Basketball players give the surprise of a lifetime to teammate struggling to afford shoes

Christmas is a magical time and its true meaning lies in the joy of sharing. While many families make the holidays a lavish celebration for their kids, some are not fortunate enough to give their children what they want. However, angels do exist and they take the form of kind-hearted human beings who make Christmas magical for the unfortunate ones. Recently, a video showing a team of young basketball players surprising their teammate with a considerate Christmas gift made the rounds on the internet. Modena Basket—who goes by @modenabasket on Instagram—the club in which the boys play, first posted the video, which later gained popularity when The Typical Day—who goes by @lagiornatatipo on Instagram—re-posted it.

15-year-old Kevin Osavande Omoregie hails from Africa and plays for the Under-15 team of Modena Basket. His teammates call him "Antetokounmpo" because the Greek-African player from the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is Omoregie's idol and also because the teen looks like him. For a while, the teen had been unable to replace his old sports shoes because his family couldn't afford new ones. So, his U15 Excellence teammates decided to chip in some money and buy him brand-new shoes for Christmas. Not just any shoes, but Antetokounmpo's signature sneakers, "Nike Freaks," which the teen had been dreaming of.

The boys were cheering collectively for Omoregie as he opened his Christmas present and he was over the moon to see his dream shoes. The teen also got some bashes, which is a typical behavior of boys' celebrations. Elated upon receiving his idol's signature sneakers, Omoregie wore them instantly and a huge smile was plastered on his face throughout the video. His shy expression of gratitude and excitement while wearing the new shoes made the team's efforts worthwhile. "The initiative started directly from the guys who, of their spontaneous will, made a collection for the purchase of this precious gift. We believe this gesture has priceless value," wrote the basketball club in the caption.

When The Typical Day shared this heartwarming video, it reached a much wider audience and currently has over 1.8 million views. However, what made it remarkable was that it reached Omeregie's role model, Giannis Antetokounmpo himself. The Milwaukee Bucks player proudly shared it on his story and also had a message for his ardent fan, "Kevin, welcome to the Freak family." Talking about the impact of this momentous incident, Omoregie told the TG1 Rai, "I feel very happy and I feel the desire to do even more on the pitch." Speaking about why he adores Antetokounmpo, the teen said, "I like the way he plays and then they say I'm a bit similar to him, but above all, I was struck by the love he shows for his brothers, given that it is the same that I have for my brother."

His team's Christmas gift turned out to be life-changing for the 15-year-old. People expressed their happiness for the teen. "What a story! This is proof that social media, if used correctly, can make people happy! Hugs to Kevin and cheers to his teammates! Real Brothers!" commented @mirmarian1. "What a wonderful thing. Giannis is wonderful that he doesn’t forget where he came from. Very great," wrote @mattbiff. "You guys worked your magic! Do you now believe in miracles?" commented @fncgallo.