The unlikely bond between Khamil Pierre and a 5-year-old NC State basketball fan
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Khamil Pierre befriended Braylon Collins, creating routine game‑day interactions.
- Collins’ friendship helped Pierre rebound emotionally and renew her sense of purpose.
- Family and program foster mutual support, turning fandom into meaningful ties
Braylon Collins wore an oversized N.C. State hoodie as he stood near the tunnel to the Wolfpack’s Reynolds Coliseum locker room after the team’s win over Wake Forest on Feb. 26. Collins handed a small, brown gift bag with red tissue paper to junior forward Khamil Pierre, and a smile stretched across his face as he looked up at her.
He made a card that said “I love you, KP” and his grandparents created a collage of photos the two have taken together. Collins added some jellybeans, too. It was small — they didn’t want to accidentally break any NCAA rules — but they wanted to express gratitude.
Shortly after handing Pierre his gift, the 5-year-old got one himself. Pierre gave him several goodies, including a video game and Pikachu stuffed animal. She’d also given him a Christmas gift, at the approval of his family.
It was not a typical exchange between a player and a fan.
Instead, Collins and Pierre are unlikely friends, who met in November following the Wolfpack’s first home game. His grandfather, Roger Lush, recalls Pierre picking the boy up and giving him a hug.
Pierre later brought him to the court and let him sit on the bench during pregame activities. They joked with each other and had conversations that included plenty of giggling.
Earlier this season, Pierre, a Vanderbilt transfer, shared her mental health struggles following her sudden dismissal from the Commodores program. Collins’ friendship with Pierre, which grew to include the entire team, became a pivotal reason behind her bounce back.
“Being around the game again, it was pretty hard,” Pierre said during a media call on March 5. “To be able to see someone who really lights up not only when they just see me, but the whole team, it just was a constant reminder that basketball is very important, but it’s also so much more than that. The peace in that helped me keep going and understand, regardless of how I’m feeling, everything would be OK.”
A member of the Wolfpack
Every time Collins sees a speed limit sign of 35, he doesn’t think about miles per hour.
He thinks of Zoe Brooks.
Lush and his wife, Denise, have taken their grandson to N.C. State events since he was an infant. Collins and his mother, Elizabeth, live with them. So it was only a matter of time before Collins made friends with someone.
The family has season tickets to football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. Collins has thrown footballs with the managers at Carter-Finley Stadium and seen the men’s basketball players by the tunnel at the Lenovo Center. Women’s basketball, however, provided a closer setting for relationships to blossom.
Collins’ love for the team took off a year ago. Saniya Rivers was the first player to give him attention beyond a hello. Like Pierre, Rivers regularly picked him up for hugs. Aziaha James, River Baldwin, Madison Hayes, to a smaller extent, also made a positive impact.
“That was his real taste, with Saniya,” Lush said. “She showed him a little bit more (attention) than normal.”
When Collins’ friendship with Pierre started to develop, the rest of the team followed suit. Collins listed off No. 0 Devyn Quigley, No. 2 Qadence Samuels and No. 11 Maddie Cox as his other friends.
“She does 6-7!” Collins said enthusiastically, describing Cox and a social media trend. Pierre, meanwhile, picked him up after games, while the rest of the players circled around.
Pierre and Quigley even tell him they’re his big sisters and that they want to “kidnap” him, Collins whispered with a giggle. Their friendship makes him happy, he said.
The family tries to attend every home game, arriving early to get in the gym when the doors open. Even if it’s a late game, they try to stay for the first half.
“She definitely looks forward to seeing him before every home game,” Brooks said. “I think that makes her day when she sees him. It’s so cute. They look like siblings.”
‘They’re just kids’
Collins reminds Pierre of a younger version of herself, Lush said Pierre’s mother told him. They’re both driven for athletic success, have played multiple sports — Collins wants to play football and basketball for N.C. State when he grows up — and love being goofy.
In a social media post, the junior said Collins’ friendship provided her with a renewed perspective. He reminded her of her purpose: Being a good person who tries to make the world brighter. Basketball is a conduit. She’s gotten to do that this year.
The team, but especially Pierre, didn’t have to embrace Collins the way it has. It’s refreshing, Lush said, especially considering the negativity in college sports.
“I think they have walls up because they have to, but once you get inside that wall, it shows people like him that side of it,” Lush said. “They’re not just robots that go out there and play the game that we cheer or yell at or pick on. They’re just kids.”
Lessons from a friend
Collins sat next to Lush at the kitchen table in his grandparents’ home as he talked about this season. He didn’t always know what to say, but his big grins — with help from his Pawpaw — told the story.
Not only had has Collins helped Pierre feel at home at N.C. State, but he has learned life lessons, too.
Lush said they’ve discussed the importance of hard work, whether it’s in practice or in a game. He knows it’s OK to lose, and academics are a priority.
Most importantly, Collins is learning the value of kindness and making others feel seen. He’s witnessing the humanity of his heroes.
They’re a lot of big lessons for a little guy, but he’s taking it in stride with a smile and a laugh.
‘Best ticket, best program’
Lush credits the women’s basketball program program for changing him. Neither he nor his wife are from North Carolina and his 20-year active duty career in the Army took him to Germany and multiple bases in the U.S.
He attended N.C. State from 2009-18 and worked full-time while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Leadership in the Public Sector. Denise Lush earned her master’s degree in nursing from Duke and now serves as the Director of Surgical Services at the Duke Hospital in Raleigh.
Roger Lush wasn’t interested in women’s basketball at first, unconvinced the team would meet his expectations. He was wrong.
He witnessed the program embrace its supporters. Lush said fans have received pizza parties, meet-and-greet events and the team mingles after games.
His family’s appreciation has only grown. And, yes, their tickets for next season have already been renewed.
“I am definitely glad I have jumped on this bandwagon and will tell anybody if you haven’t visited this team, this game, this venue, you are missing out. … Best ticket, best program at N.C. State is Wolfpack women’s basketball.”
