Kevin Durant Surprises Young Fan Inspired By the NBA Player's MVP Speech About His Mom
James, 11, was inspired after the NBA player's MVP speech saluting his mother.
— -- One 11-year-old boy, from Kevin Durant's hometown, was really inspired after hearing the NBA player's Most Valuable Player acceptance speech honoring his mother.
The speech made James, who aspires to be an entertainer, want to be successful enough to be able to take care of his own mother.
In his 2014 acceptance speech, the NBA star recognized his mother's hard work and sacrifice.
"I don't think you know what you did," he said through tears. "The odds were stacked against us. [A] single parent with two boys by the time you were 22 years old."
"You made us believe. You kept us off the street," Durant, 28, said. "You sacrificed for us. You're the real MVP."
Along with inspiring hundreds of basketball fans, the speech also inspired little James, who hails from Prince George's County, Maryland -- the same area where Durant grew up.
Because of his passion, he was tapped by director Eunique Jones Gibson to meet Durant.
"After watching how Durant saluted his mom during his MVP speech, James realized that his very own mother plays a similar role by making it possible for him to pursue his dreams and interests," Jones told ABC News of why James was selected for the video.
The surprise meeting, in which James thought he was about to appear on a talk show to speak about his mother, was captured in a now-viral video.
In the video, Durant shares with James what his mother put on his wall when he was a kid: "Always believe that anything is possible." Durant then shook James' hand.
The heartwarming viral video was produced as a commercial for American Family Insurance's "Dream Campaign."
Related Topics
Related Stories
ABC News Live