21-year-old Jaylen Wells, who played collegiate basketball at Sonoma State and Washington State, has been gaining significant buzz in the NBA following the Memphis Grizzlies’ selection of him with the 39th overall pick on June 27, 2024.
Jaylen is already generating success in the early stage of his professional career, securing a full-time contract with the team and getting ranked in the NBA’s 1st rookie ladder.
Such an achievement would have been impossible for Jaylen Wells if his parents, Fred and Laketia, had not been his prime support.
I got a chance to talk to the Wells family over the summer on and off camera, and I know they are super proud and excited about how well Jaylen is performing. But I also know this isn’t a surprise to them. Listen to Mr. Wells describe it almost to a T just a few days after Jaylen… pic.twitter.com/DAoZ0SMjj7
— Chris (@chriman_) November 4, 2024
During an exclusive talk with Sports Illustrated, the emerging NBA star recognized his mom and dad’s impact on his current status, considering them his primary source of inspiration. He said,
My dad and mom. They both sacrificed a lot of their time, money, their own personal dreams… for mine. So, First thing that motivates me is my parents. Seeing what they went through to help my dream
Via SI.Com
Now, as Jaylen Wills is in verse to fulfill his dream of being an NBA star, his parents are super proud of him, which they expressed during their appearance on the Bluffin Podcast.
In the podcast, Fred and Laketia also appeared convinced that their son, who, according to them, has a ‘zero ego,’ will learn much more from his mentors and teammates in the coming days and create an excellent career for himself.
Jaylen Wells’ father, Fred, is a professional assistant manager, and his mother is a housewife!
Per the 247 Sports report, Jaylen’s father, Fred Wells, is an assistant ER manager at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento.
On the other hand, his mom, Laketia, works full-time as a mother of her four children and manages her house. Lately, she has also been caring for her husband’s four-year-old niece, Leanna.
As Jaylen Wells said, his parents are all set to adopt their niece. While opening up about his biggest supporter, the Grizzlies rookie told 247 Sports,
She has a big job taking care of my cousin now. She used to work at Amazon and had a few different jobs. But her primary job was being a mother and taking care of us as we grew up.
Via 247 Sports
Well, Laketia raised her four children while her husband Fred worked hard outside the house.
Now, their oldest son, AJ, has become a tattoo artist; the other son, DeAndre, plays basketball at Columbia College, and their daughter, Tiffany, is currently a nurse.
Their youngest among four, Jaylen, made it to the NBA, thanks to the Wells couple’s patience.
Additional Information
- Jaylen Wells was born in Sacramento, California, on August 26, 2003. He is currently 21 years old.
- While growing up, he was involved in many sports, such as tennis, baseball, soccer, and gymnastics, but he chose basketball to pursue his career.
- In third grade, Jaylen discovered his passion for basketball and dived for it as a high schooler.
