LeBron James is in the Christmas spirit, and a former Canterbury basketballer has been the grateful recipient.
Former Canterbury Rams American import John Whorton and his wife Angel won a NZ $1.9 million prize on the game show "The Wall", an NBC show made by James' production company.
Whorton, nicknamed Pope, was named the MVP of the New Zealand National Basketball League in 2002, and played for Canterbury from 2001-2003 with a return stint in 2008.
Well liked in the Christchurch basketball community, he held the NBL modern-era record for points in a game, with his 50-point effort standing until 2015 when beaten by Taranaki import Aaron Fuller.
His life-changing moment came on the game show, but what he and his wife didn't know was that the Cleveland Cavaliers star would personally hand-deliver their prize to their doorstep.
