“It took a little adjusting” - Purdue star Zach Edey’s mom shares struggles of being a 6-3 Asian woman
Purdue's Zach Edey had the best time of his life in the 2023-24 season for the program. Standing at 7-foot-4, Edey was one of the tallest college basketball players last season. However, he's not the only one who is tall in the family.
His Chinese Canadian mother, Julia Edey, measures 6-foot-3. Hailing from Toronto, Julia's family had a Chinese food restaurant in Canada, where she worked for most of her life. Recently, she talked to the New York Post about the struggles of being an Asian woman with that stature.
"I don't stick out as much as he does, but there's not a lot of 6-foot-3 Asian women walking around, " Julia said. "You get a little bit, not used to being unusual, but maybe those little pieces, and you think, 'Oh, wow, this is just another step of the journey or whatever it is.' It took a little adjusting."
Julia Edey was a familiar face in the stands when her son was playing for Purdue. She never missed a chance to support him off the court as well. Edey gained many fans in his collegiate career, but his mother was his No. 1 fan.
There were times when Julia faced racism in Canada as a child. She learned how to deal with it and also taught the two-time Wooden Award winner, Zach Edey, about the same.
"She went through some stuff," Zach said. "So, she kind of told me how she dealt with it by being confident in yourself. That's one thing I've taken from it. I'm not out here to please everybody. I value the people that value me. I appreciate the people that appreciate me, and if you don't, you can kick rocks."
Zach Edey will be a part of NBA draft on Wednesday night, and there's no doubt that his mom will be his No. 1 fan yet again.
Zach Edey's mother believes a lot in her son
It was the Final Four matchup against NC State in 2024 when Zach Edey's mother sent a video to motivate her son. The overwhelming video was tweeted by the NCAA March Madness page.
"This journey that you've invited me on, it's been incredible," Julia said. "I'm so grateful to be here. ... I told you before that, although I am incredibly proud of witnessing what you've done, I'm more proud of how you've done it: with class, with courage, finding who you are and staying true to that core of it.
"Now, go kick some more butt, have some fun, do what you do and know that I am always with you. And I'm a helluva lucky mom to have had a kid like you. Enjoy and savor every second. You really were built for this and worked so hard to get it. So, go get it, sweetie. I will be cheering as always."
Zach won the game while scoring 10 points. However, Purdue lost to UConn in the final despite his incredible 37 points. The Ringer has him at No. 12 in its final mock draft, whereas The Athletic has given him the No. 14 position.