Gwinnett Daily Post

BUFORD -- During the Buford Wolves boys' basketball first home game of the season Friday night, the team is honoring one of its former players who passed away in September following a sudden illness.

The late Adam Blake Smith, 16, was a junior at Buford High School, and No. 10 on the basketball team.

To pay tribute to him, the team will play a "silent night game," in which the teams, audience and coaches are quiet for the first part of the game until Buford scores 10 points.

Said assistant coach Mike Lawley: "Adam was a fun-loving, positive, energetic kid, and we think the tribute is something that his folks and Adam himself would have thought was a cool idea."

Lawley added that the goal is "to give people in the community a positive basketball memory of him."

The coach said the team will drape Smiths' jersey over an empty chair beside the bench as a tribute.

The game starts at about 8 p.m. at Buford.

Adam was born Jan. 23, 1996 in Lawrenceville and was a life long resident of Buford. He was a member of First Baptist Church Buford.

According to his obituary, "Adam loved life, his family, friends, sports and his walk with God."