINGS THAT COME WITH CARING FOR A SEVERELY AUTISTIC TEENAGE BOY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFICULT AND SOMETIMES MESSY THINGS THAT COME WITH CARING FOR A SEVERELY AUTISTIC TEENAGE BOY.
AND AND LUCAS JUST MANAGES IT WHEN HE GETS HURT.
AND AND LUCAS JUST MANAGES IT WHEN HE GETS HURT.
YES, THERE IS THAT THIS GOING TO BE A BAD ONE?
YES, THERE IS THAT THIS GOING TO BE A BAD ONE?
BUT IT’S MORE OF A, OH MY GOSH HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE HIM OUT?
BUT IT’S MORE OF A, OH MY GOSH HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE HIM OUT?
AND THEY HAVE ALL LEARNED THAT LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO BE.
AND THEY HAVE ALL LEARNED THAT LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO BE.
THEY HAVE A REMINDER THAT HANGS IN THEIR KITCHEN.
THEY HAVE A REMINDER THAT HANGS IN THEIR KITCHEN.
COURTESY JOHN WESLEY TO REMIND THEM OF JUST THAT ALL THE GOOD THAT WE CAN, BY ALL THE MEANS THAT WE CAN, AND ALL THE WAYS THAT WE CAN IN ALL THE PLACES THAT WE CAN AND TIME THAT WE CAN, PEOPLE WE CAN, AS LONG AS WE CAN.
COURTESY JOHN WESLEY TO REMIND THEM OF JUST THAT ALL THE GOOD THAT WE CAN, BY ALL THE MEANS THAT WE CAN, AND ALL THE WAYS THAT WE CAN IN ALL THE PLACES THAT WE CAN AND TIME THAT WE CAN, PEOPLE WE CAN, AS LONG AS WE CAN.
WE CAN ALL LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT BOY.
WE CAN ALL LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT BOY.
GOOD JOB THEY HAVE PAUSED THEIR FOSTER
GOOD JOB THEY HAVE PAUSED THEIR FOSTER
Trading LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves will make the Charlotte Hornets worse in 2026-27. There is no denying that.
Ball was the lone driver of Charlotte’s top-five offense, speeding the Hornets’ fast-paced attack up and down and all around the floor to create open looks for himself and his talented teammates. LaMelo’s Gastonia shooting range, unorthodox handles, eagle-eyed passing, and his ability to heat up in a moment’s notice just simply cannot be aggregated in the interim.
With Ball on the floor, Charlotte’s offensive rating jumped by 11.6 points per 100 possessions, good for the 99th percentile among guards in the NBA. Kon Knueppel’s three-point percentage increased by 10.3 points when he shared the floor with Ball, and Brandon Miller shot 20.5% better at the rim (an area where he struggles) with LaMelo helping create looks for him.
Everyone who plays alongside LaMelo Ball gets better — the proof is in any publicly available number you can find.
Charlotte’s historically efficient offense cratered when LaMelo hit the bench, and trading him now, no matter what they got in return, will immediately set back the Hornets’ push to become the premier NBA franchise they aspire to be.
But what if I told you this move does make some sense in the Hornet’s long-term team build? And that Charlotte is justified to sell-high on their All-NBA caliber point guard? I’m not sure I believe it, so I’m going to try and convince myself as I attempt to convince you.
Justifying Charlotte’s Decision to Trade LaMelo Ball
I can understand some trepidation about building the whole plane out of LaMelo Ball. He only played a total of 105 games in the three seasons prior to 2025-26, and until that becomes the exception, not the norm, it will always be dangerous to have him as the centerpiece of a franchise.
LaMelo Ball played 72 games in 2025-26, the second-highest number of his young NBA career. The Hornets were cautious about over-taxing their star creator, only playing him 28 minutes per game, a career-low, and crafting a roster that was built to ease LaMelo’s burden.
Last summer, Charlotte targeted Tre Mann (which looks bad in hindsight), Collin Sexton, and Spencer Dinwidde to provide supplementary ball handling and lower the league-high 37.1% usage rate Ball racked up in 2024-25. Championships are won on the margins, and if you have to allocate extra resources to your point guard room as a parachute for a player like LaMelo, there’s a chance you’re missing out on some impact on the fringes of your roster.
Also, the skill sets of Ball, Knueppel, and Miller are quite redundant. They are all perimeter-focused offensive options who struggle to score in the paint. Charlotte could believe that it was necessary to move one of them in an attempt to diversify their offensive attack, and due to Kon and Brandon’s contract situation and LaMelo’s long-term health outlook (which the Hornets would know better than anybody, by the way), they decided that the time to sell-high on Ball was now.
How high would the ceiling of a fully-formed, maxed-out contractually Ball, Knueppel, and Miller trio even be? A second round exit assuming everything goes right? By trading Ball now, adding a talented front court piece in Naz Reid, creating the largest trade exception in league history, and setting yourself up to be a real player in trade talks about any disgruntled superstar, Jeff Peterson just created a number of avenues to rebuild this team around its burgeoning stars.
Could the package have been more robust? Sure. But there’s no guarantee another team with more assets to spare than Minnesota would have even registered more than nominal interst in LaMelo Ball. The market is the market. Peterson said last summer that he’ll push the chips in when the time is right, and if nothing else, he just added a few more to his stash.
There is also a chance that the Timberwolves look radically different when these swaps and picks are ready to convey. Minnesota’s asset reserves are bone dry, starting center Rudy Gobert is on the back-nine of his NBA career, and the Western Conference has a couple of well-positioned juggernauts that the Wolves will have to navigate every year that they employ Anthony Edwards and Ball.
And what if Edwards becomes disillusioned with his standing in Minnesota and forces his way out before his five-year, $244M contract expires in 2028-29? Or what if he leaves that summer in free agency? The Hornets will have the opportunity to pick up the pieces and feast off of the wreckage in Minnesota in that nightmare scenario for the Timberwolves.
There has to be more bubbling underneath the surface for Charlotte to be willing to take the massive PR hit of trading LaMelo Ball just weeks after the franchise played some of the best basketball in the league for an extended period. There is an argument to be made that this deal says more about Charlotte’s lack of belief in the ceiling of a LaMelo-led team than anything else.
And there is merit to that.
Ball has played in four Play-In Tournament games and struggled mighitly in three of them. When the game slows down and becomes increasingly more physical, Ball has failed to hold up. The Hornets must be projecting that Ball’s postseason struggles will continue in Minnesota, capping the long-term ceiling of the Timberwolves.
This is a bet against a couple of things: LaMelo Ball’s long-term health, the viability of a back court duo of Ball and Edwards, and Minnestoa’s asset-poor state. I’m not sure if it’s a bet I would have been willing to make, but it is the one Jeff Peterson and the Hornets decided to.
And whether you like it or not, the dice have been thrown.
There is now more pressure than ever on the shoulders of Jeff Peterson. He somehow pulled off the rare feat of making his team worse in the short term while sending the expectations of his fanbase through the roof. There has to be more moves coming from Charlotte. There has to.
Which is why I’m calling on you to holster your torches and pitchforks for now. In a vacuum, this deal is a tough one to swallow. LaMelo Ball brought unquantifiable joy to the city of Charlotte and spearheaded a run that awoke the long dormant basketball-crazed city. Not only did his impact on winning supersede the narratives around him, his impact on the franchise’s bottom line did as well. The city loved LaMelo, and it is a shame that he was sent packing just as things were starting to percolate for the first time in his Hornets career.
However, if it is a part of a larger plan that reshapes the Hornets’ roster into a group that can compete at a high level in the NBA playoffs, then I will tip my cap to Peterson and his team. Winning does cure all at the end of the day, right?
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Minnesota leaders are sending photos that highlight the state’s landmarks and culture to the U.S. Capitol for a special time capsule.
The time capsule gives each state and territory delegation an opportunity to provide a snapshot of time in 2026 as America celebrates its 250th birthday.
Photos from all eight Minnesota congressional districts were sent to the Capitol.
They include Lake Superior, the State Fair, the loon, Prince’s Purple Rain and the National Eagle Center.
The capsule will be sealed inside the Capitol Visitor Center until America’s 500th birthday on July 4, 2276.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (WCCO News) – Vance Boelter, the man who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, is set to be sentenced on federal charges later this summer.
According to court documents, the sentencing date is set for July 23 at 10 a.m. at the Minneapolis federal courthouse.
Earlier this month, Boelter, 58, changed his plea to guilty on six counts against him in the June 14, 2025 lawmaker shootings as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors.
Under the terms of the plea deal, Boelter’s recommended sentence will be two consecutive life terms followed by 40 years. The judge approved the plea deal and ordered an expedited sentencing.
The U.S. Department of Justice said it would not seek the death penalty against Boelter, which, according to a letter from U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, was part of the proposed plea agreement.
In his guilty plea, Boelter admitted to fatally shooting the Hortmans, wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, and attempting to shoot their daughter, Hope. The shootings prompted a massive manhunt that lasted 43 hours.
Following the guilty plea, theHoffman family released a statementthat said, “there is no justice when our family and our state will never truly heal.”
Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of first-degree premeditated murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of felony cruelty to an animal and impersonating an officer. A guilty verdict for one of the first-degree murder charges carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office confirmed its case against him will move forward.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
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