The Detroit Pistons aren’t winning many games these days, but their biggest win of the season came off the court.
According to Sports Illustrated, Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III and guard Alec Burks recently partnered with Michigan First Credit Union to deliver a holiday surprise to 18 local families. They paid off the loan balances for the families, who had a total debt of over $80,000.
Bagley delivered the surprising news when he went bowling with the families on Dec. 20.
“On behalf of myself and my teammate who couldn’t be here, Alec Burks, we got a special surprise for y’all,” Bagley said at the event.
The NBA veteran then showed off the giant check.
“We’re gonna be paying off one of your guys’ loans, and I just want to say, meeting you guys is a special moment for me to have a position to do this. I just wanna say Merry Christmas.”
Bagley later clarified on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the check was being presented to all 18 families.
#Pistons center Marvin Bagley III announces that he and Alec Burks (who couldn’t be in attendance) have partnered with Michigan First Credit Union to pay off every loan (totaling more than $80,000) for approximately 18 families during the holiday season. pic.twitter.com/mXN4YxZyoo
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) December 21, 2023
Brenda Craig, a Detroit resident, was overcome with emotion when she received the surprising news from the Pistons players.
“I was totally shocked,” Craig said according to NBA.com. “I’ve had a few rough years, but God has been good to me, and this is just more proof.”
There was also a raffle where attendees were able to compete for a 55-inch TV and a vacuum cleaner.
“It’s a blessing to be able to do this, to help people, see the smiles on their faces and to see how happy they are,” Bagley said according to NBA.com. “I was sitting at home a little before Thanksgiving just trying to figure out different ways I could help and this was what we came up with.”
The Pistons also hosted a drive-thru food giveaway recently and fed 800 families. Additionally, Pistons players Jalen Duren, Kevin Knox and Isaiah Livers visited a local grocery store and purchased groceries for patrons.
“My son had a lot of sweets thrown in there (the grocery cart) and my daughter got crab legs,” Ashley Fitzpatrick, a mother of three children, said per NBA.com. “Kevin said no limit, so we kept putting the snacks in and we got a whole cake too.”
