Peyton Watson, an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets, ended his rookie season as an NBA champion, defeating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
His parents have supported his basketball career and encouraged him to pursue his dreams. They visit him, taking turns in Denver.
Highlights
- Peyton Watson’s father is a medical representative, and his mother is an event planner.
- His family was always around him while growing up, with his younger brother Christian and sister JoJo.
- His uncle, Brantley Watson, helped him with athletic sportsmanship, and they moved in together during UCLA.
Peyton Tyler Watson joined the varsity team as a Long Beach Polytechnic High School freshman and earned Moore League MVP honors.
He was named to the McDonald’s All-American, Nike Hoop Summit, and Jordan Brand Classic rosters.
He became one of the top small forwards and a consensus five-star recruit, and he committed to playing college basketball for UCLA.
His defense was more advanced than his offense, and he received an honorable mention for the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.
Peyton declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility after the end of the 2021–22 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder selected him in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft.
Later, Thunder traded him to the Denver Nuggets and spent time developing with the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League.
Peyton Watson’s Parents Helped Him To Reach His Dream
Peyton Watson, the son of Julio Watson and Antoinette Watson, was born on September 11, 2002, in Beverly Hills, California.
His father is a medical representative, and his mother is an event planner. As a child, he always had his family around him.
If I died today and could come back anyone I wanted, I’d come back Peyton Watson. Thank you to my mom and dad for their unconditional love and tremendous sacrifice and thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. Pwat out!💚💛 #JustAKidFromLongBeach pic.twitter.com/kur2XcnYFP
— Peyton Watson (@peytonwatson_) June 17, 2021
Julio is a proud father who passed down his passion for athletics to his children and was pivotal in his son’s rise to NBA Champion status.
He has always been interested in sports and played basketball in college. He coached his son at the Eastman Club.
Peyton mentioned that his father had helped him play basketball at an early age. He practices daily in the JCC with his father and younger brother.
His brother plays basketball for the Long Beach Polytechnic High School team.
When I first started playing basketball, I was 2 or 3 years old. Then, I played at the YMCA Club in Lakewood before joining the Eastman Club when I was 8 or 9.
Peyton had expressed.
While growing up, Peyton enjoyed basketball and practiced defensive movements before a mirror.
He wasn’t desperate to get his hands on a basketball to dribble and shoot but would mimic the warm-up routine.
When he heard his name called up as a first-round NBA Draft pick, he hugged his parents, brother Christian, sister JoJo, uncle Brantley, and close family friend Damian Massey.
Peyton always had a robust support system and family, so he never really had to do things he wasn’t used to.
He embraced independence, proving to himself that he could chill, live, work out, be punctual, and be professional.
Peyton And His Uncle Brantley Watson Lived Together During UCLA
While growing up, Peyton fell in love with basketball, watching his uncle’s high school games. His parents got him a baby-sized Paul Pierce No. 34 jersey to support his uncle.
Brantley spent his senior year at Dominguez High School, where 3-year-old Peyton attended his game with his parents.
Drafted 30th overall out of UCLA in 2022 and now NBA CHAMPION as a rookie… Peyton Watson! pic.twitter.com/r01beydD9V
— NBA (@NBA) June 13, 2023
They were only 15 years apart, and Brantley was more like his elder brother.
Brantley moved to Denver to help Peyton after the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him and traded him to the Denver Nuggets.
Peyton’s family started to make arrangements to visit Grand Rapids one at a time throughout the season, as he would spend significant time in the G League.
However, Calvin Booth, the general manager of the Denver Nuggets, called Brantley and told him not to go.
Brantley, don’t go. Let him fly to Grand Rapids, let him be in the cold, let him go to those practices, let him do it himself. And it’s gonna help him grow.
Brantley recalls Booth telling him.
Later, Brantley accepted Calvin’s genius, as his idea helped the athlete grow more despite the good and bad decisions he had to make.
Peyton lived in a one-bedroom apartment in the affiliate’s community-style setup and worked out with player development staff.
He thrived on having good company and knew new Nuggets teammates being around them at the start of the NBA season.
Additional Information
- Peyton Watson chose UCLA over offers from Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Gonzaga, and Michigan.
- He won a gold medal for the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Latvia.
- He is possibly single and focused on his athletic career rather than being in a committed relationship.
- The shooting guard signed a four-year contract worth $11,267,516 with the Denver Nuggets and will earn a base salary of $2,413,560 in the 2024-25 season.
