Evan Mobley’s dad says he was washing dishes when he recognized his son had a ‘special’ basketball future

Cleveland Cavaliers star Evan Mobley’s father Eric said he recognized when his son was in eighth grade that he had a bright future in the sport of basketball.

“Eric Mobley remembers washing dishes at his family’s house in Murrieta, California, roughly a decade ago when his youngest son, Evan, approached him,” wrote Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

“The elder Mobley, who stands 6 feet, 7 inches, suddenly realized the eighth grader had just about equaled him in height.

“The proud father surrounded by soapsuds let an epiphany about his son’s basketball future soak into his mind.

“‘I knew it was going to be special,’ Eric Mobley told the Beacon Journal during a recent phone interview.”

The elder Mobley’s vision for his son all those years ago has aged like fine wine, as the younger Mobley has cemented himself as an NBA star with an elite Cavaliers team in his fourth season in the league.

The former University of Southern California standout is averaging 18.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game so far in the 2024-25 campaign. He was one of three Cavaliers — along with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland — selected to play in the upcoming 2025 NBA All-Star Game, which will be held at the Golden State Warriors’ home arena, Chase Center, on Sunday.

The younger Mobley has shown particular growth with his 3-point shooting this season. He’s knocking down a career-best 37.8 percent of his 3s while attempting 2.8 per contest. Based on some shooting metrics, he’s having his most efficient season yet while averaging a career-high in points.

The Cavaliers head into the All-Star break with the younger Mobley on the heels of some great scoring performances. He scored 27-plus points in three of his last four games played prior to the break and dropped a whopping 30 points on the Detroit Pistons on 10-of-16 shooting from the floor and 3-of-5 shooting from deep on Feb. 5.

Hopefully, the younger Mobley will prove that he belongs at the All-Star Game by making his presence felt on both ends of the floor when he takes the court and faces off against some of the most talented players in the world. His next chance to suit up for the Cavaliers will come when the team plays the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 20.

For as good as the 23-year-old already is, he still has the potential to evolve into an even more dominant force, something that must have Cleveland excited.