Evan Mobley on his upbringing around basketball, siblings, having Mom in Cleveland and more: Mobley Mondays

As the Cleveland Cavaliers sought to re-establish their identity throughout last week’s road trip, learning from numerous experiences in the last six games, Evan Mobley found his own way to be effective on the floor. Through either the block on Darius Bazley’s reverse layup and grabbing the defensive rebound in the Thunder game or catching the lob from Brandon Goodwin for a dunk against the Spurs, Mobley continued to showcase his skill set on both sides of the ball.

Mobley also is finding opportunities, especially in fourth quarters, to be a playmaker. He’s either finding teammates for an open look or driving into the paint to take his own shot. Mobley had four assists in the fourth quarter against the Jazz, three assists in the fourth against the Kings.

“We keep talking about Evan’s poise, how teammates can depend on him and trust him to put the ball in his hands,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame after the Cavs’ 107-102 win over Oklahoma City. “And then like, it may not seem that way because of his demeanor, but he’s got a burning desire to do whatever it takes to win basketball games. And he knows that he’s got the skill to go get it done. So whatever is needed in those moments, he figures out a way to go and get it done, because he’s determined to win basketball games, and there’s a fire that’s burning in him to go get the job done.”

Mobley is halfway through his rookie season and is averaging 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.9 turnovers per game.

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Mobley when we sat down at Moda Center after practice in Portland. If you missed Part 1, discussing Mobley’s introduction to basketball and the relationship with his parents, here it is. In Part 2, we dive a little deeper into his upbringing and growing up with foster siblings and a foreign exchange student.

(Editor’s note: This has been lightly edited for clarity.)

How much did you and (your brother) Isaiah play together and practice together at home? And who was more competitive between the two of you?

I would definitely say I was more competitive, just because I’m the younger brother, and he’s older. So early on, like, he got the best of me a lot. But as I got older, I got more and more competitive, stronger, taller, things like that. So that definitely helped. And then the score started evening out when we played. Then we used to go to LA Fitness or wherever and practice together all the time growing up, all the way up until high school. Even in college, we played together, so all the way up until now really, we played together our whole lives.

Favorite memory of playing with Isaiah when you were younger?

We used to play all the time in our backyard; we had a half court in our backyard. Our dad kind of made it, painted it and stuff. So we used to go out there all the time. That’s the memory I’ll always remember.

Was it just you and your brother growing up?

Yeah, that was my only sibling. I had two foster siblings growing up and then a foreign exchange student in high school.

What was that experience like, having other kids around?

It was fun, like growing up with a foster brother and sister; there was always something going on in the house; it was a lot of kids around and stuff, so that was fun. They’re like family now, so that’s cool. And then, like our exchange student, he went to our school in high school and needed a house to live in, so we just brought him in, and he was just cool. And we still talk; he’s like family now too.

How old were you when your foster siblings came to your home?

I don’t even remember; I was super young. And so, I grew up with them. Like, they’re like my family. They moved out when I was 6 or 7. And then, when I got to high school, we had the exchange student.

Where was the foreign exchange student from?

From China. His name’s Johnny. I went to a private school (Rancho Christian School), and we had a lot of foreign exchange students there. He went there from freshman year to senior year, and he’s my grade. So freshman year, he was living with some other family. And then, he didn’t really like it, I guess, so he asked to live with us. We accepted it, and then he just started living with us from sophomore year to senior year. He just became like family, and I still see him sometimes. I think he goes to college at UC Davis, so every once in a while, I’ll see him.

What was that experience like having him live with your family?

He came here — eighth grade, I think — and he didn’t really know English. So like, when I met him freshman year, and he wasn’t living with us yet, it was kind of different because he didn’t know much English. But he learned super fast. He’s all fluent now. And he got accustomed to the American lifestyle pretty easily, so it was an easy transition. And then he was also already in our friend group in high school and, like, freshman year, so he just moved in with us and just continued being our, like, friend and brother.

What was the dynamic like of having your dad and Isaiah at USC when you were there, transitioning to a college setting but having family there alongside you?

It was definitely different because I didn’t expect it at first, but after we got there, everything was really smooth and easy. Like, he told me what he saw, anything I needed help with, I could just ask him. He also stayed out of the way sometimes too. If I’m, like, on the campus or whatever, he would do his own thing and mind his business. And then, when it came to basketball practice, he would tell me what I needed to do. So it was a good dynamic.

How have you stayed close with your family now that you’re in Cleveland? They are at USC and in California … have they been able to come to see you play this season?

My dad and Isaiah haven’t really come to see me too much, because they’re in season too. So they’ve been busy. But they saw me when we played in L.A.; when we went out there, they saw me. They’re about to see me on this trip, too, when we go play Golden State and Sacramento. My mom moved out to Cleveland with me, so I see her all the time.

What’s that been like having her in Cleveland with you?

Yeah, it’s definitely helpful. Anything I need, she’s always there. Always asking me anything I need, I could just ask her. It just makes the whole process easier.

Mobley moment of the week

As fans can vote for All-Star week appearances and such, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett shared his thoughts on Mobley’s rookie season. On Jan. 12, Mobley finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, as well as seven assists and one block.

Evan Mobley ROTY and it’s not close
— Myles Garrett (@Flash_Garrett) January 13, 2022

What others are saying

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, in his pregame news conference on Jan. 15, on the matchup with Mobley and the Cavs: “The thing that stands out about him is the mobility at the size. He really moves well. He’s got great feet and range defensively. He can just cover ground and cover space in the air. That’s what a lot of the best defenders can do in their own way. (Luguentz Dort) does it with his physical strength; Mobley does it with range. He’s long, and he’s athletic. Not only vertically athletic, but laterally, and that stands out. And then offensively, he’s got a sense of how to play.

“It’s been really impressive, and it just goes to show you, you can’t listen to every narrative that you hear, because everyone talks about how the league is downsizing and small ball and the modern game. They’ve done a really good job of maximizing the team that they have, and it’s flipped some of that stuff on its head a little bit. It’s forced teams to deal with a big team, and that’s a credit to their team and a credit to the individual guys. And I think he and (Jarrett) Allen have something to do with that. They are both smart players, and you need that in order to be able to cover weaknesses, which starting two 7-footers is going to present some nights.”

Stats of the week

Mobley has scored in double-digits in 11 consecutive games, dating back to his first game back from the health and safety protocols on Dec. 28 against the Pelicans.

When the Cavs faced the Jazz on Jan. 12, Mobley became the first Cavs rookie with 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game since LeBron James in 2003, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Mobley’s final stat line of the night was 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists against the Jazz.