The NBA Draft isn’t just about young athletes becoming professionals, it’s a celebration of motherhood, sacrifice, and unwavering support.

This year’s draft beautifully highlighted the incredible maternal journeys behind some of basketball’s newest talents. Take Cooper Flagg, selected first by the Dallas Mavericks, whose mother Kelly was a standout basketball player herself at the University of Maine. Kelly’s athletic legacy clearly inspired her son, who reflected her passion for the game.

Similarly, Dylan Harper, picked second by San Antonio, credited his mom Maria as his first basketball coach and inspiration. Maria, a former Division I basketball player, coached Dylan from his earliest years through high school, embodying the quintessential supportive parent who nurtures athletic dreams.

The draft’s most poignant moment might have been Thomas Sorber’s selection by Oklahoma City, where his mother Tenneh, a Liberian civil war survivor, proudly held her homeland’s flag. “It’s all for you, Mama,” Sorber told her, highlighting how mothers are often the unsung heroes behind professional athletes’ success.

VJ Edgecombe’s selection represented another powerful maternal narrative, with his mom Bendra Rolle celebrating their family’s journey from Bimini to the NBA’s global stage. These stories transcend basketball, showcasing how maternal love, dedication, and sacrifice propel young athletes toward their dreams.

While the draft celebrates individual talent, it equally honors the mothers who’ve invested countless hours, emotional energy, and unconditional support into their children’s athletic journeys. Their presence, tearful, proud, and radiant, reminds us that behind every professional athlete is a mother who believed in them before anyone else did.

As these young men step into their professional careers, they carry with them not just athletic skill, but the profound lessons and love instilled by the women who raised them.