Kobe Bryant's widely touted nephew commits to Oregon in college football splash
Though he bears a different last name and stars in a different sport, Jett Washington is carrying on the athletic legacy of his late uncle, Kobe Bryant.
Washington announced his commitment Thursday night to play college football at Oregon.
The top-ranked safety in ESPN's class of 2026 recruiting ranks, Washington is the highest-rated four-star recruit and holds the No. 22 spot in the entire class. Per 247Sports, he is a five-star recruit and holds the No. 18 spot in the 2026 class.
4 Jett Washington committed to Oregon to play his collegiate football.
Jett Washington / Instagram
Washington's commitment makes him Oregon's top-ranked defensive player in its 2026 class.
He chose the Ducks over the likes of Alabama and USC, where he also took official visits.
'I have that great time with [Oregon defensive backs coach Chris Hampton] and the coaching staff,' Washington told ESPN. 'I loved the way they treated me out there. My relationship with them has been going the right way ever since I started talking to them.'
4 Jett Washington posing in an Oregon uniform on a visit to the program.
Jett Washington / Instagram
Washington hails from Las Vegas, where he is entering his senior season for the football powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School.
In his junior year, he racked up 38 tackles and five interceptions.
The youngster was practically destined to be an athlete, and not only because of his uncle.
4 Washington rocked a football-cleat version of his uncle's iconic Kobe 6 basketball shoe in his photoshoot with Oregon.
Jett Washington / Instagram
His father, Jerrod Washington, played running back at Virginia for four years before being drafted by the New England Patriots in 1994. His mother, Sharia Washington (Bryant's oldest sister), was a volleyball player at Temple.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 210 pounds, Washington has some basketball-like size, which he not only utilizes on the football field.
Like his uncle, Washington also has talent on the basketball court, as he helped lead Bishop Gorman to a second straight Nevada Class 5A state basketball title earlier this year.
Washington was close with both Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, who were among the nine people tragically killed in a 2020 helicopter crash in California.
4 Jett Washington as a child smiling for a photo with his uncle, Kobe Bryant.
Oregon Ducks / Instagram
Washington wears No. 2 on the basketball court, just as Gianna did, and would go to his uncle for advice often.
'Jett was Kobe's guy,' Washington's father said. 'Kobe used to tell me, 'I need him every summer to come work with me.' He would give Jett words of wisdom. Anytime Jett would play in something, he'd send his uncle a clip, and Kobe would make a comment. Kobe would send him back emojis or tell him to make this adjustment or that adjustment. They were close.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Stephen A. Smith Facing Backlash After Cameras Catch Him During NBA Finals
Stephen A. Smith Facing Backlash After Cameras Catch Him During NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. ESPN "First Take" and "NBA Countdown" host Stephen A. Smith has been, as usual, turning heads with his opinions on the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2025 NBA Finals. Advertisement In particular, he took offense to Tyrese Haliburton criticizing the way people like him in the media cover the NBA. Before Game 4, he stated on "First Take" that "players far more accomplished and far more superior have made their efforts trying to call me out. How has that worked out?" Then, as Haliburton and the Pacers battled the Thunder in a thrilling Game 4 on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Smith was caught by a fan's camera doing something that would be hard for even him to talk his way out of. ESPN's Stephen A. SmithKirby Lee-Imagn Images Social media users were furious when they saw the photo of the $100 million ESPN star that went viral during Game 4. Advertisement A fan at the game looked down and took a photo of him appearing to play solitaire on his phone during the game. Though it was unclear when the photo was taken, the crowd in the background was standing up and appeared to be engaged in the action on the court, unlike Smith. "How can you have all of these opinions while you're playing solitaire instead of watching the game @stephenasmith?" the user said. "This who @espn paying 100 million," said another harsh fan. "They pay him to be an entertainer, not an analyst," another critic said on X. "When you look at it that way, it all makes sense. ESPN continues to be a joke." Advertisement "Please let this absolutely explode, modern day media is TERRIBLE," wrote a jaded fan. In the end, the Thunder evened the series at 2-2 with a massive 111-104 win before heading back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Monday. Related: Fans Are Not Happy After Major Change During NBA Finals Related: Caitlin Clark Earns New Nickname for What She Did After Pacers Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sports Fans Calling For Legendary ESPN Announcer To Retire
Sports Fans Calling For Legendary ESPN Announcer To Retire originally appeared on The Spun. Mike Breen has been the lead play-by-play commentator for ESPN's coverage of the NBA, making simply terms like "bang" his catchphrase. Though he's been great for decades, fans are starting to question if he's still the No. 1 option for the job. Advertisement Breen, 64, is calling the NBA Finals for the 20th time in his career. It's the first time he's calling the championship series with Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson. He spent so many years sharing the broadcast booth with Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Even though Breen hasn't been that sharp this season, he's expected to return for the 2025-26 season. His broadcast partners, however, aren't guaranteed their spots. "While ESPN intends on re-signing Jefferson, it has not yet locked him up with his contract expiring, according to sources briefed on the talks," Andrew Marchand of The Athletic wrote. "Amazon Prime Video has expressed some interest in Jefferson, according to the same sources. Meanwhile, Burke's spot is not guaranteed for next season, according to sources familiar with ESPN's preliminary plans. While Breen, the Basketball Hall of Famer under a long-term deal, is not going anywhere, ESPN will evaluate its entire roster." PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 9: ESPN reporters JJ Redick, Doris Burke, and Mike Breen look on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns on March 9, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)Unfortunately for Breen, he received plenty of heat during Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Advertisement Fans really had an issue with Breen's call for Pascal Siakam's thunderous dunk over Jalen Williams. They thought it lacked the necessary enthusiasm for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. With that said, NBA fans are wondering if Breen should retire. "Mike Breen, it's time to retire or at least ask ESPN to upgrade your coworker," one fan said. Another fan wrote, "Mike breen literally doesn't care he needs to go retire." "Mike Breen it's time to leave the football before the football leaves you… someone get Kevin Harlan in there and let my man retire," a third fan said. Advertisement "One of the greatest plays in finals history ruined by Mike Breen's lack of enthusiasm," a social media user commented. Breen, a recipient of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award, has not addressed all the noise regarding his future. Luckily for Breen, there's still time for him to silence his critics. Game 7 of the NBA Finals will take place on Sunday night. We'll see if Breen can end the season with an iconic performance. Related: ESPN Replacement For Doris Burke Has Emerged Sports Fans Calling For Legendary ESPN Announcer To Retire first appeared on The Spun on Jun 20, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Stephen A. Smith Lists Top 5 NBA Point Guards Of All-Time In Front Of Magic Johnson
Stephen A. Smith Lists Top 5 NBA Point Guards Of All-Time In Front Of Magic Johnson originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The role of the point guard is one of the most critical ones on the basketball court. While giving the masters of this craft their dues on "First Take", ESPN's Stephen A. Smith shared his list of the top 5 point guards of all-time, while facing NBA legend Magic Johnson. Advertisement Smith started his list with Chris Paul at No. 5. He said: "Led the league in assists on several occasions. He is one of the all-time great facilitators. Controls paces, controls tempo. A leader. Knows everybody's job, everybody's accountability." Smith justified that this was a tough decision to make, since he had to decide between Paul and Gary Payton for the fifth spot. But the analyst eventually justified it using Paul's offensive impact as a reason. At No. 4, Smith selected Jason Kidd and said: "Did you see this, brother? Without a jump shot, and you still couldn't stop him. You talk about a fast break? Lord, have mercy. Watch this brother push the ball up the court. You see the passes that he made. Richard Jefferson was relevant because of Jason Kidd... Jay Kidd was something special to behold, and by the way, a champion, even as he got older." Advertisement As enamored as Smith was by Kidd, he didn't place him in his top 3. Instead, he picked Isiah Thomas at third and justified: "Michael Jordan got him as No. 2, I got him as No. 3, but damn it, the greatest little guard in the history of basketball... A two-time champion, a national champion. The brother is something special. He was Kyrie before Kyrie. And the Bad Boy Pistons, even with all those rough riders, those leaders, he was clearly the unquestionable leader." Following up with Thomas at three, Smith selected Stephen Curry as No. 2 on his list. He added: "The greatest shooter God has ever seen. But, Magic pointed it out on "Get Up" earlier this morning - the ball handling, the passing skills. This brother sets it up. And here's the thing, impact is what it comes down to." Advertisement "This brother's movement without the ball, keeping everybody's head on a swivel, scaring the living hell out of you because he can shoot, but with the ball handling capabilities, and he's a four-time champion... When we think of him, we think of divine intervention, because his gifts are God-given. It works on it even more. Give him credit. He's that dude." For all the positive comments, Curry still couldn't crack the top spot. Smith especially reserved that for the legend in front of him, selecting Magic Johnson as No. 1 on his list. "When you're talking about point guards," he said, quoting Eddie Johnson in the process. "You're talking about facilitators. You're talking about guys that set others up. You're talking about guys that make the other people around them so much better than what they really are. Who did that better than the magic man?" Smith ranted about the Showtime Lakers and the impact they had on the NBA landscape, running most NBA teams into the ground with their dazzling and dominant displays led by Johnson. Johnson couldn't hold back his laughter while watching Smith's animated antics. But by the end of the analyst's segment, the Lakers legend shared his reaction to the list. He said: Advertisement "It's a great list, no question about it. You don't have to change a thing. It's just two guys when I look at - My boy from Utah, John Stockton, he's right there. And Steve Nash... I'm not saying change. I'm just saying, add those two guys." Magic Johnson was by far one of the most iconic players the league has ever seen, particularly in the point guard position. At 6'9", he broke the mould for the position, ushering in the era of positionless basketball. With a career average of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game, Johnson was a master of his craft. With his talent and skill yielding success for him as a player, he amassed several achievements, including five NBA titles, three Finals MVP awards, three MVP awards, 12x All-Star selections, and 10x All-NBA selections, while also being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. This list also features two active players in Paul and Curry. While both remain relevant even at this stage in their careers, it is evident why Curry is listed higher. Advertisement Heading into next season, Paul is expected to test free agency, making a move out of San Antonio to hopefully join a contender in LA. Meanwhile, Curry remains a central figure with the Warriors, who aim to make adjustments to make another title charge next season. Related: Stephen Curry Reveals He Suffers From "Impostor Syndrome" This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
