Russell Westbrook was beasting the 2014-15 NBA season, notching up 11 triple doubles and in MVP discussion, but despite all this he still receives a lot of hate.
Shoots too much, is selfish, has an attitude, are all things he would hear from the critics. But this video might just change people’s opinions.
Oklahoma City Thunder revealed that Westbrook gave the Kia car he won for being named the 2015 All-Star Game MVP to single mother Kerstin Gonzales.
“Are they playing a prank on me or something?” Gonzalez said of her initial reaction. “When he showed me the keys, I was like ‘this is real’. That’s when I started to cry because it’s been such a hard time.”
“There were definitely tears of joy and I could tell some tears of hard work and all the different things she’s been through in her life,” Westbrook said. “Today was a stepping stone in showing her that everything is going to be alright.”
Gonzalez and her two boys, four-year-old Matthew and two-year-old Adam, have had a rough go of things lately. The single mother was just 14 when she got pregnant, as she said, “just a child” when she all of the sudden was forced to be an adult. Gonzalez has been the recipient of Sunbeam Family Services assistance for some time now, and has utilize the extra time and what she saves on diapers and other childcare needs by putting herself in a position to graduate from high school this year, work a job and to apply for colleges, where she wants to study forensic science.
Her current car was not in great driving shape and on Monday morning, the engine wouldn’t start. She has been borrowing cars from family and friends to be able to get to work, to get to school and to pick up her sons. To all of the sudden have that burden of worrying about transportation at all times be lifted was a huge weight off her shoulders.
“It’s so touching and so amazing knowing that there are people out there willing to help the ones that are in need,” Gonzalez said.
“She has such a good heart,” said Erin Engelke, Sunbeam’s Chief External Relations Officer. “She’s so worthy and so humble. She did not see this coming. We had orchestrated it so that it could be a true surprise and it was for her.”
The Thunder provided more information from Westbrook on why he decided to do such a kind act:
Russell Westbrook at @SunbeamOKC: "Today was a good stepping stone to show her everything is going to be all right." pic.twitter.com/hm30g3OmFp
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 6, 2015
Russell wanted to honor "all the hard work she's done to keep her family together. I just want to be able to help others any way I can."
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 6, 2015