When players get into the NBA, they want to make a name for themselves. They want to help out the team on the front of their jersey while making sure that everyone learns the name on the back, too.
For some players, it's hard to create your own identity when you start off in the shadow of someone who came before you. Whether related or not, sharing a last name with a famous basketball player will cause some to increase their expectations about your playing career.
Arizona's Carter Bryant has always been linked to the late, great Kobe Bryant because of his last name. People know that Kobe had kids, so they think that there's a chance that Carter could be his son.
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The younger Bryant does have a father who played basketball, but it's not Kobe. Here's more on Bryant's family tree.
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Is Carter Bryant related to Kobe Bryant?
Despite sharing the last name, Carter and Kobe are not related. Carter's father is named D'Cean, and his mother is named Sabrina Torres.
Carter Bryant's father
D'Cean Bryant did play basketball, but his playing career ended in college. He spent four years playing for Long Beach State University from 1996-2000. Bryant played in 114 games, and the 6-6 forward averaged 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
After his playing career ended, D'Cean got into coaching. He started out as an assistant coach at King High School in Riverside, Calif. where Carter grew up. D'Cean later worked as an assistant at Orange Lutheran High School. He then became the head coach at Fountain Valley High School and Sage Hill School. His stop at Sage Hill netted him six California Southern Section titles. D'Cean is expected to be coaching at Grand Island Public Schools starting in 2025.
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Carter Bryant's mother
There isn't much known about Torres. She has always been Carter's biggest fan and even mentioned Kobe in an interview response. Torres said about Carter:
"The one thing about Carter that he’s had since he was very young is a great work ethic and huge dreams. He would always ask, ‘If I did this, can I be that?’ He would always continuously ask, at 4 or 5 years old, ‘You know, mom, do you think if I put in work every day I could be as good as Kobe? Do you think I could be a good as …’ And I would tell him, `You know, son, make a name for yourself, and you can be as good as you want to be. Whatever you put into that role, you get out of it"
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Carter Bryant's grandparents
Bryant's grandparents are both deaf. His grandfather is Mike "Doc" Torres, who is a member of the USA Deaf Basketball Hall of Fame. His grandmother is named Shelly Freed. While she didn't have the same playing career, she is reportedly a longtime educator and administrator for the California School for the Deaf.
Bryant's mother is a sign language interpreter, and he was raised learning to sign. The first word that he learned to sign?
"Ball."