The Brooklyn Nets traded for former University of Arizona standout Rondae Hollis-Jefferson — whom had been selected by Portland with the 23rd pick in the 2015 NBA draft — for two reasons.
First off, he gives the Nets a fierce wing defender — a la Kawhi Leonard — and secondly, he’s just flat-out a good dude.
Case in point, Rondae surprised his mother, Rylanda, with a new home for her birthday over the weekend.
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Rondae explained the event to the New York Post:
When I told the woman who owned the house why we were buying it, she cried. Being a mom, she understood what it meant more than us guys do. It was an emotional moment, and then she said, “We can make this happen.” They even bought my mom a cake!
We had a lot of our close family and friends and relatives at the house to surprise her. My sister was driving my mom to the house, and we told her to just knock on the door and ask for one of your friends.
The realtor opened the door and said, “Oh, who are you looking for?” When my mom said the name, the realtor said, “Oh, OK, come in.” Then everyone popped out and said, “Surprise!” and me and my brother had the cake, and she just started crying. To actually be able to show her the house and stuff on her birthday, it was a dream come true. It was a blessing.
She said it was her best birthday ever. That’s huge for me and my brother, and my uncle, who is like a brother to us. … That’s big in our eyes, to be able to do that. Being able to change your mom’s life, to be able to put her in a comfortable situation. … It makes that feeling in your heart go to ease.