It’s natural for a son to follow in his dad’s footsteps. It’s also natural for him to strive for something greater.
Fortunately for junior Joseph Young, he had a perfect mentor in his father, Michael, when it came to his aspirations to play in the NBA. Over his 12-year career, Michael played for 13 professional teams and lived in three different countries since he was drafted in 1984 as the No. 24 pick. Because of his legacy, the elder Young is a legend in the Houston area.
This level of in-depth knowledge and experience would later help Michael build a unique bond with his son in the realm of basketball.
“He was everything,” Joseph said. “He was a coach, mentor and father at the same time. Being around my dad was like a role model to me and he was my idol.”
Joseph took advantage of the perks of having a father that played both in the NBA and overseas from an early age. Joseph was exposed to an exclusive world that promoted a high level of professionalism and hard work. He learned defensive fundamentals from former Spurs defensive guru Bruce Bowen and had the opportunity to interact with Michael’s former teammates, like Hall of Fame players Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde “the Glide” Drexler.
“Being around the game, around a lot of players, that’s been very good,” Michael said. “Those guys (former teammates) have showed him one more corner about something that he carries with him.”
In addition to having a dad that instilled these aspects on a daily basis, Joseph naturally grew into a player and person that exemplified what it takes to be a full-package athlete. This also reflected an eagerness to improve and learn at an early age for Joseph.
“With him growing up around the game … he’d seen the way I carry myself around people and I’m sure he picked up on that,” Michael said. “It’s something Joseph wanted to do and I trained him up in the game and really worked with him on some things that I felt like he needed to progress and be good at this game.”
As a child, Joseph spent a lot of time in the gym with his dad. Whether lifting weights or watching games, Joseph and Michael were determined to do all that they could to achieve steady improvement.
“From early on, he loved the game since he was a little kid,” Michael said. “He always wanted to play, always wanted to be with me going to the gym to work out. He could always shoot the ball, so I’d seen it (potential) in like the first grade. When other kids were playing video games, he was outside shooting.”
Joseph also took after certain aspects of his dad’s game that he still carries with him today. After watching old clips of Michael, Joseph installed a style that is still seen on the court today.
“We watched a few clips together, but I watched a few games by myself when he wasn’t there,” Joseph said. “Digging through some old stuff and found some old videos and watched them for a couple minutes and that’s what my game is based on.”
Before Joseph transferred to Oregon this past year, he shared a similar career path with his dad. After spending his first two years at another high school, Joseph told Michael in the 10th grade that he wanted to transfer to Yates High School, where his father is widely considered to be one of the best players the school had seen.
“It was pretty entertaining,” Joseph said “Played a couple years over there and let me know how good my dad was and that kind of made me want to work harder and follow his footsteps.”
During his final two years, Joseph brought two straight Class 4A state titles, was named Texas Gatorade Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year, led the Lions to a perfect 34-0 record (senior year) and helped the team earn a No. 1 ranking from USA Today, MaxPreps and Rivals.com in his senior year. @@USAToday@@
When Joseph graduated from high school, he signed at the University of Houston, where his dad’s jersey is retired. Joseph still recalls this ceremony as one of his greatest moments, despite leaving on rough terms on his way to Oregon. @@USAToday@@
“When they (Houston) retired his jersey, that’s one of my greatest moments,” Joseph said.
One impressive aspect of their relationship that has helped keep it healthy and sustainable over the years is the distance that Michael has put between being a fan and being a coach. It isn’t easy for any parent to entrust their children to other coaches, let alone a former NBA player, but Michael understood the dynamic of when to give advice and when to remain a spectator.
“That’s the great part about him (Michael),” Yates High School head basketball coach Greg Wise said. “He trusted me enough to do the right thing for him, so I never got any of that, not even one time.”
The biggest commonality between the father and son lies in their work ethic and mindset to reach their full potential. Michael, with his extended professional career, illustrated a map for Joseph on how to reach the highest level and up until this point, Joseph has followed it in both his mannerisms on and off the court.
“The easiest and most obvious was how much he wanted to be good and how hard he was willing to work to be good,” Wise said in reference to their biggest similarities. “Joe, in terms of working and getting in the gym to work on his game, he does that as hard as anybody I’ve ever coached.”
In an age where second-generation players like Stephen Curry and Kevin Love have managed to exceed their fathers on the NBA court, Joseph appears to be among that selective group of talented players that have continued their fathers’ legacies. Not every father-son relationship is similar to Joseph and Michael’s, and it shows just how much determination the two have in their daily pursuit of helping each other.
“He’s always been off the court, a good kid,” Michael said. “I think he’s a heck of a competitor. But I think he’s a great kid that anybody would want to coach. That’s the way I was and that’s the way I coached him to be.”
Joseph still has a full Pac-12 season ahead of him, but if all holds true, he is on the very path that was set forth when he was a kid. Not only to follow his father, but perhaps surpass him.
“As the years go by, there’s more to talk about basketball-wise,” Michael said. “The language of the game, certain offenses, defenses and how to play guys. I’m (now) sitting down listening to him tell me.”
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim