Basketball player’s Senior Day takes emotional turn when a very special guest steps onto the court

Many people go through a transitional phase early in their lives where they step out of their comfort zone to chase their dreams. Prioritizing their career, they sometimes have to put their family and friends on the back burner. According to Yahoo Sports, a basketball player from Colombia, Braian Angola, experienced similar feelings after he moved to the United States, leaving his family behind. However, little did he know that Florida State University (FSU), where he studied, had something special planned for him. An emotional video from the crucial league game was shared by ACC (@ACCDigitalNetwork) on its YouTube channel, capturing the athlete’s tear-jerking reaction to the PA announcement.

Before the Senior Day game had begun, the FSU basketball players were visited by their families. Unlike the other athletes, Braian had no one from his family greeting him on the special occasion. The PA announcer called the immigrant student, originally from Colombia, to receive his prize, an honorary framed jersey. Since Braian had no family members to walk to the court, two women accompanied him to Senior Walk. Braian was emotional as years of struggle and hard work paid off. As he was being presented with the token of recognition, the PA announcer made a shocking announcement, leaving the spectators visibly moved.

After announcing Braian’s overall record and stats since he joined the FSU team, the PA announcer took the names of those who accompanied him to the court. However, there was a twist when the PA announcer said someone was eagerly waiting to meet him. “Actually, there's one more addition, Braian,” the basketball player was told, much to his surprise. Later, it was announced that his mother had flown from Colombia to pay him a visit on Senior Day. Upon hearing this, Braian broke down in tears, as did his friends, the officials present on the court, and his teachers.

Within no time, Braian’s mother emerged from the crowd. The entire arena erupted in cheers and applause, as shown in the two-minute footage. Braian, currently playing for Türk Telekom of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi, later opened up about his struggles of leaving his family behind as a teenager. “Leaving my whole life and my family and deciding to go from a city of 15,000 people to a city of 2 million people, it was very difficult. But I knew I needed to do it for the benefit of my mom and my family,” Yahoo Sports quoted the Colombian basketball player as saying.

The endearing reunion video ended with Braian’s mom giving him a warm hug and posing with him for a lifelong memory. The heartwarming moment managed to draw widespread attention on social media, with people applauding Braian’s mother for making his day truly special. Among the several reactions, @orgeebaharvin6284 expressed, “There's nothing like a mother's hug.” “That’s a real man right there. He’s not afraid to show his emotions. I got emotional too watching this video, especially when his mother was walking toward him,” @ayisyen2009 lauded.