If you’ve seen Jaden Springer play even for a couple of minutes, it’s safe to assume you’ve seen his defensive prowess. Only a few can defend the way the 6-foot-4 Boston Celtics guard does. It has been a skill that anyone who watches him play has been in awe of since his childhood days. The self-proclaimed “terrible” player has come a long way since hooping in his local neighborhood and certainly isn’t “terrible” anymore.

Furthermore, he joined the Celtics in a deadline-day move last year just before the 3 p.m. buzzer. Springer was acquired by Boston, in exchange for a second-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers. While there’s still a lot of work to be done to turn Springer into a regular feature for the defending champions, he’s already making big strides toward it. Now, let’s get to know more about the 22-year-old guard by taking a closer look at his family roots.

Where was Jaden Springer born? What is the Celtics star’s ethnicity?

Jaden Tyree Springer hails from Charlotte, North Carolina, and was born to parents Gary and Barbarita Springer on September 25, 2002. Both of them are of American nationality and African-American descent, therefore making Jaden African-American as well. Although Jaden has basketball ties deeply rooted in his system, the sport didn’t come naturally to the Celtics guard.

Starting with his father, who was a McDonald’s All-American before suiting up for Iona from 1980-84 . Then he was drafted by the Sixers in the sixth round in 1984, but unfortunately couldn’t complete his dream of playing in the league due to knee injuries—a dream that his son completed after following in his footsteps and playing for the Sixers.

But the basketball talent doesn’t stop there. Jaden’s older brothers, Gary Jr. and Jordan, also balled out in college—Gary Jr. at Iona and Jordan at Army. Oh, and let’s not forget his cousin, DeAndre’ Bembry, who last played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks. Seriously, basketball runs so deep in this family, you’d think it was a requirement to even join!

On the other hand, his mother Barbarita has been supportive of Jaden throughout his journey despite him not being very good in his early days. But, the guard eventually caught up and hasn’t looked back since then. He took his first actual steps playing for Lighthouse Christian School’s varsity team in Tennessee, averaging a team-high 19 points, and 3.5 rebounds. Then he moved to Rocky River High School where he played the next two years of his high school basketball.

In his freshman season, he was already making noise, averaging an impressive 21.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and five assists per game, while leading his team to its first state tournament appearance. But it was during his spectacular sophomore season that he really shined, putting up 24.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, helping Rocky River reach the Class 4A state semifinals. His all-around game also included 2.4 steals and 2.4 blocks per contest, earning him Southwestern 4A Player of the Year honors.

To top it off, he earned a spot in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game, though the event was sadly canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, let’s dive into how Springer fared during his college years!

Which college did Springer play for?

After making it to the McDonald’s All-American, several NCAA Division I schools were interested in Springer. Considered a five-star recruit, he committed to play for Tennessee over other offers from Memphis, Michigan, and more. The 6-foot-4 guard made his debut for the Tennessee Volunteers in December 2020, and while it wasn’t a monster scoring performance, it was a solid start.

Springer went a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, finishing with six points, two rebounds, and a steal off the bench as the Vols took down Colorado in their season opener. Not a bad way to get your feet wet in college hoops!

More stellar performances followed! He led the team in scoring overall (12.5 ppg) and during SEC play (12.7 ppg), while also finishing with the best 3-point percentage on the roster (.435). Oh, and let’s not forget his clutch free-throw shooting—his .810 percentage was not only ninth-best in the SEC but also the best ever by a Tennessee freshman with at least 100 attempts. Talk about making history!

Jaden Springer wasn’t just about scoring, though. He ranked seventh in the SEC in assists during league play (3.4 per game) and showed solid decision-making with a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He led the team in assists 10 times and steals eight times, proving he could contribute in multiple ways.

The guy had a knack for stepping up in big moments, too! He scored 20 or more points six times, including a career-high 30-point explosion against Georgia, where he went 9-of-11 from the field. And how about that game in Kentucky? Jaden dropped 23 points to help the Vols rally for a win at Rupp Arena—a performance any Tennessee fan would love to relive.

Even in the postseason, Springer showed up. He scored 18 points in the SEC Tournament semifinals against Alabama and added 12 points in Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament game against Oregon State. Jaden Springer’s freshman season was packed with highlights! But the following year,  he decided to make a switch to professional basketball declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Springer 28th overall, where he split his first three seasons between their G League team and the Sixers. He still has much to look forward to as he continues to grow as one of the best defensive prospects in the NBA and cement his place in Boston’s rotation.