SALT LAKE CITY — While the Suns may not have had an especially stellar game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, they did manage to brighten one fan’s day.
Meet Teddy. The 6-year-old Tucson boy was given VIP treatment at Wednesday’s game after they heard his story and saw pictures of him online.
According to The Washington Post, Teddy had chosen to have a birthday party over taking a trip to Disneyworld and was disappointed when none of his friends bothered to come.
“I was bummed, I was bummed out for sure,” Teddy’s father, Ted Bollinger, told The New York Post. Bollinger had flown in from Alaska to celebrate his son’s special day.
Thankfully, Teddy’s disappointment didn’t last for long. The Daily Mail reported that he was soon distracted by the fun arcade games, pizza and spending time with his dad.
But his mother, Sil Mazzini, was upset by the turnout and posted a picture of the boy online. The post soon went viral and when the Phoenix Suns saw it, they decided to try and cheer the boy up.
According to Fatherly, Teddy accepted the invitation. What followed was, in his words, “the best day ever.” The 6-year-old was given a crown, a personalized jersey and got to interact with players before the game.
Teddy then got to watch court side as the Suns took on the Lakers. The game resulted in a Phoenix loss, but in Teddy’s eyes the night was certainly a win.
Some have criticized Mazzini’s decision to post the picture online. A post that she herself admittedly regrets.
“Honestly, I would love to go back in time and not have sent that message,” Mazzini said according to the New York Post. “We don’t want all the attention. We didn’t do this for attention or for gifts or anything. I did it in the moment but I wasn’t smart. I was upset. That’s it.”
People have also questioned the validity of Mazzini’s picture, wondering if it was staged. But to Suns President Jason Rowley, it doesn’t really matter either way.
“Who knows what really happened,” he told The Washington Post. “At the end of the day we get to give a 6-year-old an extra special birthday experience and something he never forgets.”