Prince Albert basketball player pulls off sweet sneaker surprise for fellow player with autism
Caleb Hammond knew exactly what he wanted to do with his first paycheque, and that meant buying a pair of Kyrie Irving basketball shoes.
But unlike some other 15-year-olds, he didn't want the high-priced sneakers for himself. Instead, he bought them for a fellow student, Tanner Svenson, who had inspired him throughout the basketball season.
"I think that's a beautiful thing to see somebody in such a difficult situation be better than people that are having the best life," he said.
Team shows 'incredible' support
It all started when Tanner told his mom he wanted to try out for the local basketball team, at École St. Mary High School in Prince Albert.
"We were a little cautious because Tanner is not overly athletic," Taryn Svenson said, explaining her son is high functioning but autistic. She was surprised when he was picked for the A team, and worried that he might not get playing time, or would get discouraged and quit.
But instead, to her happiness, she found her son embraced by the team.
"What's happened in this last year has been incredible," she said. "It's hard to find words to thank these boys for what they did for my son."
Coach Zach Strong said he picked out Tanner for the team for his spirit and desire to play, thinking his attitude would help the team.
While Strong was a little apprehensive on how things would gel, the other boys immediately welcomed and included Tanner. As they travelled to different cities for play, others also took notice of Tanner, giving him high fives and congratulating him between games.
"At most tournaments, most teams knew who Tanner was, more so than who we were," said Strong.
'Tanner never gives up'
Hammond also recognized Tanner as a standout during basketball tryouts. While others worried about what team they would end up on, Tanner just came, ready and eager to play, said Caleb.
"Just from then, I could just tell he was better than everyone, because he was so determined."
While Tanner may struggle communicating at times, it never stopped him from connecting with others, both on and off the court, and giving his total effort, whether the team was 50 points down, or 50 points up, said Hammond.
"Tanner never gives up. That's just amazing."
Hammond had been working at his parents' pharmacy for a year, but decided to ask for a paycheque so he could get Tanner a gift. He had noticed that some had laughed at Tanner for not having the same top-quality basketball shoes as the rest, and decided the baller deserved a pair of his own.
When Tanner was heading out to basketball practice, Hammond stopped him, dangling the Kyrie Irving shoes, and said, "Why don't you use these instead?"
Tanner was stunned speechless, and Hammond knew he had made a good choice.
"The price really doesn't matter. Yeah, it's $200 shoes but I could care less — all that matters was how happy Tanner was when he got the shoes."
Tanner worth the hype
Svenson said her son is a "special young man," with the biggest heart, and she found it overwhelming to see how his team and Hammond had made this such a special year for him.
She reached out to Hammond's family, saying she was in tears as she told them, "You did an amazing, amazing job raising this son obviously, to do these kind of things."
Hammond said while it was nice to be appreciated, he didn't deserve any thanks, as Tanner remains the real inspiration.
"Tanner deserves all the hype."
