Young holiday shoppers get assist from 2 Warriors stars
Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole join 50 kids at Target toy department
ALAMEDA >> Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole helped spread some holiday cheer last week, joining dozens of Bay Area families on a holiday shopping spree.
After practice Friday, Wiggins and Poole surprised 50 children and teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Oakland at a Target in Alameda. The group of kids already knew they would have $200 to spend on anything they wanted, but they didn't expect to get help from a pair of NBA champions.
Wiggins and Poole led the kids to the toy aisles to start. Basketballs, Squishmallows and Legos were hot commodities.
Poole used his 6-foot-4 frame to pull items down from the top shelves. At one point, he pretended to be a store employee, much to the amusement of the kids who swarmed him.
While Poole helped kids in the toy section, Wiggins was with a group in the electronics department when a young boy picked up NBA 2K and asked if the Warriors star played.
“Yeah, but not for a couple years,” Wiggins said. He paused briefly before chirping back to the boy half his size, “But I'd still whoop you.”
The two laughed, and the boy put the game in the cart.
In another instance, Wiggins approached two shy boys standing alone against a wall as they waited for their chaperones. At first, the brothers were star-struck, but then they challenged the All-Star forward to an arm wrestle.
Diana Cristales, a branch director at the Boys & Girls Club of Oakland, witnessed the encounter, which she called “the sweetest thing.”
“It was one of the highlights” of the trip, Cristales said. “They were such nice people, such nice players. You could tell their hearts were just huge.
“(Wiggins and Poole) were both really friendly, really helpful and in the moment, really focused on the kids and making sure the kids were having fun.”