Ranking the top 3 pairs of twins to have played in the NBA
Markieff Morris of the Miami Heat is currently in the headlines for an incident involving reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. Markieff's twin brother, Marcus, got into a Twitter spat with Jokic's older brother due to the incident.
The Morris twins are one of three pairs of twins playing in the NBA right now. The other two are the Lopez and Martin twins. Brook Lopez plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, while Robin is a role player for the Orlando Magic. Meanwhile, Cody Martin is with the Charlotte Hornets, while his brother Caleb is a teammate of Markieff Moriss in Miami.
How often do you see this!?
Twin brothers Cody and Caleb Martin connect on the alley-oop🏀https://t.co/yohQEiCb7T
There have been ten pairs of twins to have played in the NBA. On that note, here's a look at three of the best of them:
#1 Van Arsdale twins - Tom and Dick
Tom and Dick Van Arsdale are the first set of twins to play in the NBA. They are also the greatest twins ever to have featured in the competition. The Van Arsdale twins were drafted in the second round of the 1965 NBA Draft. Dick was drafted first by the New York Knicks with the 10th overall selection, while Tom was chosen by the Detroit Pistons.
The Van Arsdale twins went on to have very successful NBA careers. Each twin had three All-Star selections during their 12 seasons in the league. Tom was a journeyman who played for the Pistons, Cincinnati Royals, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns.
Meanwhile, Dick only played for the Knicks and Phoenix Suns. The Van Arsdale twins were teammates with the Suns for the 1976-77 season, which was their final year before they retired.
I asked some espn person about the great Van Arsdale twins
Both 3 x all stars. Legendary shooters
Tom Van Arsdale 1965 2nd round pick 11th out of Indiana
6’5 208
Dick Van Arsdale 1965 2nd round pick 10th
6’5 210
Both 22 ppg in prime
He said who ? https://t.co/6GbrjQPyP0
Tom averaged 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his career, while Dick had averages of 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
#2 Grant twins - Horace and Harvey
The Grant twins are probably the most famous twins in NBA history. They both peaked in the 1990s as two tough and physical power forwards in the league. Horace was drafted first in 1987 by the Chicago Bulls, while Harvey came into the league in 1988 after getting picked by the Washington Bullets.
Horace Grant had a better career than his twin brother, as he won three NBA championships with the Bulls from 1991 to 1993. He added another one in 2001 as part of the LA Lakers. Horace is a one-time All-Star, and played in the league for 17 seasons. He had career averages of 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, Harvey Grant only played 12 years in the NBA, including two stints with the Bullets/Wizards franchise, Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged a respectable 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game during his career.
Celebrating #NationalSiblingsDay today, we look back at twins Horace Grant and Harvey Grant sitting down with Ahmad Rashad during the 1990-91 season to talk about their unique relationship as brothers in the NBA.
https://t.co/p62Jqw6AhC
Harvey has also had sons who have played in the NBA, Jerian and Jerami Grant.
#3 Morris twins - Marcus and Markieff
Love or hate them, the Morris twins are one of the best twins to have played in the NBA. They may not have All-Star appearances or multiple championships, but they have had longevity and good scoring averages. Markieff and Marcus Morris were drafted consecutively with the 13th and 14th overall picks in 2011. They became teammates with the Phoenix Suns from 2013 to 2015.
The Morris Twins are both journeymen, but have carved out decent roles as enforcers and stretch forwards. Markieff has played for the Suns, Washington Wizards, OKC Thunder, Detroit Pistons, LA Lakers and Miami Heat. He won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020, and has career averages of 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Nikola Jokic's brothers joined Twitter to send a warning to Marcus Morris after his reaction to a cheap shot on Markieff Morris.
📰: readsn.com/309J4jv https://t.co/Ich4xo03OV
Marcus, meanwhile, is signed with the LA Clippers, but has also played for the Houston Rockets, Suns, Pistons, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. He is still searching for his first championship, but he has got a higher career average than his brother. Marcus averages 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.