"You were built for this": Purdue star Zach Edey left emotional after heartwarming message from mother ahead of Final Four game

As Zach Edey prepared for his Final Four game against the NC State Wolfpack, he received a message from someone special. The March Madness X handle shared a video of Edey listening to a voice note from his mother, Julia Edey, who said:

"This journey that you've invited me on, it's been incredible. I'm so grateful to be here. ... I told you before that, although I am incredibly proud of witnessing what you've done, I'm more proud of how you've done it: with class, with courage, finding who you are and staying true to that core of it.

"Now, go kick some more butt. Have some fun, do what you do and know that I am always with you. And I'm a helluva lucky mom to have had a kid like you. Enjoy and savor every second. You really were built for this and worked so hard to get it. So go get it, sweetie. I will be cheering as always."

Zach Edey's special bond with his mother, Julia

Basketball was not Edey's first choice. The Toronto native began playing hockey at the age of six and then shifted to baseball. Zach Edey said he did not want to play basketball because he wanted to be unique and not be like every tall person who chose basketball.

As much as he ran away from it, his mom, Julia, recognized his talent and convinced him to stick to playing.

When he was 12, Edey made a promise to his mom that if he got a scholarship, she would retire. Julia Edey graduated in 1990 and worked for 30 years in the nuclear sector in Toronto as a mechanical engineer. She retired during the center's freshman year.

"I remember being so touched and at the same time concerned," Julia recalled (via CBC). "And I said to him, 'Hey, that's not your responsibility. I love that you're worried about wanting me to be there and part of this, but at the same time don't take responsibility for that.'

"It meant a lot to him getting that scholarship knowing that he could help give me those options and it meant a lot to me. I was thinking, I'm not missing a second of this."

Julia Edey spends the basketball season in West Lafayette, where she is a mini-celebrity. She hosts dinners for his teammates and Purdue's former guard, David Jenkins Jr., even called her "Mama Edey."

Zach Edey said having the constant presence of his mother in the stands has been helpful to him. As the Boilermakers advance to the NCAA championship game, Edey's mom will join him for one last time in her black and gold, cheering for her son.

After this season, it is expected that Zach Edey will move to the NBA, however, where he will be picked in the 2024 NBA draft is a matter of some debate.

What do you think of Zach Edey's time with the Boilermakers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.