Grant enjoying son’s rise with Thunder
It took Harvey Grant some time.
When he entered the NBA out of Oklahoma in 1988, he needed seasoning, experience in navigating the nuance of pro basketball. Grant didn’t average double-digit scoring until his third NBA season, then he did it four years in a row.
Grant knows the way the league’s learning curve works.
He sees his son, Thunder forward Jerami Grant, figuring it out, too.
“He reminds me so much of me,” Harvey Grant said this week. “It took me about three years to really get where I wanted to get, and once I scratched that surface, I just took off.”
Jerami Grant is in his third NBA season, his first with the Thunder, which acquired him from Philadelphia via trade in November. He’s a versatile defender with an expanding offensive game, and his dad — who played 11 NBA seasons with Washington, Portland and Philadelphia — sees a high ceiling ahead.
Harvey Grant got his first up-close look at Jerami in a Thunder uniform on Wednesday, when he watched from a seat in Chesapeake Energy Arena as Oklahoma City took on the Chicago Bulls and Jerian Grant, Jerami’s brother.
It was a “wonderful” moment, Harvey Grant said, the opportunity to check in on both sons’ development in the state he calls “my second home,” where he played two seasons for the Sooners.
He liked what he saw, and what he’s seeing on a regular basis from the 6-foot-10 Jerami, who’s averaging six points and 2.7 rebounds in 21.5 minutes since joining the Thunder.
Jerami Grant’s third season in the NBA has been one of transition. He spent his first two seasons playing primarily at small forward for a Sixers team that won a combined 28 games.
Now he’s on a team contending for a playoff spot, and Grant’s game has expanded. He’s defending wings and big men; he’s shooting a career-high 39.4 percent of his 3-point shots; and, like his father did early in his NBA career, he’s learning the finer points of being a pro.
“In Philly, he got his chance the first two years to kind of show what he can do,” Harvey Grant said. “Luckily the Thunder looked at him and said, ‘We want him,’ and now they’re trying to integrate him into the system. When you got guys like Russell Westbrook, Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams — guys that he can learn from — it’s a blessing.”
And he still can learn a thing or two from his dad.
Harvey Grant — the twin brother of former Bulls and Magic forward Horace Grant — keeps in frequent contact with Jerami and Jerian. He watches games on TV, then hangs back. He’ll let his sons get feedback from “friends, colleagues and everybody” and then offer his own insights days later.
“He’s given me great input, obviously, being so experienced,” Jerami Grant said. “He’ll tell me what I need to do, what I need to work on.”
These days, Harvey Grant tells his son to work on his play in the paint.
Jerami’s 3-point shooting has been a surprise for the Thunder, and his high-flying dunks have been a highlight. But Harvey wants him to work on a post game, an offensive weapon in between dunks and jumpers.
Grant already has an impressive defensive arsenal.
He can defend a power forward in the paint or step out on the perimeter to contend with a LeBron James — “He’s to guard LeBron,” Harvey says with a laugh — and that gives him the chance to expand at the other end.
“My thing is, if you can guard one, two, three, four or five, that means you’re on the court,” Harvey Grant said. “And once you’re on the court, anything can happen. I know how hard he’s worked — on his shot, on trying to learn the game. He’s gonna be pretty good down here.”