Soldier's Emotional Surprise at Thunder Game

Table of Contents

A Heartwarming Christmas Surprise

During the break between the first and second quarters of the Thunder's Christmas Day game, the arena took a moment to honor America's heroes who would not be home for the holiday. This gesture was a touching reminder of the sacrifices made by service members and their families.

It was during this time that Anthony Ackah-Mensah had the opportunity to send a special Christmas message to his father, Juba, who was in attendance at the game. Anthony, currently deployed in Germany, used the jumbotron to deliver a heartfelt greeting.

"Currently deployed in Germany, I just want to give a quick shout out to my dad. Sorry I couldn't be here with you, but merry Christmas and Thunder up," he said, clearly emotional as he addressed his father from the big screen.

After his father received an autographed ball on the court, something truly magical happened. Anthony surprised his dad with a Christmas gift that no one could have anticipated.

Juba shared his experience of attending the game on Christmas Day. He mentioned that he had no idea he would end up seeing his son, who had been away for nine months.

"I thought I was going to be with the rest of the national guard family, but I didn't see them; I was the only one. So I was just like 'Well, I don't know what's going on.' They gave me some tickets for the game, so I was expecting to just come and watch the game," he said, reflecting on his initial expectations.

Anthony revealed that he had purchased plane tickets to return home without telling anyone. His commander then asked if he wanted tickets to a Thunder game.

"Then a little later, he told me there was going to be a surprise, a little homecoming thing. So I was working with the Thunder team back and forth, trying to make sure it would be a surprise. He didn't know I was coming. I flew here, hid myself until today, now we're here," he said, describing the effort he put into making the surprise possible.

For Anthony, the moment of seeing his dad meant everything. He hopes that this heartwarming experience will resonate with others in the stands who have loved ones serving in the military.

"It means a lot for me to see him on the court and then they can kind of live vicariously through us to their family members," he said, emphasizing the emotional impact of the reunion.