The Indiana Pacers sealed the deal in the first round of the playoffs after Tyrese Haliburton led his young team to a 120-98 victory over a Giannis-less Bucks. Obi Toppin came up clutch for the Indiana side, posting a playoff career-high of 21 points. Now, the Brooklyn youngster is set to face a familial foe in the next round, with a chance to be a part of history. Going into the second round against the Knicks, Obi Toppin will have extra motivation heading into the match-up, a chance of ‘big-broing’ his younger sibling, Jacob Toppin.
As Jacob is a Knick, he and Obi will be the second set of brothers to face each other in the NBA playoffs, Steph and Seth Curry being the first. But as Tuesday’s Game 1 draws closer, the big question is, Who are Mr. and Mrs.Toppin rooting for? It will be a big dilemma as Game 1 will be the first time either sibling has made it this far in the playoffs.
Elder brother Obi Toppin was asked the same during a practice session by media members, and the answer was straightforward. “Jacob is not playing, so probably me,” replied the Pacers big man when asked the intriguing question. But still, things don’t seem to be clear; for all we know, Roni and Obadiah Toppin might just pull a Sonya-Dell Curry move on their kids.
Sonya and Dell Curry’s innovative solution for a playoff dilemma
Over the years, many sibling duos have faced off on the grandest stages of their respective sports. From Peyton and Eli Manning to Serena Williams and Venus Williams, there are abundant examples. But before 2019, it never happened in basketball—in the NBA, to be specific.
The 2019 Western Conference Finals saw the two Curry brothers go up against each other, something that had never happened thus far in the NBA playoffs. This led to a serious dilemma for Dell and Sonya Curry. The couple came up with an ingenious strategy. A coin toss to decide who gets to wear whose jersey—on the front, that is.
The duo showed up to the games wearing stitched jerseys with one of their son’s jerseys on the front and the others on the back. Once the coin toss happened, Dell came out wearing No. 30, as Sonya looked happy to support Portland and her younger son, Seth Curry. Fortunately for the Currys, the dilemma didn’t last long, as Golden State swept the Portland Trail Blazers, sending Seth back to the stands.
