John Gabriel has earned the reputation for having one of the sharpest minds in all of basketball.

The former landscaper who once talked his way into a job at the Philadelphia 76ers eventually rose through the league’s ranks. In the 1980s, he helped launch the Orlando Magic before becoming the team’s general manager. Thanks to his rebuilding efforts, he was even named the NBA’s executive of the year.

As the director of scouting for the New York Knicks, he’s still very much a player in the league, but now he’s facing his toughest opponent yet — Parkinson’s disease.

He explains what led to his stunning diagnosis and how far and wide he searched for an answer to his health problems.

Find out how he’s proving to his NBA colleagues that he’s still the same guy “from the neck up” and why he’s so optimistic about his future and the evolving treatments for Parkinson’s patients.

He’s also become a passionate advocate for research and support for those with Parkinson’s disease and those who have yet to be diagnosed.

Photos credits:
Gabriel Family Photos: Alan Fraebel
All other Photos: Fernando Medina/Orlando Magic