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Brooklyn native, Toppin, cherishes moment to begin career with hometown Knicks, just like his brother
Serenity J. Bishop Mar 28, 2024 Comments
Brooklyn native, Toppin, cherishes moment to begin career with hometown Knicks, just like his brother
New York Knicks forward Jacob Toppin grabs a rebound in front of Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, in Orlando, Fla.
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Westchester, NY — It’s pretty common for young basketball players growing up in New York to envision themselves playing for the New York Knicks in the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden.
It’s the same dream the Toppin’s, Obi and Jacob, had growing up in Brooklyn before attending Ossining High School in Westchester County. Obi Toppin was drafted by the New York Knicks with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft before being traded to the Indiana Pacers after three seasons in New York.
Jacob Toppin on the other hand was also able to turn a childhood dream into reality even after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. After a solid college career that saw him go from one year at Rhode Island to three seasons at Kentucky, Toppin was signed by the Knicks.
His contract has since been turned into a two-way contract as he made his official NBA debut on Dec. 5 in a 146-122 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. He has played nine games so far this season with the New York Knicks and the rest have been with the NBA G League affiliate, Westchester Knicks.
Toppin said what he has learned in his first season in the NBA is to stay balanced. He said it’s important to not get too high or too low.
“Obviously, it’s a long season. It’s going to be a lot of ups and downs, but within it all you have to find a way to stay even,” Toppin said. “Stay leveled. Never getting too high, never getting too low and that’s what I’ve been working on throughout the season. Whether I have good games or whether I have bad games, I try to stay level-headed because like I said it’s a long season.”
In nine games with the New York Knicks, Toppin hasn’t had much time on the court. However, his longest time came on Valentine’s Day in 17 minutes against the Orlando Magic where he recorded 11 points and four rebounds and shot 4-7 from the field.
