Who are Jaxson Hayes' parents? Looking at Lakers center's family & more
Jaxson Hayes, the 2019 first-round Draft pick joined the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The eighth-overall pick was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, but his draft rights were traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. He made a promising start to his NBA career. He put up 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. However, much less is known about the star family that Hayes comes from.
Jaxson’s father, Jonathan Hayes, is a former NFL player who played 12 seasons in the league and played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers. Jonathan was an All-American tight end at the University of Iowa from 1982 to 1985. He was the tight end coach for the Cincinnati Bengals for 15 seasons from 2003 to 2018. He also worked as an assistant coach for the University of Oklahoma for four years.
Hayes’ mother Kristi (Kinne) Hayes also played college basketball at Drake University. She won Kodak All-American accolades and Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in her senior year. She averaged 50 points per game during her senior year in high school in Iowa. Kristi was also named MVP of the conference during her college years at Drake University.
Jaxson Hayes has three siblings: one sister and two brothers, and they are all younger than him. One of Jaxson’s brothers plays for the University of Cincinnati.
Jaxson Hayes might start alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James
Jaxson Hayes did not find enough time on the floor when he played with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, it seems like his fate is about to take a turn for good after landing in Los Angeles.
The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported that the Lakers have shown immense faith in Hayes’ abilities. The team is confident that newly acquired player could play an important role besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the starting lineup of two bigs.
Hayes is young but he has the ability to make a difference on both ends of the floor. While it is unclear how his contribution would unfold through the season, his rise could significantly add to the Lakers’ championship hopes.
Last season he played 47 games for the Pelicans but failed to make an impact, averaging only 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds. LeBron has a unique ability to elevate the game of big players by finding them easy buckets in the paint. It remains to be seen how he can take Hayes under his wing and elevate him.