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 Match 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 displaying towards San Diego State. “I don’t count on 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 received the chance to go well with up for the Celtics in Summer season League.

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

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

However that’s not what received Home up to now. Not even shut.

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

Home is a embellished 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 Match MVP in 2024.

“I don’t forged a shadow,” Eddie stated to Grammer. “He’s making his personal. He’s in his personal footsteps. His identify is Jaelen Home, and don’t neglect 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 hearth that he relentlessly spews when on the hardwood.

After not taking part in in Boston’s first Summer season League recreation, 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 choose up a technical foul. “I used to be simply fired up,” he stated. “Performed good protection, and I wished to let him learn about it.”

That wasn’t sufficient for Home.

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

“I’m only a competitor,” Home stated. “Every time anyone talks, I really feel like I received to get the final snort.”

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 hearth at any time when he checks right into a recreation.

Whether or not it’s Lobos basketball or NBA Summer season 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 keep in mind.

“It’s all the time been that approach,” stated Home. “I imply, I simply love the sport, so I all the time wish 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 folks see that, they usually’re like, ‘Oh, my goodness, this man’s going exhausting.’ So, I simply attempt to go on the market and do this.

The Lakers and Hornets turned the topics of Home’s aggressive hearth in Summer season League, however in school, it was the Aztecs.

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

And he liked each second of it.

“When the lights go on, he virtually turns into like a performer,” New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino stated. “He doesn’t thoughts—and also you virtually 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 received into it with the followers at a recreation 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 regarded on the crowd. They stored 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 snort. “I don’t like them, they usually don’t like me,” he stated 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, your entire 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 stated to our workers, it’s like he’s like a wrestler in WWE,” he stated. “He’s, like, relishing this. However that fuels him. He’s simply received to get to that line and cease.”

Home liked 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 stated. “It form of motivates me in a approach. I already play with a chip on my shoulder, so simply followers speaking mess to me and saying unhealthy issues form of will get me somewhat extra fired up.”

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

“I form of been doing it my complete life, so it’s probably not one thing that I form of carved out. It’s identical to a behavior now,” he stated of his protection. “You understand what I’m saying? Like, I am going on the market, and I don’t need the subsequent man to attain on me. I don’t like that stuff. So, I simply go on the market and play as exhausting 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 anyone stated to me about teaching: You’d slightly tone down a bronco than heat up a corpse,” stated Pitino.

So, when Home first joined the Summer season 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 could make them really feel a bit outdated.

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

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

“I’d simply say, ‘Simply watch me play,’” Home stated. “That’s actually all I may say. And then you definately inform me for those who assume that I received right here due to my dad.”