Plenty of fans get to the arena early to grab a hot dog. One 87-year-old woman in Toronto got there early for one reason. She wanted to watch Jayson Tatum warm up.

She took her seat beside the court at the Raptors' home arena with her daughter a few hours before Wednesday night's game against Boston. She had a cane by her chair and a paper bag on her lap. All she was hoping for was a good look at her favorite player.

She got a lot more than a look. When Tatum wrapped up his shooting he walked over to the rope in front of her seat and reached out his hand.

I heard you're a big fan

Tatum leaned in with a big smile and told her he had heard she was a big fan. He said it was nice to meet her. Then he made one small request. He hoped she would bring his team some good luck. She held on to his hand and beamed the whole time.

A reporter covering the game caught the whole thing on video. The short clip has been watched well over 150,000 times and thousands of people have liked it. Many said it was the sweetest thing they had seen all week.

So how does an 87-year-old in a city full of Raptors fans end up cheering for a Celtic? She says it started with television. She watched Tatum on Netflix's NBA docuseries and was hooked. She likes the way he plays. But mostly she likes him as a person. In her words he is a great player with a great personality.

The lucky charm worked

Her luck turned out to be real. The Celtics fell behind by 22 points in the first half and looked like they were in serious trouble. Boston stormed back and Tatum made the tying and go-ahead free throws with 25.2 seconds left to win 98-93.

He finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists on a rough shooting night. Hometown fans went home disappointed. One 87-year-old fan probably went home with the best story in the building.

It took Tatum less than a minute to stop and say hello. For one longtime fan it is a moment she will be telling people about for years.