Having Supportive parents like Malachi Flynn parents honestly feels like winning a lottery. Malachi Flynn is an American basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation. He had a flourishing basketball career playing college basketball for Washington state cougars in 2016. After a while, he opted to play for San Diego State Aztecs. Malachi Flynn is a skillful basketball player and has made quite a name for himself.
In his final collegiate season in 2020, Malachi was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year and Mountain West Player of the Year. He was also declared for the NBA Draft after the record-breaking season. Hence the high expectations that he would play for the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, or the Toronto Raptors next.
Eventually, Malachi Flynn settled in fine with the Raptors. Ever since then, the team has grown tremendously alongside his basketball career. Thanks to his parents, who took it upon themselves to encourage him from his childhood. This article is set to divulge everything we know about Malachi Flynn parents and his thriving basketball career. Kindly read on.
Who Are Malachi Flynn Parents?
Malachi Fynn parents are Kristi Flynn and Eric Flynn. They live in Tacoma, Washington, where they trained Malachi Flynn and his siblings. However, they are both American nationals. His mother, Kristi, is white, while his father, Eric, is African-American. This explains Malachi Flynn’s mixed ethnicity.
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Malachi Flynn Parents Raised Him And His Siblings In A Competitive Environment To Participate In Sports
Malachi Flynn parents prompted all their seven children to participate in sports. Their home was a healthily competitive environment as they encouraged their children to participate in various sports of their choosing, as it kept them all on their toes. No one was left out. Everyone had a stake, including Malachi, the youngest of seven siblings. His position as the last child allowed him to attend most of his older siblings games which made him tough and competitive. . He told Sports Net that :
“There was always something going on in the house: Going to a brother’s track meet, going to a sister’s basketball game. Just seeing that and definitely just being competitive, all the kids. You’ve gotta fight for whatever you want. So it was fun growing up in the house, always something going on. Definitely has a huge role in who I am today.”
The basketball star also recounts playing against his older brothers in parks. Even though he knew he would lose to his brothers because they were bigger than him in size, and skills, he played anyway because it would pay off one day. And today, it is paying off.
Taking On Bigger Opponents Helped Malachi Flynn Develops His Basketball Skills Intelligently
In the game of Basketball, size, particularly height, is usually a fair advantage, but Malachi Flynn couldn’t care less about that. Ever since he was a kid, he played against bigger opponents. He came to the early realization that he could change the narrative of the height bias to suit his game. So, he learned how to play with some swiftly smart moves to enable him to harness his small statue to win the game. Hence his 5feet 2inches days at Bellarmine didn’t deter him from playing victorious games.
Malachi Flynn’s Move To San Diego Spurred His Career Growth
Luckily, by the time he joined the Washington state cougars, he hit a growth spur that skyrocketed him to 6feet1inches. Then the thirst and realization for the need for a more significant challenge set in. He then called his coach at Bellarmine Prep, Bernie Salazar, and sort advice about his move to San Diego. His coach told The San Diego Union-Tribune that:
“He said, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to improve here.’ It was really hard for him. It wasn’t like, ‘I’m outta here.’ He’s always been very loyal. That’s just the way he is. I said to him, ‘Do what’s best for you.’”
Malachi Flynn’s career grew tremendously following his big move to San Deigo. His final season was quite impressive. And from then on, he sealed his ticket to the NBA. Because of the caliber of giants prevalent in the NBA, Malachi Flynn is still considered short, Even at 6feet1 inches. However, that is not an issue because he has a track record of playing intelligent games to come out victorious against bigger opponents. According to his coach, Bernie Salazar:
“One of his best attributes is he is really smart. His intellect is really, really good. He’s not always going to beat you with his athleticism. He is not going to blow by you all the time or jump over you. He just has a tremendous IQ.”
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Conclusion
Malachi Flynn parents really did a great job of helping him build his skills and confidence from a very young age. And in accordance, his basketball career keeps flourishing.
