Darius Acuff Jr. accepts ‘powerful love’ from father, turns into high NBA draft prospect
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CHICAGO – The 2026 NBA draft is predicted to be highlighted by top-five prospects AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. Years from now, although, Darius Acuff Jr. expects to be talked about first when the Class of 2026 is talked about.
“Five years from now they will say I was the best player that was going to come out, for sure,” Acuff instructed Andscape on May 11 throughout the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago. “Some individuals are going to be stunned. But some folks behind their minds are most likely [going to be] saying, ‘We probably should have been saying this.’
Acuff stated he doesn’t have an opinion on what folks say.
“My mindset is that I’m gonna be the best player, for sure,” he stated. “That’s just the way I’m carrying it throughout my whole career.”
Acuff averaged 23.5 factors, 6.4 assists and three.1 rebounds per contest as a freshman on the University of Arkansas final campaign. He was the 2026 Bob Cousy Award winner because the nation’s finest school level guard, and averaged 30.2 factors in 5 postseason contests. A consensus first-team All-American, Acuff additionally swept Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, and was SEC event MVP.
So far, Acuff has labored out for the Utah Jazz (No. 2 choose), Chicago Bulls (fourth), Brooklyn Nets (sixth) and the Sacramento Kings (seventh). A longtime NBA scout instructed Andscape that he didn’t anticipate Acuff to get previous the Kings within the draft.
Coincidentally, Darius Acuff Sr., performed at Eastern Kentucky University for then-head leader Scott Perry, who’s the Sacramento Kings’ normal supervisor.
Like father, like son, each Acuffs share a stoic mentality and aggressive fireplace on the courtroom.
“That’s one of our family traits,” Acuff Sr. instructed Andscape. “If you’ve got an opportunity to satisfy a few of my household, we’re all the identical. We don’t present feelings rather a lot, however we imply enterprise. So, yeah, that’s sort of like a household trait.
“And on top of me [meaning business], just being on you about a lot of stuff — just letting him know, ‘Don’t let nobody see you sweat. Don’t let nobody speed you up. Don’t let nobody rattle you. Just keep the same face, the same mindset.’”
Andscape is celebrating Father’s Day on Sunday with a Q&A sequence together with a few of the 2026 NBA draft’s high prospects and their fathers. The first day of the draft is Tuesday night time on the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The fathers and sons who participated embody the Acuffs; former Tennessee ahead Nate Ament and his father, Albert Ament; former Duke middle Cameron Boozer and his father, former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer; former Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. and his father, Christopher Brown; former Brigham Young ahead AJ Dybantsa and his father, Anicet “Ace” Dybantsa Sr.; and former Houston guard Kingston Flemings and his father, Demetric “Dee” Flemings.
In this Q&A sequence, the fathers and soon-to-be-drafted sons focus on their relationship by basketball, life classes, the perceptions of Black fatherhood, their pleasure and nervousness towards the draft, what NBA groups are getting on and off the courtroom, and far more.
Darius Acuff Jr. on his NBA future: “Five years from now they will say I was the best player that was going to come out, for sure.”Melissa Tamez/NBAE through Getty Images
When do you bear in mind placing on ball in [your son’s] palms for the primary time?
Acuff Sr.: I most likely put the ball in his palms when he was born, as a result of it’s sort of just like the make-up for our household. Everybody goes to action basketball. The first time I took him to the fitness center truly organized was most likely like about 3 or 4 years outdated. …
I say it on a regular basis: Me and my spouse had been blessed. It appeared like he got here out the womb able to go, obsessive about the contest, for certain.
When do you first recall falling in love with basketball that your bear in mind?
Acuff Jr.: Probably round center faculty. When I began touring, it bought away from simply seeing totally different cities on the AAU circuit. It bought far more enjoyable, for certain.
What sort of affect did being from a metropolis in Detroit that’s recognized for having nice basketball gamers?
Acuff Jr.: It had a variety of affect. That is the place it began in native tournaments. I used to be taking part in in tournaments throughout Michigan and attempting to triumph each event, competing with all people. There was by no means no simple contest. So simply studying from Detroit. That’s an amazing feeling.
You have any reminiscences of watching your father action?
Acuff Jr.: No. His tapes ain’t nowhere.
Acuff Sr.: They removed my tapes, man. It’s just a few on the market, although. But I don’t know what occurred to them. The web wasn’t popping in my day. I might hope we are able to discover a few of my Eastern Kentucky tapes.
What do you know about your father as a ballplayer?
Acuff Jr.: He good. I heard he was chilly. I heard he was just like me with the identical attributes. We each transfer the identical. He had extra hops than me, in response to all people. He was a guard dunker. He most likely bought me [athletically], based mostly on what I’ve seen. He was good, for certain. That’s what I heard from lots of people. He was a sensible competitor who all the time bought his teammates concerned. But he may rating in the event that they wanted him to.
Was it powerful love together with your son in basketball?
Acuff Sr.: Always. It was me simply introducing him to the contest. I all the time instructed him, ‘If we’re gonna do that, we’re gonna do it the suitable approach. It’s not going to be any shortcuts or something.’ So, I used to be all the time powerful on him, for certain.
Did he all the time take to it?
Acuff Sr.: Always. Never went house and complained to his mother about something. We had occasions within the fitness center going at it forwards and backwards. But as soon as we get within the automobile, it’s father and son once more.
What made you settle for the powerful love?
Acuff Jr: He knew what he was speaking about. Over the years, you can see my contest progressing, working. And he was the one which took me by all these items, so I knew I needed to hearken to him. He was my leader on the identical time, too. So, in fact, there was a variety of powerful moments. But he didn’t train me to be tender. So, I wasn’t going house complaining or none of that. I might simply go upstairs and take into consideration what I can do higher tomorrow.
If something, I didn’t wish to go some place else. I wished to go to the fitness center. That was all the time the primary selection.
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Can you describe what it’s prefer to be a Black father?
Acuff Sr.: It’s the whole lot. I didn’t have my dad rising up. Me and my brothers and sister didn’t have our dad. So, I simply wished to be the whole lot for him. Just be there for him by the ups and downs. And it’s nice that I can share this with different Black fathers and hopefully they will observe the trail that we’ve paved the best way for. So, it’s been a blessing. It’s nice.
What do you suppose is the notion of Black fathers?
Acuff Sr.: There are a variety of totally different perceptions on the market. We don’t actually take note of these issues. We know what we wish as a household. We’re sort of like easy, so we sort of know what we wish. We don’t actually observe perceptions or something like that.
You have a younger Black son in Detroit. He can’t stroll anyplace now with out someone recognizing him. What sort of issues have you ever tried to instill in him to guard him?
Acuff Sr.: The fundamental factor me and his mother instill in him is to only be a frontrunner. Don’t be a follower. No matter if it’s your loved ones members or mates in class. Always carry by instance and be a stand-up man.
The draft is 2 days after Father’s Day. When I say that to you, what involves thoughts?
Acuff Sr.: That’s going to be the best Father’s Day reward ever. I’ve all the time simply prayed and simply hoped that he can keep wholesome sufficient to reside out his desires. I’ve stayed wholesome sufficient to see him exceed that. So, it’s nice.
What does celebrating your dad on Father’s Day imply to you?
Acuff Jr.: Everything. That complete month [June] has been for us as a household. His birthday month, Father’s Day. My granddad, his birthday the day after his. My sister’s birthday is that month. So that complete month goes to be an amazing one for us as a household. And I’m simply happy with us as a household. We caught collectively by all of it, for certain. We nonetheless bought far more to go. But I positively love all of them for sticking with me.
From Father’s Day to birthdays, Darius Acuff Jr. (middle) and his household have rather a lot to have a good time within the month of June.Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos through Getty Images
What most excites you most in regards to the NBA draft? And what brings you nervousness about that day?
Acuff Jr.: What excites me most? Just realizing that I can change my household’s life. I used to be telling them, simply being the primary to do one thing within the household to make the league, that’s most likely my greatest mindset proper now. Just placing on for them on a regular basis. I’m excited to listen to my identify referred to as. Our final identify is famous the place we’re from. So simply to listen to it being on the stage, that may be an amazing feeling.
As far as nervousness, I don’t actually suppose I bought like nervousness. But I’m excited, for certain. We discuss it on a private degree. It will get loopy generally, however on the finish of the day, it’s enterprise. But once we’re by ourselves, a variety of feelings are most likely going to come back out, for certain. There is a variety of pleasure about it. We discuss it on a regular basis, for certain.
What do you suppose will probably be prefer to step on that NBA draft stage?
Acuff Jr.: Crazy. He’ll inform you. I watched a latest draft — the entire draft simply to see what you do, introductions, all that. I’m simply attempting to see what’s the motion you’re purported to do. But it’s loopy. It’s gonna be a dream come true simply to shake [NBA] commissioner [Adam Silver’s] hand. That’s all people’s dream. Walking throughout [the stage], that’s one thing you dream of. Just to see it occur is certainly going to be an amazing feeling.
As you interview with groups and so they ask, ‘What Darius are we getting on and off the court?’ what do you inform them?
Acuff Jr.: I inform them you’re two totally different folks. On the courtroom, I’m no one’s good friend. I’m solely [friends] with my teammates and my coaches. Everybody else, I don’t actually know. Just a killer, for certain. In all, I’m a successful competitor, although. I wish to triumph rather a lot on the subsequent degree. That’s crucial.
And off the courtroom, only a nice individual. No matter who you’re, I’ll aid you out should you want one thing. You see someone within the grocery retailer that may’t do one thing, you simply assist him out. I simply wish to be often known as a kind of guys, for certain.
When he will get drafted to an NBA group, wherever that’s, what of your teachings do you suppose he’s going to take with him?
Acuff Sr.: His management. Him being a job mannequin. We’re huge on the youth in our metropolis. So simply him being an amazing position mannequin to the child that’s attempting to perform the identical factor he’s attempting to or about to perform.
How a lot pleasure do you’ve got in your final identify and the ‘Junior’ in it?
Acuff Jr.: Our final identify, should you ask anyone in Detroit, they most likely know who you’re speaking about. And I ain’t even speaking about me. It began approach earlier than me. It began approach earlier than him. Our household is simply legendary. We stick collectively. We’ve been sticking collectively all through. Since I’ve been born, in fact. I can inform they all the time have been shut as a household. We assist one another it doesn’t matter what.
That Junior, I take pleasure in it. I write it down in all places. Sometimes when folks put one thing out and it’s simply my final identify, I make them change it to Junior as a result of I take pleasure in it. It’s my dad. He’s been with me each step of the best way. I’m not going to let anybody disrespect our identify. He’s a Senior. I’m a Junior.
When your son is in that NBA uniform together with your final identify on the again with ‘Acuff Jr.’ it represents you in two methods. What does that imply to you?
Acuff Sr.: It’s going to be huge for me, and all of the issues that me and my household went by so far as the game. So, it’s going to imply rather a lot. It’s most likely going to be somewhat emotional the primary time he places the jersey on, because it was when he did it at Arkansas.
It’s gonna be an amazing feeling. I can’t clarify the feelings. I don’t know what to anticipate so far as my response, however I do know it’s gonna be an amazing feeling, for certain.
How did you assist him navigate the NIL house, the one-and-done house, the social media house? That is rather a lot for a teen to deal with. What was your steerage by that half?
Acuff Sr.: Just holding the primary factor the primary factor within the fitness center. He comes from work. That’s what he’s all the time been about. That’s what I’ve all the time been about so far as educating him the contest. Money, it’s going to be there. But you bought to take pleasure in what you’re attempting to perform.
What is it like for him to be your son?
Acuff Sr.: It’s nice. Me and my spouse, we’re simply so fortunate to have a son like him. Of course, my daughter, too. He’s an amazing child. He’s all the time been an amazing child. He’s by no means given us any issues. So, we’re simply grateful that he’s who he’s change into, for certain.
Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA author for Andscape. He used to have the ability to dunk on you, however he hasn’t been in a position to in years and his knees nonetheless damage.
