G-League Star Jacob Toppin has made waves after being named contestant for the 2024 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest. His surname Toppin brings a lot of curiosity and one can wonder if he is related to Indiana Pacers’ Power Forward Obi Toppin. Turns out that Jacob is the younger brother of the Pacers’ reliable Stretch-Four. Two years younger than Obi, 25-year-old Jacob was born in 2000.
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Jacob pursued basketball, volleyball, and football in his school days at Ossining High School. He wasn’t highly recruited during his school days, despite that, he hunted for a basketball career and joined Rhode Island for just one season. Then he transferred to the much higher-rated Kentucky program where he played for three seasons, making for a four-year college career.
During his first three years, the Small Forward figured in just the 5-6 points and 3 rebounds per game range. However, in his senior year at Kentucky, he took a huge leap and put up 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, all career-high numbers. The Wing then declared for the 2023 NBA draft but went undrafted. However, in July, he landed an Exhibit A contract with the New York Knicks.
The Knicks later converted that Exhibit A contract into a two-way contract, assigning him to their G-League affiliate Westchester Knicks. Toppin is thriving with the G-League squad and has put up 21.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on a highly impressive 53.1% shooting.
Apart from being a power slammer, the Wing is clicking on 2.0 out of 5.3 triples per game while shooting 37.7% from the floor. In addition to his incredible G-League performances, the Forward also made his dream true as he featured for the Knicks in five NBA games. In one of those games, he even went head-to-head against his elder brother.
When the Toppin brothers clashed against each other
During the December 30, 2023 clash between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks, Obi Toppin and Jacob Toppin shared the floor for a minute. Considering it was a blowout affair, both teams unloaded their benches during the last minute of the game. While nothing special happened basketball-wise, it was an incredible moment for the two brothers. The two engaged in some fun as the buzzer sounded and enjoyed the brief yet surreal moment.
Now that he is in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest, he shares another similarity with his 25-year-old brother. Obi won the 2022 edition and showed incredible hops, therefore, expectations are high for Jacob. It will be interesting what tricks he has in his bag for the high-flying showdown.
