The 2024 NBA G-League Draft was held yesterday, and three of the most intriguing names taken have ties to former NBA stars. Two of the players are sons of Chicago Bulls legends, while the other is the nephew of a former Orlando Magic guard and current Memphis Tigers coach.
Three NBA Legends Relatives To Start Their NBA Journeys In G-League
DJ Rodman, the son of Dennis Rodman, was the first of the trio of players off the board. Washington Wizards affiliate Capital City Go-Gos selected Rodman in the second round with the No. 43 overall pick.
Rodman played five college basketball seasons, spending the first four seasons at Washington State before going undrafted out of USC in 2023-24. The 6-6 forward did join the Los Angeles Clippers summer league team where he grabbed three rebounds and doled out one assist.
Rodman is not much of an offensive threat. The 23-year-old is athletic and has a high motor, but he has a nose for the ball on the defensive end. He did show some 3-and-D ability his last two seasons of college, knocking 1.4 treys a game at a 37%, though ball-handling is not a strength.
Rodman’s best college campaigns were his final two seasons. In 143 games, he posted four double-doubles and averaged 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds with a shooting split of 41.1/35.4/76.4.
Rodman is Dennis Rodman’s middle child. Dennis Rodman’s youngest, Trinity Rodman, is a professional soccer player for the Washington Spirit who helped Team USA to win Gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Dennis Rodman was one of the best rebounders and defensive players in the NBA in the late 1980s and 1990s. He won five NBA championships, three with Chicago and two with Detroit.
Kavion Pippen
Kavion Pippen, the nephew of Scottie Pippen, was chosen by Boston Celtics affiliate, Maine Red Claws with the No. 52 overall pick. The 28-year-old, a 6-10 center, went undrafted out of Southern Illinois in 2019. He appeared in four preseason games with Golden State, seeing the floor for 25 minutes, in 2019-20.
Pippen has a wide body and a high motor. He excels around the rim and on the backboard, especially on the offensive end. He is also a quality shot-blocker who struggles with turnovers.
After being released by the Warriors, Pippen played for the San Antonio Spurs’ G-League in Austin that season. Then, in 2021-22, he moved to the Spanish Primera FEB.
Pippen returned to the G-League to start the 2022-23 campaign with the Long Island Nets. In 15 minutes over 23 games for Long Island, he averaged 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 60.4% from the field. Later that year, he also spent time in the Mexican League before moving to the New Zealand Basketball League.
Pippen returned to Long Island last October but was placed on waivers in November.
Scottie Pippen, a six-time NBA champion and seven-time all-star, is a member of the NBA 50th and 75th Anniversary teams. He is also the father of Memphis Grizzlies point guard Scotty Pippen Jr.
Like his cousin Kavion, Pippen Jr. went undrafted, though his first pro contract was a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. After spending most of his rookie season in the G-League, Pippen Jr. was released by the Lakers and began the 2023-24 season with the South Bay Lakers.
Pippen Jr. signed a two-way contract with Memphis in January. The nearly 24-year-old earned a standard deal during training camp and thrived early on.
Jayden Hardaway
Capital City took Jayden Hardaway, the son of Anfernee Hardaway, with the No. 56 overall selection. Hardaway went undrafted out of Memphis this season. The 25-year-old athletic wing didn’t play that much for his father at Memphis, with his best attribute being on the defensive end.
Hardaway appeared in 59 games over the last two years for Memphis. He averaged 3.3 points with a shooting slash line of 40.2/31.7/85 for his career.
Anfernee Hardaway was selected with the No. 3 overall pick by Golden State in 1993. He was immediately flipped to the Orlando Magic in one of the first NBA Draft night trade’s for Chris Webber, the No.1 overall pick. Penny was a four-time all-star with a 133-62 record as the head coach of the Tigers.
