“Every door we went through, there was another surprise,” Randy Gholson, a father from Pocahontas, Ark. said on Sunday afternoon.
His 15-year-old son, Brantley, is suffering from Hodgkin’s disease, but he and the Gholson family made the flight from Arkansas to Oklahoma City this past weekend as a part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s efforts with the Thunder for a wonderful few days around the team.
13-year-old Inglewood, Calif. native Leonard Evans and New York City 15-year-old Justin Woods also made the trip to Oklahoma City alongside their families, and all three families were treated to a special weekend in the city. Limousine rides, dinners at Kevin Durant’s restaurant and a free stay at a local hotel were just the tip of the iceberg, as the teenagers and their families had the chance to meet Thunder players and attend a game.
On Saturday, all three families attended the Harlem Globetrotters game at Chesapeake Energy Arena, sitting in a suite with food, drinks and everything they needed. What would have already been a special treat was made even more thrilling when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook strolled into the suite to watch the game with them.
“We were waiting on the Globetrotters game to start and then Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook walked in,” Brantley Gholson said. “They were just chilling, being regular people. I thought that was cool. They’re regular people, but they’re just famous and everybody knows them.”
The Globetrotters game was a unique opportunity for Durant and Westbrook to take in a game that didn’t have implications on the standings or the playoff race, but to simply enjoy basketball, even an unorthodox version of the game. Westbrook had seen the Globetrotters before, but this was the first time Durant had ever been in attendance for a game, so he enjoyed watching the event just as much as the kids.
“It’s a big show,” Durant said. “To finally get the chance to come out here and watch them on our court is pretty cool.”
“It’s the same kind of thing, jumping, flipping and dunking and all that type of stuff,” Westbrook said, fondly remembering the Globetrotters games when he was a kid. “It’s still fun and exciting.”
After Saturday night, there was one more major treat for the kids and their parents, who were included every step of the way. Everyone got to the arena early in time for pregame warmups, and players stopped by to take photos and sign autographs. From there, the families were whisked away to the suite to settle in and enjoy the Thunder’s 131-108 blowout victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
“It was a phenomenal experience,” Kieanitral Paschal, the mother of Leonard Evans said. “They went over the top. There are no words that can explain the experience we shared this weekend with the other Wish families. We were made to feel like VIPs.”
“The way they interacted with the kids was great,” Dedra Pryor, Justin Woods’ mother said of the players. “This weekend was amazing, fabulous and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Jeff Summers, the President and CEO of Make-a-Wish in Oklahoma, has worked throughout the country on wishes with plenty of other organizations both in and out of professional sports. While he helped put together the events of the weekend, he came away extremely impressed by the effort, energy and commitment that the Thunder organization put in to making Brantley, Leonard and Justin’s wishes come true.
“No other NBA team does wishes the way the Thunder does wishes,” Summers said. “They are extraordinary. It’s amazing the time, the dedication from the top to the bottom that the team puts into hosting these families.”
There is a reason why, even on a Saturday night off and before a tough Western Conference matchup that Thunder players were so eager to devote their time and energy to giving back. Leaders like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have helped establish a culture of selflessness and giving, which has been picked up by players in the organization as they’ve joined the program. As a result, the visit by the Make-a-Wish children over the weekend was not just a community outreach event, but an opportunity for Thunder players to show just how much they respect and care for their fans all over the country.
“These are a bunch of cool kids who enjoy the game of basketball and enjoy being here in Oklahoma City,” Durant said. “The guys were talking about it in the locker room that we have a big influence on the youth and we have to try to steer them in the right direction. I’m excited that I get this opportunity.”
“It’s important, especially if you get a chance to go around the community and see how much people and the kids support us,” Westbrook explained. “It’s important that we give back as much as we can.”