Tayla Peters, 26, continued in her attempts to sink a basket, as her boyfriend waited on one knee behind her.
A basketball fan was so caught up on sinking a basket at a recent Philadelphia 76ers game that she didn’t realize her boyfriend was waiting to propose.
“I literally thought we were still in the contest, that’s why I was bending down, like, is this part of the contest?” Tayla Peters, 26, told Inside Edition. “And then I realized, 'Oh my God, he’s proposing to me. It’s really it.'"
Peters said she thought she and her boyfriend Calel Fox, 37, were picked to participate in tag-team contest at halftime during Monday’s game.
The rules were simple: Fox would shoot a lay-up, turn around and tag Peters, who would then shoot a free throw, and tag Fox. They would continue for the allotted amount of time, and whichever team scored the most points would win.
Little did Peters know the game was fake, all set up by Fox to disguise his surprise proposal.
Fox said he pitched the idea to a friend who worked with the basketball team a few months ago, and they spent the next few months working out the details.
"They were emailing me and texting me and I was trying to hide it from her," Fox said. "I was trying to hide it and be secretive."
Days before the game, he had to convince her to sign up to be a part of the contest, and make sure she wore sneakers instead of high heels to the game.
When they were picked, Peters was too involved in the competition to even notice what was going on.
“I thought it was a real contest — I was like, 'Oh my God, I don’t want to lose,' Peters said. "I already know I suck. I know I can’t play basketball. Of course I didn’t make it, so I had to keep trying to shoot until I made it and I was supposed to turn around and tag him. When I turned around, he was on one knee."
When it finally clicked, she said yes.
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