Bloodlines on Display: 7 Draft Prospects with NBA Family Ties
Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer
• Alex Sarr from Perth in France is following in the footsteps of his brother Olivier Sarr, who was on a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2023-24 season after playing at Wake Forest and Kentucky.
• Hailing from JL Bourg, Zaccharie Risacher of France is continuing his father Stephane Risacher’s legacy, a silver medalist with France in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
• Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard is the progeny of Jeff Sheppard, who clinched two national titles and was the 1998 Final Four MVP at Kentucky, later playing for the Atlanta Hawks during the 1998-99 season.
• Connecticut’s Donovan Clingan is carrying on his late mother Stacey Clingan’s legacy, a celebrated basketball player at the University of Maine.
• Nikola Topić of Crvena zvezda in Serbia is the son of Milenko Topić, a decorated Yugoslavian basketball player with a 1998 FIBA World Cup gold and a 1996 Summer Olympics silver medal.
• Cody Williams from Colorado shares a strong basketball lineage as the brother of Jalen Williams, a player for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
• Providence’s Devin Carter is the son of Anthony Carter, a veteran of 13 NBA seasons and currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Grizzlies.
• Cam Christie from Minnesota is the sibling of Max Christie, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and was the 35th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
• Kevin McCullar Jr. from Kansas is the son of Kevin McCullar Sr., a former standout football player at Texas Tech who also played in NFL Europe and the XFL.
• Matas Buzelis from NBA G League Ignite has basketball in his genes, with both parents, Aidas and Kristina Buzelis, having played professionally in Lithuania.
• Carlton Carrington of Pittsburgh is the second cousin of Rudy Gay, a seasoned NBA player with 17 years under his belt.
• Connecticut’s Stephon Castle is the son of Stacey Castle, a former teammate of NBA legend Tim Duncan at Wake Forest.
• Tristan da Silva from Colorado is following in his brother Oscar da Silva’s footsteps, an All-Pac-12 Team forward at Stanford and recently with FC Barcelona.
• Baylor’s Yves Missi is the brother of Steve Moundou-Missi, a three-time All-Ivy League Team honoree and the 2014-15 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year at Harvard.
• Melvin Ajinca from Saint Quentin in France is related to Alexis Ajinca, a first-round NBA Draft pick in 2008 who played seven seasons in the league.
• Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. draws inspiration from his father Terrence Shannon Sr., a former NBA G League player and international professional.
• Cam Spencer of Connecticut shares his basketball journey with his brother Pat Spencer, who appeared in six games for the Golden State Warriors during the 2023-24 season.
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