Some Things Are Bigger Than Sports - Dominique Wilkins Gifted A Pair Of All Star Game Worn Shoes To A 9 Year Old In 1985 And That Same Kid Just Recently Gave Them Back To Him 40 Years Later

Awesome. A perfect circle moment if you ask me. Dominique Wilkins gifted those shoes to a kid at the perfect time. 9 years old, old enough to know enough of what's going on, and still be amazed by bigger than life heroes like athletes and not yet jaded by the world or shamed that living and dying with a sports teams results or looking up to an athlete is uncool aka the "Mickey Mantle doesn't care" moment. 

He was probably at that phase where he was finally out of little kid ball, learning to actually use his body and start to really love playing the game. It feels like it was important that he got that moment at 9 years old instead of being shunned by a star and having it scar him for life. I bet he told everyone and everyone that story and even tried on those sneakers when no one was looking even though his Dad told him not to, I wouldn't be surprised if he snuck them on just once to take a shot like his hero in the backyard. He likely got a lifetime of memories with those kicks, and WIlkins doing that was an awesome moment. 

And the kid giving them back is even better, because at the end of the day, they do belong to Wilkins. It was almost like the kid was clocking out on the timecard of memories he got out of them. From the age of 9-49 he got to look at them, smile, remember that day, think fondly of that time and how generous Wilkins was that day, but he doesn't need them anymore, and giving them back to Wilkins was a beautiful way to close that chapter. I'm not fully sure how he knew Wilkins was going to be there that day, but it's beautiful way to pay back the gesture, especially with Wilkins getting older. Being able to tell him back that story and remind him of the moment is a class act by that fan. 

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