The Mavericks have a pretty cool three-man fraternity in Seth Curry, Jalen Brunson and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Call them Sons of the Evolution.
They are the offspring of NBA players from the ‘90s and early 2000s. They are next-gen, carrying on the family business, if you will. And they are each going to be vital to the Mavericks’ success, as the first six games of the season have proven.
Curry is the son of legendary shooter Dell Curry and proof that the apple does not fall far from the tree. He, too, can light it up like few others. And like his dad, he can do a lot of other things on the court, too.
Brunson’s father is Rick Brunson, who carved out a solid career for nearly a decade despite not being drafted and playing for eight teams in his nine seasons. Jalen Brunson already has stayed with the Mavericks for a longer span than any stretch his dad stayed with a single team.
Hardaway tagged along with his old man, Tim Hardaway Sr., when pops was playing with the Miami Heat, among other teams. And since the elder Hardaway also played for the Mavericks two decades ago, he and Junior are the only father-son tandem to be able to say that they each played with Dirk Nowitzki.
The bottom line with the offspring: the kids are all right.
In fact, they relish the honor to be able to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. It’s happening more and more in the NBA as kids who once played on the sideline or sat with their dads in the postgame locker room while reporters asked questions are now earning NBA paychecks.
And sizeable ones, at that. In his 14-year NBA career, Dell Curry earned a total of $19.8-million, according to basketball-reference.com.
Seth Curry will make $32-million on the four-year contract he signed this summer with the Mavericks.
There is, of course, nothing the dads can do except be happy for their sons that they live in an NBA climate that is tremendous financially for all players.
“You know what, I’ll tell you this – I wouldn’t change a thing for my whole career,” Hardaway Sr. said during the Mavericks’ preseason visit to Detroit. “The way I grew up, how I grew up, the era I played in, the people I played against. The people that tutored me and made me who I am today and who I was out on the basketball court with. I wouldn’t change a thing. You can’t change history.”
That comment came after getting a good chuckle about the comparisons of player contracts between now and when he was a two-time all-star with Miami in the ‘90s.
So far, this season is proving that the Mavericks have spent wisely with the three players who have deep NBA roots.
After a slow start shooting the ball in the first three games, Hardaway has been very effective for the Mavericks over the last week. On Sunday in Cleveland, he got going in the fourth quarter and helped break open the game with his shooting and playmaking as the Mavericks beat the Cavaliers 131-111. He’s averaging 10 points a game off the bench and starting to look like a sixth man is supposed to look. He has hit eight of his last 16 3-point attempts.
Brunson has been productive as both a starter in three games and coming off the bench in the other three. Apart from Luka Doncic, Brunson and Delon Wright are the only Mavericks averaging at least 9 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds.
Curry also has started half of the six games and his 3-point shooting has been as advertised, hitting 11-of-26 from beyond the arc (42.3 percent).
All three members of this group are playing less than 24 minutes per game, but not much less. And, combined, they are doing their jobs like they’ve been training for them all their lives – which of course, they have.
“Now that you mention that, the answer is yes,” coach Rick Carlisle said when asked if he sees subtle things about Brunson, Curry and Hardaway that they picked up along the way from their dads. “They have a little bit different knowledge base, a different reference perspective.
“And there’s a certain ‘knowing’ about what this is all about that you got that exposure to from a very young age, which I believe helps them. All the guys we’re talking about, their dads achieved at a very high level, too.”
Curry said his father, who finished his career before the 3-point boom began but still is widely regarded as one of the best shooters in NBA history, never over-pushed when it came to his kids, both Seth and two-time MVP Steph, and their involvement in basketball. It came organically.
“My dad played in Charlotte for so long, but to me personally, I didn’t really feel different,” Seth Curry said. “When we’d walk in a gym, people would say: that’s Dell’s son. But I didn’t feel any pressure. I didn’t approach the game any differently. I was just me.
“He would give us pointers here and there. But he let us learn. He brought us around and let us soak it up on our own. If we asked something, he’d obviously teach us. But he was never one to drag us to the gym or put us through workouts. He never wanted to be that parent who overcoached it. He did it his way and I think that worked for us.”
For his part, Dell Curry has said that it’s “surreal” watching his sons play at such a high level in the NBA. “Just sit back and enjoy it,” he said.
Similar to the Currys, Hardaway Sr. said he tried not to be overbearing when his son was going through formative years.
And, he said, there was no clear sign that his son had NBA ability – until he got to his junior year in high school.
“I did not have an inkling until then,” Tim Hardaway Sr. said. “Then I had an inkling that, if he keeps working on his game and keeps getting better and growing and going to the right school and playing for the right coach, then he would have a chance. When he grew to 6-6, I kind of knew. But at an early age? Nah.”
And now?
“First of all, we’re ecstatic he made it to the NBA, following in his dad’s footsteps, loving the game the way he loves the game, approaching the game the way I approached the game, having the same demeanor. And going out there playing hard every night and giving his team a chance to win each and every night.”
Brunson’s situation was a bit different. The stories of his dad leaving him at the gym without a ride home are legendary now. But Rick Brunson knew he wanted to instill a strong no-quit attitude in Jalen.
After all, that’s what got Rick Brunson through a decade in the NBA. When Dirk Nowitzki was playing last year in Jalen’s rookie season, when Rick would show up at games, which is often, Nowitzki would use part of his warmups going against Jalen. He’d look at Rick and tell him “this is the same stuff I used to do to you when you were in the league.”
Said Jalen Brunson: “From a young age, I saw my dad working tremendously hard just to make a roster. He was on eight unguaranteed contracts. I knew I had to work even harder to stick with one team for multiple years.”
It showed that nothing’s ever given to you in the NBA, no matter you’re pedigree.
All the fathers and sons agree that growing up in the NBA life has far more benefits than it does distractions.
“I appreciated going to NBA practices and NBA games, being in the locker room and behind the scenes,” Seth Curry said. “I didn’t know I was soaking up so much knowledge. I just thought it was cool to be around some of my favorite players.
“But I was soaking up so much about the game – seeing guys work out, seeing my dad approach the game like he did. My whole life, 24-7, I was around basketball. So you can’t help but get better.”
The Mavericks’ three sons of the evolution are proof.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment