ALEXANDRA, La. — A stranger who saw a boy playing basketball using a trash can as a makeshift hoop decided to help the child hone his game by buying him a real one.
Devin Hinkston, 30, saw the boy playing basketball in his driveway while he was driving through Alexandra recently, Good Morning America reported.
Hinkston later returned and talked to Patricia Williams, whose 8-year-old grandson Jeremiah, was throwing the basketball into the trash can. Hinkston then gave her a basketball hoop for him.
“This man was a complete stranger,” Williams said. “I just started crying because it was an angel in disguise.”
Jeremiah plays in a league at his church. He was overcome with emotion at the gift.
Hinkston was moved by the moment too.
“Jeremiah was in the background jumping for joy and she was jumping and I was dropping tears,” Hinkston said. “It was special.”
Later that day, Jeremiah scored 12 points and led his team to victory.
Hinkston said he will be back to help assemble the hoop. He hopes to one day start a nonprofit in order to help other youth in the community.
“I always do (random acts of kindness). I’ll see kids in the corner store and I’ll buy all of them something to snack on. I’ll see a homeless person and buy them a bomber jacket or some food. I just never post about it on social media because that’s not the reason I’m doing it. I do it from the heart,” Hinkston said. “You should always be kind. You never know what somebody else is going through.”