Top 5 sibling match-ups expected to happen in the 2021-22 NBA season
Sibling recruitment has grown more popular in the NBA over the years. Giannis Antetokounmpo already has two brothers in the league and is looking forward to his youngest sibling joining the NBA as well. With one being his teammate and the other not getting much playtime with the LA Lakers, the Antetokounmpo brothers never went head-to-head.
While many have played as teammates, siblings who have gone head-to-head have created better storylines. It is doubly exciting when they have to defend against each other rather than just being on opposing teams.
Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol are arguably the most popular brothers in the NBA. Although Pau has left the league, he won 22 of the 35 meetings against his brother, four of which came in the playoffs. They also remain the only NBA brothers that have won championships separately. Pau won in back-to-back runs with the Lakers in 2009 & 2010, while Marc won it with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
We've been treated to many intriguing sibling matchups in the past, and there will be many more in the future. Here are the top five sibling head-to-head matchups that could happen in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#5 Brook vs Robin Lopez
Both Lopez brothers were selected in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft as the 10th and 15th overall picks. Brook Lopez was drafted by the New Jersey Nets, while the Phoenix Suns selected Robin Lopez five slots down in the draft.
During the 2019-20 season, the twins from California played on the same team - the Milwaukee Bucks - for the first time in their NBA careers. However, they failed to make history as the first set of brothers to win an NBA championship.
Robin Lopez will ply his trade with the young Orlando Magic team in the 2021-22 season and will provide experience and depth at the 5. Brook will continue playing for the Bucks with hopes of winning back-to-back championships. With both brothers playing in the NBA Eastern Conference, they will face off at least three times during the regular season.
All the stats on paper suggest that Brook is the favorite to win the battle. The stats show that he has recorded more numbers in every aspect of the game and he has a championship ring to back it as well.
#4 Jrue vs Aaron vs Justin Holiday
Justin and Aaron Holiday have previously paired up against Jrue Holiday in the NBA. In the 2019-20 season, both Justin and Aaron played for the Indiana Pacers against Jrue and the New Orleans Pelicans. It was more of the same during the 2020-21 NBA season as they met three times, but with Jrue in Milwaukee this time around.
The 2021 NBA offseason shake-up has split the brothers into three different teams. Justin will continue playing for the Pacers while Aaron was involved in a five-team trade that sent him to the Washington Wizards. This means all three brothers will play against each other during the 2021-22 season.