While attending a family social function at his cousin's apartment in his hometown of Palmdale, Shaw looked on from a second floor balcony to the pool below and saw his 7-year-old nephew, who cannot swim, in distress without help nearby. Shaw instinctively leaped off the balcony, landing painfully on the concrete below.
He was able to crawl into the pool and ushered his nephew to safety. Despite the intense pain in his legs, he was then able to grab the ladder and lift himself out of the pool with his upper body.
Shaw, who will miss at least the season opener on Saturday, said he would have jumped in to save anyone. Head coach Steve Sarkisian expressed his admiration for Shaw's courageous act.
"That was a heroic act by Josh, putting his personal safety aside. But that's the kind of person he is," said Sarkisian.
The extent of Shaw's injuries is unclear. He is listed as out indefinitely.