On his 51st birthday, just six days after being released from prison, Michigan Army veteran Chantwan was given an unexpected choice: accept $1,000 in cash or take a “mystery basketball.”
The moment, captured in downtown Detroit by social media influencer Zachery “MDMotivator” Dereniowski, seemed simple but the decision went viral, igniting a wave of compassion across the globe.
“I just wanted to be happy,”
Chantwan said softly in the now-famous video, filmed as he stood on the street where he’d been sleeping.
“People don’t always see us as human. This gave me hope.”
Chantwan’s story is heartbreaking but far from unique. After serving 21 years behind bars for what he described as “a single mistake,” he emerged to find himself homeless, with little more than the clothes on his back.
The encounter with Dereniowski happened as he was navigating the streets of Detroit. Chantwan, a father and grandfather who served eight years in the U.S. Army including time in Iraq said he had no stable housing or support system in place.
His situation reflects a broader crisis: in 2025, Michigan counted 2,443 homeless veterans, according to the state’s Homeless Management Information System. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported 35,574 veterans were homeless on a single night in January 2024.
In the filmed exchange, Chantwan hesitated for only a moment before selecting the mystery basketball. To his surprise, the choice came with far more than a ball.
Dereniowski handed him the signed basketball, courtside tickets to a BIG3 basketball game, a chance to meet rapper and actor Ice Cube, and the $1,000 cash he’d initially turned down.
“This means everything,”
Chantwan said, clutching the basketball as tears welled in his eyes.
“I’m going to get off these streets.”
The video has since exploded online, garnering more than 45 million views on TikTok, 15 million on Instagram, and 12 million on Facebook.
Inspired by Chantwan’s resilience, Dereniowski launched the “Slingshot” fundraiser, pledging that 100% of donations would go toward Chantwan’s housing and basic needs.
As of this week, the campaign had raised between $124,000 and $128,000 of its $150,000 goal a discrepancy likely due to ongoing donations.
“This will help him rebuild his life with dignity,”
Dereniowski said in a statement.
The viral campaign has been compared to past internet-enabled charity drives like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that raised $115 million globally.
A tweet from X.
Experts note that Chantwan’s case highlights the structural challenges experienced by returning vets upon release from incarceration. The State of Michigan’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Homeless Veteran Program provides health care and supportive housing, but need regularly outweighs availability.
“Veterans who are leaving prison know a thing or two about instability,”
one representative of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency noted.
“Stories like this remind us just how much community support can make a difference.”
Chantwan finally has hope for a stable future. The fundraiser will not remove decades of struggle, but it will give him a foundation as he works to find permanent residence and a job.
“I can breathe again,”
he stated later in a second video, smiling for the first time.
“It’s not all about the monetary value. It’s that people believed in me.”
