Watch young Lily’s happy-tears encounter with Bucks star and MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo below. (WARNING: Tissues may be required.)
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo may be the world’s best basketball player. But perhaps he’s even better at being present to the person in front of him.
On Wednesday, he had a chance to meet a young fan named Lily at an autograph session. It turned into an ultimate tissues-required encounter.
Lily brought a jersey for him to autograph, which he did. Really cool, but not anything out of the ordinary.
Then it got off-the-charts awesome.
Lily gave Giannis a folder of artwork she had saved for about 18 months, with the expressed purposed of making sure it got in his hands.
Giannis ‘ smile beamed. The superstar stepped around a table, went up to the girl whom he towers over by about three feet, and gave her a great big hug.
” Thank you so much, ” he uttered while checking out a child’s art that for a parent, and perhaps for a basketball star, is as worthy of placing inside their home as the Mona Lisa would be in the Lourve .
” This is amazing. This is amazing. You did all this? ”
With tears in her eyes, she nodded yes, putting her green sweatshirt sleeve to a pair of eyeballs that may have needed their own wiper blades from the happy tears.
A second hug ensued as Lily joyfully bawled with cell phone cameras clicking.
For Giannis , it was a cool moment, one which superstars like him have the power to create. He knows it, and genuinely embraced it.
For Lily, who for 60 seconds was Giannis ‘ MVP (most valuable person), it was a moment she will never forget for the rest of her life.
WTMJ’s Scott Warras talked to Lily about her experience. Listen to their interview below.