I asked her what she wants: Devonte Graham wanted to make his mom happy and fulfilled a -

Even though she’s as familiar as anyone with the path her son navigated over the latter portion of this decade, there’s a part of Dewanna King that almost can’t comprehend these persistent pinch-me moments.

They keep stacking up, collecting on a seemingly nightly basis given the eyebrow-raising numbers Devonte’ Graham has posted. It feels like something straight out of a Hollywood script, leaving King beaming with motherly pride.

“For me, I want to say it’s surreal,” she said. “Not that I didn’t think he could do it. I watched his whole career unfold. But it’s still just beautiful to see and he’s having fun while he’s doing it. So that’s most important.”

Along with other members of the family, King got the opportunity to witness it up close Tuesday afternoon, when the Hornets closed out the 2019 portion of this season’s schedule against Kemba Walker and the Celtics. She saw Graham post 11 points in the Hornets’ 109-92 loss Tuesday at Spectrum Center.

King made the trip from the Triangle, coming straight from the very place she probably never thought she would have in her lifetime, the site Graham and two dozen family members spent celebrating Christmas last week.

Her very own home.

And she owes it all to one person — her 24-year-old son.

Back in the spring, not long after his rookie season was complete, Graham was about ready to put Step 1 of his grand plan in motion. See, he knew if he ever made it to the NBA, he wanted to do something for his mother and grandmother (King’s mom). Grandma wasn’t having it, however. Leaving the house she’s lived in for the past two dozen years wasn’t in the cards.

So Graham went to King next to inquire about her wishes like he was some kind of genie preparing to grant a request.

“I asked her what she wants,” Graham said. “‘You want to get a house or do you want to get a car?’ So I let her choose and for like two months we were looking for a car.”

Which almost makes it hard to believe how their major purchase came together so quickly and without any real hiccups.

“Yeah, it was kind of on an impulse, really,” King said. “We hadn’t planned to buy a house. I would always look. I’d be looking. I started out, ‘Oh, I need a car. I put a lot of miles on my car last year going back and forth to Charlotte and Greensboro, the G League.

But she soon changed her mind.

“One day she just hit me,” Graham said, “and was like, ‘Matter of fact I think I want to get a house.'”

After brainstorming about it, King figured it made more sense. Homeownership is where it’s at and unlike an automobile, which is much easier to acquire, it wouldn’t depreciate in value.

“I was like, you know what I can buy my own car,” King said. “I need a house. Because I was renting. And I sent him a house. And I was like, ‘Can you get me this house?’ I sent him it through email because I was like I know he is going to say no. And then he never said yes. But then when I found one, I sent him a different house and I was like, ‘No, I want this one.'”

It was perfectly fine to Graham. As long as he didn’t have to lift a finger for anything or scour real estate sites, he was for it.

“I let her do all the work,” Graham said, laughing. “I just told her I’d pay for it. So she found a house that she wanted and we went from there.”

Anyone who’s gone through the painstakingly tedious approach necessary to get approved to buy a home knows it can be lengthy and littered with nagging red tape. But with Graham footing the bill, things moved rather swiftly.

Call it one of the perks of being a professional athlete.

“It was probably 30 days, honestly,” King said. “I think their lifestyle makes it a little easier with paperwork and approvals. I found the house and I told him I wanted it at the end of May. By June 28 we had closed, I got the keys and he was able to come in town for closing. It just worked all out, his practice schedule and being done with the season.”

In a way, King’s present gave her son more insight into the real world. Kind of like an educational instant.

“I didn’t realize the process that you’ve got to go through to get a house and all the paperwork we had to sign and all of that,” Graham said. “But once we were done, we finally got the keys and it was great. We left right from the place and we went and got some sofas and a couch. The whole process, it was real cool. They call it ‘adulting’ I guess. That’s what it is, you know? So it was a big step for me. But my momma was extremely happy, so that’s all that matters.”

Of course, King tried to push the limits with her son. She wouldn’t be a mom if she didn’t. It’s almost an unwritten rule of parenting.

“I said, ‘OK now you can buy me a dining room set for my housewarming gift,'” King said. “He was like, ‘Ma, I just bought you a house.’ But yeah he bought me a dining room table. He didn’t really complain.”

That could change in a few months, though, when a big milestone arrives.

“I told him I will be 40 in May, he can buy me a car,” King said. “I don’t know that this’s going to happen, but hey we can wish right?”

Graham’s big gift was only the beginning of an emotional three-month stretch for King. After closing on the home and furnishing it, she went on vacation. But those exciting weeks were quickly damped with the kind of news no child wants to hear.

Upon returning, King learned her father was terminally ill. He didn’t make it to Labor Day. That’s why the seconds they all spent together last week were that more special.

“It was great,” said Graham, who got to see his goddaughter for the first time at the gathering. “My grandfather just passed not too long ago, so it was her first Christmas without him and I know it was kind of tough on her. But just all the family being there kind of took that (pain) away from her and we all had a good time. Laughed, had good food, fun. And just being able to have it there — because we usually always do stuff at my grandma’s house, and my grandma’s house is a little bit smaller. So just being able to be there was great.”

“I’m family first before anything, so taking care of them and just being happy, being able to play this game I love is a blessing.”

As one of his closest friends on the team, Dwayne Bacon knows exactly what this means to Graham. There’s no doubt where the feat ranks on Graham’s list of life accomplishments.

“It’s amazing,” Bacon said. “This is what everybody dreams of, getting here and taking care of the person who took care of you for so long. So when he bought it I was like, man that’s just crazy. He’ll be telling me that she wants a car now. I said, ‘Man just forget it. Go on and buy the car right now.’ Our moms sacrifice all throughout our whole entire lives. I’m speaking for me but I know it’s for him, too. We never really had nothing. So the fact that we can give back to our parents is amazing and I’m super happy for him and his mom is super excited. She’s so nice and is such a sweet lady.”

Graham smiles when he thinks about the things he’s given to his mother over these past few months, highlighted by the navy blue house accented with stone and featuring a two-car garage. Sure, his accomplishments on the floor are good and all. But when the day comes years from now when he hangs up his sneakers for good and calls it a career, the pleasure he gave his mom — who defied the odds after having him at age 14 — will leave a lasting impression.

“Man, like I always say it’s just a blessing,” Graham said. “She knows she means everything to me and I wouldn’t be the person I am without her. That house is just a little bit of thankfulness and my appreciation towards her for all the things she did and sacrificed for me growing up, even to this day. So it’s just a little token of appreciation from me.”

A gesture that has his mother’s heart bursting with joy.

“It’s priceless,” King said. “I don’t know that I can put a feeling on it. Just to come home every day and it’s like, it’s mine. You work hard to get it. He definitely worked hard and made it possible for me to get, so I’m just very appreciative.”

(Photo of Devonte’ Graham: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)

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