Back in the summer of 2014, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral on the internet and led to $115 million dollars being raised to fund research on the disease more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the New York Yankees legend who died from it in 1941 at age 37.
In June, former NFL star running back Chris Johnson, now 39, publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with the disease in 2025 and it has progressed to the point that he uses assistive technology to speak.
Since then, the Ice Bucket Challenge has had a resurgence, and earlier this week, Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy took part in it.
It was personal for Hardy, as his father Bill died of ALS in 2015 at the age of 57.
Will Hardy posted a video on social media of him participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge, with Jazz players Darryn Peterson, Josh Okogie, Keyonte George, Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh pouring the buckets of ice water on him.
Prior to them doing so, Hardy said, “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about his (father’s) struggles, how horrible this disease is and the impact on my family. I’m doing the Ice Bucket Challenge today in his honor and for guys like Chris Johnson and (former NFL player) Steve Gleason.”
He then encouraged people to try to donate to the ALS Association, the Will Hardy Foundation or the Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS.
As part of the custom of the challenge, Hardy then called upon Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Duke Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer, Jazz and Utah Mammoth owner Ryan Smith and Dwyane Wade to complete it.
After his players dumped the water on him, Hardy shook his head and said, “They’re gonna pay for that.”