From Aztecs to Hornets, the ferocity of Jaelen Home is aware of no bounds

“That’s my m************ son! That’s my m************, boy!” yelled out Boston Celtics champion Eddie Home as New Mexico punched its ticket to the NCAA Event for the primary time in 10 years.

His son, Jaelen Home, had led the Lobos to a Mountain West Convention championship with a 28-point exhibiting towards San Diego State. “I don’t anticipate nothing much less however for him to indicate up when it’s time to indicate up,” Home advised Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal.

4 months later, Jaelen was donning the identical colours his father as soon as wore, as he acquired the chance to go well with up for the Celtics in Summer time League.

“I labored out with them in Might, they usually like me, or no matter, after which, they advised me that they wished to carry me in for Summer time League,” Home advised CelticsBlog. “That’s type of the way it occurred.”

When Home was named to the Summer time League roster, the connection between him and his father was the very first thing followers sparked to. Successful in Boston means immortality. It was a pure connection.

However that’s not what acquired Home thus far. Not even shut.

“Individuals assume that I acquired right here due to my dad. No, that’s not the case,” Home emphasised. “I labored so arduous for this second, and I’ll proceed to work arduous for extra moments that I find yourself getting.”

Photograph by Justin Ford/Getty Photos

Home is a adorned collegiate athlete. He started his profession at his father’s Arizona State, however after two years, he transferred to New Mexico. That’s the place he made his mark.

In three years as a Lobo, Home made three All-MWC groups, two MWC All-Defensive groups, and was the Mountain West Convention Event MVP in 2024.

“I don’t forged a shadow,” Eddie mentioned to Grammer. “He’s making his personal. He’s in his personal footsteps. His title is Jaelen Home, and don’t overlook it.”

Home has made a house within the heads of his opponents, and it doesn’t cease on the court docket. Anybody from opposing gamers, coaches, and even followers are topic to the aggressive fireplace that he relentlessly spews when on the hardwood.

After not taking part in in Boston’s first Summer time League sport, Home checked in for a short stint towards the Los Angeles Lakers. He was solely on the court docket for 3:14 and managed to select up a technical foul. “I used to be simply fired up,” he mentioned. “Performed good protection, and I wished to let him find out about it.”

That wasn’t sufficient for Home.

He earned a ton of minutes over the course of the Celtics’ subsequent three Summer time League affairs, and his sport towards the Charlotte Hornets included some back-and-forths as effectively.

“I’m only a competitor,” Home mentioned. “Every time any individual talks, I really feel like I acquired to get the final giggle.”

Listed at simply six toes tall, Home by no means backs down from a problem. As a substitute, he makes it his private mission to mild the court docket on fireplace at any time when he checks right into a sport.

Whether or not it’s Lobos basketball or NBA Summer time League, Home’s depth is a basic piece of his basketball persona. And it’s one thing that’s been part of him for so long as he can bear in mind.

“It’s all the time been that manner,” mentioned Home. “I imply, I simply love the sport, so I all the time need to compete and do my greatest and simply go on the market and provides 110% each time as a result of, at any time when individuals see that, they usually’re like, ‘Oh, my goodness, this man’s going arduous.’ So, I simply attempt to go on the market and try this.

The Lakers and Hornets grew to become the topics of Home’s aggressive fireplace in Summer time League, however in school, it was the Aztecs.

Photograph by Ian Maule/Getty Photos

When Home stepped into Viejas Enviornment, the house of San Diego State basketball, he carried the hate of each fan within the constructing on his shoulder.

And he cherished each second of it.

“When the lights go on, he nearly turns into like a performer,” New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino mentioned. “He doesn’t thoughts—and also you nearly noticed it final 12 months in Viejas—turning into the villain, the place a few of us really feel uncomfortable with that. He relishes it. He embraces it. It doesn’t have an effect on him.”

Home acquired into it with the followers at a sport in San Diego throughout his second 12 months with the Lobos. They had been yelling forwards and backwards, and he wished to get in a single final jab.

Even when it resulted in a technical foul.

“I simply appeared on the crowd. They saved speaking loopy to me the entire night time, so I simply wished to rub some of their face one time,” Home advised reporters post-game.

“[The ref] was saying that’s unsportsmanlike, however I don’t perceive how followers can say no matter they need, and I can’t say something again. I don’t perceive that. However that’s simply how the refs work.”

His rivalry with the Aztecs culminated within the MWC championship in his last 12 months — the true final giggle. “I don’t like them, they usually don’t like me,” he mentioned after a win in January.

However Home’s collegiate on-court vitriol prolonged far past the partitions of Viejas. Although he solely spent three years there, the whole Mountain West grew to hate him. And once more, that was completely nice with Home.

“Jaelen Home is probably the most hated participant of ten fn bases and will get probably the most hate throughout video games of any participant I’ve ever lined,” Grammer tweeted after New Mexico’s 83-82 win at Nevada in February. “He eggs it on, after all, however nonetheless one hundred pc true… I’ve by no means heard the hate of a participant like Jaelen will get. And he completely loves sporting the black hat.”

Pitino even in contrast him to a WWE heel. “I mentioned to our workers, it’s like he’s like a wrestler in WWE,” he mentioned. “He’s, like, relishing this. However that fuels him. He’s simply acquired to get to that line and cease.”

Home cherished the hatred within the second. He embraced it. And being the Mountain West’s high villain was nothing however bliss for the purpose guard.

“Yeah, I like when followers discuss crap to me,” he mentioned. “It type of motivates me in a manner. I already play with a chip on my shoulder, so simply followers speaking mess to me and saying unhealthy issues type of will get me a little bit extra fired up.”

Photograph by Sam Wasson/Getty Photos

Whether or not he’s translating his power into scoring or the protection that landed him on two All-Convention Defensive Groups at New Mexico, Home’s engine isn’t off.

“I type of been doing it my complete life, so it’s probably not one thing that I type of carved out. It’s identical to a behavior now,” he mentioned of his protection. “You understand what I’m saying? Like, I’m going on the market, and I don’t need the following man to attain on me. I don’t like that stuff. So, I simply go on the market and play as arduous as we will.”

The taunting and jawing are all a part of the package deal. They make him who he’s. Although he isn’t fast to share the main points of his fiery interactions.

“Not that I can say on right here,” Home advised CelticsBlog with a smile when requested for an instance of his self-proclaimed “smack discuss.”

Even Pitino needed to get used to teaching the Lobo’s very personal Tasmanian satan.

“I all the time take into consideration the expression any individual mentioned to me about teaching: You’d somewhat tone down a bronco than heat up a corpse,” mentioned Pitino.

Photograph by Sam Wasson/Getty Photos

So, when Home first joined the Summer time League Celtics, the connection to his father was simply, but unfair.

It’s enjoyable to see the son of a former participant rocking the identical threads as his dad. And for some lifelong Boston followers, it might make them really feel a bit previous.

“It’s nice having a father that’s performed within the NBA simply in your nook,” Home mentioned. “He’s been via the identical issues that I’ve been via. Faculty, NBA-level, or no matter. He’s been via not taking part in. He simply tells me, ‘It’s enterprise. ‘Simply acquired to maintain grinding.’”

However assuming Home solely acquired right here due to connections couldn’t be farther from the reality. Soar to that conclusion, and also you would possibly simply end up on the mistaken finish of a firecracker.

“I’d simply say, ‘Simply watch me play,’” Home mentioned. “That’s actually all I might say. And then you definately inform me in case you assume that I acquired right here due to my dad.”