Jazz Players Share Photos Of Their Kids During Coronavirus Hiatus
Apr 22, 2020, 1:54 PM | Updated: 2:11 pm
Joe Ingles of the Boomers and son Jacob are seen during game two of the International Basketball series between the Australian Boomers and United States of America at Marvel Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – With the NBA sidelined, Utah Jazz players have had a greater opportunity to spend time with their families during the spring months, a rarity among players in the league. Like most of the world, the Jazz players have taken to social media to continue to document their lives at home, offering a rare glimpse into their roles as parents as they step away from the game.
On Easter Sunday, Mary Peluso, the wife of Jazz point guard Mike Conley announced the family was expecting their third child. In a conference call after winning the NBA HORSE Challenge last week, Conley spoke about his wife’s pregnancy in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
“When it was first coming out,” Conley said, “There wasn’t a lot of research or a lot of cases documented of what happens with pregnant women or children when they’re born.”
Conley says despite the scare, Peluso has had an ideal pregnancy so far.
“My wife has been feeling great and no issues,” Conley said, “Just trying to make sure that she’s safe and my family is safe right now and going forward the hope is there’s no complications.”
Joe and Renae Ingles might be the most well-known parents on the Jazz roster. The proud parents of twins, the Ingleses have their children’s lives in TV commercials, on social media, and even in a new podcast that explores their lives as professional athletes as parents.
The Ingleses have become a prominent voice in the advocacy for children with autism after announcing their son’s diagnosis in February of 2019.
While Conley and Ingles may be the most high profile parents on the roster, lesser-known Jazz parents have used their time off to share views of their families online.
Over the weekend, guard Jordan Clarkson shared a video montage of his daughter on her second birthday.
As the team left Utah for the All-Star break, Clarkson detailed what he was most looking forward to in the midseason hiatus. Instead of leaving on an exotic vacation, the Jazz guard opted to spend time with his family.
“I’m just going to go home, chill at my house, I’ve got my daughter,” Clarkson said.
Like Ingles, Jazz reserve center Ed Davis is the father of twins. In his case, three-year-old boys.
Though Davis doesn’t frequent Instagram or Twitter, he has spoken about the challenges of splitting his time between being a parent and a professional basketball player.
At Jazz media day, Davis spoke about how his children absorbed the majority of his summer.
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“Raising these kids, it’s tough right now,” Davis said, “I’ve got twins so I’m in the [torture] chamber right now.”
Before signing in Utah, Davis spoke to NBC Sports about how having twin boys has changed his perspective on life.
“I really have two individuals that I live for,” Davis said, “Before this everything I did was for myself or for my family or for my lady, but now everything I do is for my kids.”
One of the newest players on the Jazz roster is also the newest father. Rookie Justin Wright-Foreman is the proud father of a two-month-old.
Wright-Foreman’s daughter has made frequent appearances on the two-way player’s Instagram since her birth.
Like most young parents, the Jazz guard has found sleep hard to come by.
“2 Months ❤️ Love You Baby,” Wright-Foreman said in an Instagram post, “PS: stop waking me up.”
While these current Jazzmen have been proud to show off their young families, some of the most famous players in franchise history have seen their children grow to have fame of their own.
Hall of Famer Karl Malone has two children that have gone on to play professional sports. Daughter Cheryl Ford played in the WNBA with the Detroit Shock. Son Demetress Bell spent five seasons in the NFL playing for the Buffalo Bills, Philadephia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys.
Malone’s running mate John Stockton is also the father of famous children. Two of Stockton’s sons have gone on to play professional basketball, including David who spent three months with the Jazz in 2018.
Stockton’s two daughters each played college basketball. Daughter Laura played at Stockton’s alma mater Gonzaga while Lindsay played at Montana State where Stockton served as an assistant coach.
Not to be outdone, Finals teammate Jeff Hornacek’s daughter Abby has garnered a considerable amount of fame in her own right. As a host on Fox Nation, Abby stars in the travel and lifestyle series PARK’d.
With nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram, Abby regularly shares photos and videos of herself with her famous father, including this post wearing Hornacek’s old jersey.
