The top NBA stars inspire us with their skills and determination to win, but who inspires them to achieve success?
Over the years, some of the NBA stars have spoken out about the importance of having their mothers behind them every step of the way.
Kevin Durant – Wanda Pratt
Durant is one of the best players of his generation and received the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2014, when playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. During his tearful acceptance speech, Durant told of how his mother “made us believe” and made huge sacrifices for her children, calling her the “real MVP”.
The emotional moment caused such a huge impact that it led to a 2016 movie called The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story being released. The single mother raised Kevin together with his sister and two brothers in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
He has pointed out all of the lessons that she has taught him over the years, including the understanding of how hard work and sacrifices pay off. When he was a youngster, Wanda worked through the night at the local post office, loading heavy mailbags onto trucks for delivery.
Ray Allen – Flo Allen Hopson
Ray Allen played in the NBA for 18 seasons, with teams such as the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. One of five children, he grew up in a family that moved around different air force bases around Europe.
Once he became a star, Flo Allen Hopson was often spotted in the crowd watching her son, but she really came into focus in 2012, when it was revealed that she was running the Boston Marathon to raise funds for the Joslin Diabetes Center. This came after Ray’s son Walker was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
It was Flo’s third consecutive Boston Marathon and she had played semi-pro basketball in the past too. She detailed her tough training regime that helps to explain where Ray got his drive and will to win from.
Shaquille O’Neal – Lucille O’Neal
The mother one of the most legendary NBA stars is now famous in her own right, as a motivational speaker and as the writer of a book about her life and struggles. Lucille O’Neal had struggled with alcoholism after a tough upbringing in which her parents divorced, before getting pregnant with Shaq at 17.
She said that she turned to drink when the pressure of family life got too much and she needed an escape. However, she rediscovered her faith and then graduated in Business Administration after her kids had grown up.
Lucille has served as the President of the Mothers of Professional Basketball Players Inc. and is well-known for her philanthropic work as well as her motivational speeches.
Draymond Green – Mary Babers-Green
The Golden State Warriors star has been one of the most versatile and influential NBA stars in the league, particularly when his skills are used in the famous Death Lineup, making them one of the best recurring name in NBA odds (you check them here: https://edge.twinspires.com/nba/odds/).
A huge amount of his success comes down to the inspiring, motivating mother who follows all his games.
They are said to be extremely close, having formed a tight bond when Mary Babers-Green got divorced while he was a kid. He grew up in Saginaw, Michigan and his strict mother didn’t let him put of posters of his sports heroes because of her firm religious beliefs.
Mary is active on Twitter, where she has over 30,000 followers. She regularly re-tweets news about her son and defends him fiercely against any critics, even if they are other well-known players or analysts.
We are sure that there are plenty of other mums of NBA stars who deserve a place on this list but whose incredible work hasn’t received as much attention as those we have looked at.
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