Mom, daughter get surprise gift at Kings game, and it wasn’t the Bogdanovic jersey

A woman and her daughter shed tears of joy when they received a special holiday surprise during Sunday’s game between the Kings and New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center.

The women were brought onto the floor for what they thought was an in-game promotion. Instead, Navy Seaman Austin Kropp popped out of a box to surprise his mother, Shelby, and sister, Tressa, just in time for Christmas.

The military family reunion occurred during a first-quarter timeout. Shelby and Tressa walked out to center court for a white elephant gift exchange game. Tressa selected the box on the right, which contained an autographed Bogdan Bogdanovic jersey.

Shelby was asked if she wanted to steal her daughter’s gift or take Box No. 2.

“I would never steal from my daughter, so I’ll take Box No. 2,” she said.

That’s when Austin, dressed in his military fatigues after a nine-month deployment in Sasebo, Japan, came out of the box, bringing tears to the eyes of his mother, sister and many.