Young fan whose moves went viral meets NBA's Stephen Curry ahead of Raptors game
Video of Zachary Walker, 10, at a halftime exhibition match caught the eye of Stephen Curry
For 10-year-old Zachary Walker, Christmas came early this year.
Walker met NBA champion Stephen Curry on Thursday ahead of the Toronto Raptors basketball game against the Golden State Warriors.
The young basketball fan says meeting Curry was a dream come true.
"It was crazy. I didn't even know what to say. I can't even remember what he said to me. At that moment, my head was all over the place. I had butterflies," Walker said.
Family members told CBC News they are still trying to process the meeting with Curry after what they say was a whirlwind month in the spotlight.
A video of Walker went viral at a Raptors game last month after he showed off his handles during a halftime exhibition match put on by the Filipino Basketball League of Canada.
EXTRA SAUCE! <a href="https://t.co/ViUVajzYNR">pic.twitter.com/ViUVajzYNR</a>
—@RaptorsSince the video was posted on social media on Nov. 13, Walker's slick moves have racked up more than 3 million views and almost 800,000 likes on Facebook.
One of those likes came from none other than Curry himself.
'Way to put on a show'
After following Walker on Instagram, the NBA All-Star sent the young fan a direct message.
"Way to put on a show yesterday...keep it up! Might have to steal a move or two from you. All love!" Curry said in a text to Walker.
Walker said everything doesn't feel real — from the exchange online to his video going viral to meeting his basketball hero in person.
"I can't believe it. I still think I'm asleep and dreaming. The person that I watch the most is actually following me and sent me a direct message and then I actually met him," Walker said.
"It's shocking because I never thought I'd be on the NBA's official Instagram page, or meeting someone I really look up to," he added.
Meeting Curry ahead of the game was a special moment for Walker and his older brother Tyler.
Both are huge fans and they said it means a lot that Curry took the time to chat and share an inspirational message with Zachary to keep following his dreams.
The two-time MVP even signed a pair of sneakers for the young fan and autographed the back of a Warriors jersey.
Although Curry didn't play against Toronto in a 131-128 victory for the Raptors, Walker said Curry made a bigger impact for him off the court.
"He said, if I work hard, then some day he'd like to play with me. If I try hard enough, I think I might be able to do it one day. Steph really motivates me to be better," he said.