NBA Draft pick turned unforgettable after grandfather’s emotional celebration

The 2025 NBA Draft took place on Wednesday and Thursday, and nearly 60 young men saw their dreams realized when their names were called.

These drafts always lead to special moments for players and their families, and 2025 was no different. The two-day event had its fair share of heartwarming moments as families got to see their hard work pay off.

One of the moments that even had fans emotional came in the second round, when the Memphis Grizzlies selected Javon Small with the 48th pick.

After grabbing his team’s hat and making his way across the stage, Small stopped for an interview with ESPN’s Monica McNutt. During the interview, McNutt decided to turn the attention to Small’s table of family members, where his grandfather was visibly emotional.

Once the camera switched over, his grandfather was seen crying into his hand before standing up and pumping both fists into the air while rejoicing, “That’s my boy!”

When asked what it means to him to see his family with that much enthusiasm, Small explained how his family is his world, detailing that his grandfather took him to every single tournament since he was a little kid, and that he rarely misses any games.

Javon Small shares emotional moment with grandfather after being picked in NBA Draft by Memphis Grizzlies

Small, a native of South Bend, Indiana, was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. He started his collegiate career at East Carolina before transferring to Oklahoma State and then West Virginia before his final college season.

While his road wasn’t linear, he ended his college career as a First-Team All-Big 12 selection and accomplished his goal of making it to the NBA.

He’ll now get his career started with a Grizzlies team that won 48 games last season, entering the postseason as the No. 8 seed. As Small tries to carve out a role for himself with the team, he’ll continue to make his grandfather proud.

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