Who Are RJ Hampton Parents: Father Rod And Mother Markita? The Family’s Next NBA Prospect

Professional NBA basketball player R.J. Hampton was raised by his parents, Roderick Hampton Sr. and Markita Hampton, in Dallas, Texas. His father has trained the 21-year-old since he was a child.

With his family’s stable presence, there is always a hint of Texas at Mairangi Bay. R.J.’s mother is the most prominent basketball lover and never misses a game. It is everything for the entire Hampton family and R.J.

Everything R.J. learns about basketball comes from his father because he is his full-time coach; Sr. Hampton knows far more than his son.

Thanks to his father, he has made a name for himself in the sports industry. And together with the American under-16 national team, he grabbed the gold medal at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship.

He played in five games, scoring nine points, grabbing 3.2 rebounds, and dishing out 2.6 assists.

At the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, he earned another gold medal while playing for the national under-17 squad; however, a foot ailment limited him from playing in two games.

In each game, Hampton scored 7.5 points, grabbed 2.5 rebounds, and committed 1.5 thefts.

His Grandmother Passed Away This September

Hampton shared the news of his grandmother’s passing to his followers on Instagram by posting several pictures of her. He described his sweet grandmother as “MeMe,” a superwoman he loved the most.

Likewise, he pinned the message to his profile, published on September 1, 2022. His friends and followers have left their sympathies for his grandmother in the comments section.

In addition to that, according to his athletic profile, his grandfather, Richard Evans, had served in the Vietnam War as well.

R.J.’s father, Rod, who played collegiate basketball at neighboring SMU from 1987 to 1991, has been R.J.’s AAU coach and trainer for most of his childhood.

According to star local media, his father mocked R.J.’s mid-game move in 2018, saying it was the worst move a rival team could make. When R.J. scored 29 points in the game versus Liberty, Rod joined in on the conversation among the Redhawks supporters.

Even worse, he insisted they had no idea what they were doing.

He claimed that RJ wouldn’t be the player he is now if the two hadn’t worked so hard together, which made him most proud as his father.

Being his father and coaching him in basketball have occasionally clashed, but the Hamptons have worked through that as R.J. has grown over the years.

Like his big brother, R.J.’s younger sibling is working hard to become the family’s next NBA prospect.

At the opposite end of the gym, where Dad Rod was coaching his younger brother, Hampton, shouted shooting advice at him. At eleven years old, Ryan is already on track to become the Hampton family’s second NBA hopeful.

The family of R.J., including his mother Markita, brother Ryan, and father Rod (a former collegiate basketball player), never misses a practice or a match.

The Hamptons are never far away to support their son on the basketball court. Similarly, his mother, Markita, active on Twitter, has shared several photographs on her page demonstrating how happy she is with her son’s successes and profession.

Hampton has been a varsity basketball player for Little Elm High School in Little Elm, Texas, since his first year.

He had 33 points to lead all scorers in his debut high school game on November 17, 2016, as his team defeated Naaman Forest High School 78-52.

As a rookie, Hampton led Little Elm to a 29-5 record and the District 14-5A championship with 23.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 3.5 steals per game.

On May 28, 2019, Hampton agreed to a multi-year contract with the National Basketball League’s (NBL) New Zealand Breakers, an Australian team, with the possibility of transferring to the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Due to his desire to “live like a pro, play with grown men, and not have to balance books and basketball,” he said that he forwent playing collegiate basketball.

Through the NBL Next Stars initiative, which seeks to cultivate NBA draft prospects, Hampton joined the Breakers.

He made his professional debut on September 20 against Melbourne United, scoring 11 points, pulling down three rebounds, and dishing out four assists in 21 minutes.

Two days later, in a defeat to the South East Melbourne Phoenix, he recorded a season-high 20 points, five rebounds, and three steals.

On January 5, 2020, Hampton came back and beat South East Melbourne by 11 points. To return home and get ready for the 2020 NBA draft, he parted company with the Breakers on February 4.

He Was Denver Nuggets 2020 NBA Draft

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Hampton as the 24th overall choice in the 2020 NBA Draft.

However, on November 24, 2020, the Denver Nuggets acquired the draft rights to Hampton as part of a four-team deal that included the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Denver Nuggets made a declaration about signing Hampton on December 1, 2020. In 25 games for the Nuggets, he averaged 9.3 minutes, 2.6 points, and 2.0 rebounds.

On March 25, 2021, Hampton, Gary Harris, and a potential first-round selection were traded for Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark by the Orlando Magic.

Hampton made his professional debut on April 4 against the Denver Nuggets by being selected in the starting lineup. In 33 minutes, he scored 16, grabbed four, and had three assists.

Similarly, he won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for May on May 17, 2021.

He joined Dennis Scott, Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee Hardaway, Mike Miller, Victor Oladipo, and Elfrid Payton as Magic players who have won Rookie of the Month awards.