Celtics Fan Surprises Son With Lakers Tickets for His 18th Birthday

A father surprised his son for his 18th birthday with basketball tickets to watch his favorite player and team, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, play against the Celtics in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 28.

Video recorded by Jerrod Solomon captures his son’s shocked reaction, as the soon-to-be 18-year-old was under the impression he was in Boston with his father for a work trip.

Solomon told Storyful that he and his wife had been planning the trip for a few months, and that his son, Ray, said yes to the disguised weekend as "he loves to travel.

“He had absolutely no clue why we were actually there,” Solomon said.

After opening a LeBron James Lakers jersey, Solomon is heard in the video cheekily asking his son, “You want to wear that to the game tonight that I’ve got tickets to?”

“His favorite team is the Lakers, and mine is the Celtics,” Solomon said, adding that his son “loves basketball and his favorite player is LeBron James.”

Solomon shared additional video to TikTok of his son with him at the game that night. The Los Angeles Lakers would eventually lose to the Boston Celtics in overtime, 121-125, but James scored 41 points, inching him closer to the career points record he broke on February 7. Credit: Jerrod Solomon via Storyful

Video Transcript

JERROD SOLOMON: Hey, I know we came here for work. But I asked mom, and she said that, you know, you might not want to be away from your friends and everything for your birthday weekend. So I asked her if I could bring some of your presents. I'd like for you to go ahead and open some of them.

- Range day. Nice shirt, man. Got the American flag.

Pretty cool. Waterproof jacket. All right. No way!

JERROD SOLOMON: What?

- LeBrons?

JERROD SOLOMON: Got the LeBrons.

- Are these, like, brand new?

JERROD SOLOMON: Yeah.

- Dude.

JERROD SOLOMON: I took them out of the box so I could put them in that on the plane ride.

- Thank you. Man, you didn't have to do this. You know how many shoes I have?

JERROD SOLOMON: I know. You're a good kid, though.

- Yeah.

JERROD SOLOMON: You only turn 18 once. What?

- What does that mean? No, bro. What does that mean?

JERROD SOLOMON: It might be his last year. You want to have a jersey, don't you?

- Oh [MUTED]!

JERROD SOLOMON: Yeah?

- Bro!

JERROD SOLOMON: You want to wear that to the game tonight that I got tickets to?

- No way!

[SCREAMS]

[LAUGHTER]

- No way!

JERROD SOLOMON: We're not up here for work. This trip is just for your birthday.

- No way! Oh my God.

JERROD SOLOMON: Don't cry.