12-year-old finally saves enough to buy Stephen Curry jersey, gives it away instead
By the time he saved enough money to buy it, he decided he wanted to give the jersey to someone else, who needed it more.
SAN RAMON, California -- Let's talk obsession for a moment. The good kind that you find in 7th grade basketball player like Griffey Williams of San Ramon, California.
"He is out here six days a week and has practice daily," said his father, Mark Williams, who teaches physical education.
We should add that when Griffey has a ball in his hand, he usually wears Stephen Curry gear.
"When I wear the jersey, I feel I can make all the shots," Griffey said.
In Griffey's bedroom, it's all Curry, all the time. But between the photos, the bobbleheads, the balls, the sweats, and whatever else, there is one item that Griffey doesn't have that he always wanted.
It's an official NBA Stephen Curry jersey.
"He wanted it pretty bad," said his mother, Katie, a San Ramon police officer. And, she felt he should earn it.
So, Griffey set out for the task, recycling cans and earning the money, a nickel and dime at a time.
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But when the time came to buy it, the young man had a revelation brought on by years of teaching by his family.
"I could have bought it for myself or else for someone who needed it more than I did," Griffey said.
"It gives him the opportunity to earn that money and give to someone else instead of being handed everything," said Katie.
"When he went to the store, there was one jersey," added Mark. "It was him or the kid. He went with the kid."
The kid comes into the picture when we fast forward to a meeting on a playground in Oakland. Griffey had never before met Erasmo Merino or his brother Javier, but they all share basketball and a love for Curry.
"Do you have any idea what is going on here?" our sister station KGO-TV asked Javier.
"No," Javier replied.
Their meeting happened thanks to Griffey's grandma, Eileen McDonald. She's with the Alameda County School Board and knew just who to ask about finding that someone in need that Javier was searching for.
"The call came back in ten minutes. They have just the boy," Eileen said.
The boy was the unsuspecting Erasmo is a very good, hard-working seventh grader, just like Griffey.
Erasmo and Javier's father had told the two he needed them at a meeting.
"They see these things on TV and have said 'wouldn't it be great if it happened to us?'" explained their father Javier Sr.
On this day, it did happen.
"Merry Christmas," said Griffey, as he presented the jersey and a pair of Curry shoes to Erasmo, along with a pair of Air Jordan sneakers to Javier.
"You see this?" Erasmo exclaimed with disbelief.
Talk about a Christmas surprise. It brought tears to Eileen McDonald's eyes.
"Seeing the joy in their eyes. Seeing a young boy open something he never dreamed that he would be able to own," Eileen said.
It was a timely act of selflessness by her grandson.
Griffey gave up the jersey he always wanted, and exchanged it for something better - what he called, "The reward of giving."
