The Tyson brothers will be 315 miles apart at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night. And they each know exactly where the other will be at the moment the clock strikes eight.
For Jaylon Tyson, his Cleveland Cavaliers will be on the court in Toronto for the opening tip of Game 3 in their playoff series against the Raptors. Jordyn Tyson, the Arizona State receiver and top NFL Draft prospect, will be with the rest of their family in the green room in Pittsburgh watching NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell take the stage to declare the 2026 draft open.
It seems like bad luck that these events start at the same moment. But Jaylon sees a silver lining.
“There’s a teaching moment within this, because you have to understand it’s a business that you’re about to walk into,” he told me by phone on Wednesday. “It’s your job; it’s your livelihood. So I got to take care of my job.”
That’s the big brother talking — and always looking to impart wisdom in his little bro.
In terms of following where Jordyn lands, Jaylon said he thinks he’ll wait until halftime, when a Cavs staffer will inform him. It’s one of the things Jordyn admires most about his brother: his professionalism.
Jaylon Tyson will be playing against the Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs on Thursday during the first round of the NFL Draft. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
A month ago, not knowing what the NBA playoff schedule would look like, Jordyn told me that it would be “really special” if Jaylon could be there on draft night. Because Jordyn had been there for Jaylon in 2024 when the Cavaliers selected the 6-foot-6 shooting guard in Round 1 at 20th overall.
“It was amazing,” Jordyn said, then growing somber. “But just to be honest, like it was messed up, because [on the TV graphics] it was like, ‘Subsequent 15: Finest accessible.’ He wasn’t on the following 15 when he was drafted. So simply seeing folks proceed to simply sleep on the whole lot he is completed, the whole lot he is endured, the whole lot he is been grinding for and simply folks maintain persevering with to sleep on him. It’s nearly him simply persevering with to prevail and prevail.”
It didn’t matter that the draft broadcast wasn’t itemizing Jaylon when Cleveland chosen him. All that mattered was that Cleveland chosen him. And as soon as all the thrill had settled down, Jaylon spoke to his little brother.
“You’re up subsequent,” Jaylon remembered saying.
“Yeah, if it’s in God’s plan,” Jordyn responded.
“No,” Jaylon stated. “It’s going to occur.”
At the moment, Jordyn had but to emerge on the school scene. He suffered a knee damage (ACL, MCL, PCL) in 2022 at Colorado. After which in 2023, after transferring to ASU, Jordyn went with no single catch in three appearances. So on Jaylon’s draft night time, Jordyn’s future was unsure. He had no actual sense of what 2024 would deliver.
That was when Jordyn felt like he wanted his brother essentially the most.
“I really feel like with out him, I would not be right here,” Jordyn instructed me. “I wasn’t on the sector, wasn’t competing. It was him frequently simply calling me to say, ‘You are gonna be wonderful. You are gonna be wonderful. Simply maintain going. Simply maintain working. That is all you bought to do.’ So simply him consistently being in my ear, repeating type of the identical stuff.”
They speak about extra than simply ball. In truth, these have been the conversations Jordyn valued as a lot as those about sports activities. As a result of after they talked about life — from garments to video video games to one thing essential that occurred to them that day — it took Jordyn’s thoughts off his knee.
In 2024 at ASU, Jordyn had a breakout season with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns.
However then, it was Jaylon who was struggling. His first NBA season didn’t go as he had hoped. He wasn’t getting minutes with the Cavs and spent a number of time within the G League with the Cleveland Cost.
That is when there was a job reversal that wasn’t all the time snug.
“It was one of many hardest occasions in my athletic profession — not with the ability to play, desirous to be on the market,” Jaylon stated. “[Jordyn] was there for me. He challenged me, and as large bro, I did not actually prefer it at first, however I understood the place it was coming from. It is coming from a very good place, and my objective was simply, do not present him any weak spot, as a result of if I confirmed him weak spot, then how would he do when adversity got here to him?”
Doubt crept into Jaylon’s thoughts.
Jordyn, who had loved his breakout season at ASU, knew precisely find out how to sort out that feeling.
“I do not know if it helped him or not, or I do not know the way he actually took it, as a result of he is large bro. He bought to remain robust for me,” Jordyn instructed me. “I used to be like, ‘Simply maintain going.’ Form of the identical factor he was telling me. ‘Simply maintain going.’ He was doubting his play. And I used to be like, ‘Bro, you are a good participant. You are an awesome participant. And shoot, let all of it play out. Simply maintain being you. Maintain being your self, and do not crash out about one thing that you could’t management.’”
Jaylon had his breakout season this yr, taking part in in 66 video games for the Cavaliers and averaging 13.2 factors.
Nearly as good as these brothers are to 1 one other, they’re fiercely aggressive with each other. So I questioned: How will Jaylon reply if Jordyn will get picked sooner than No. 20?
“That’s already completed. He’s already beat me on that one,” Jaylon instructed me.
It’s true: Everybody expects Tyson to go within the high 10 picks.
However!
“I all the time bought the sting as a result of I used to be the primary to do the whole lot. I used to be the primary to go D-I, and I used to be the primary to be a first-round choose,” Jaylon stated.
Jordyn Tyson could possibly be a top-10 choose within the NFL Draft on Thursday. (Picture by Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)
[Ranking and Evaluating the Top 10 Wide Receivers]
There are two extra issues it is best to find out about these brothers.
First, in the event that they’re competing towards one another, steer clear. You may catch a stray.
“Every part we did was competing. If our mother and father gave us $5, I’m getting $3 and also you’re getting $2,” Jaylon stated. “Once we began getting older and we began getting stronger, our mother and father could not allow us to maintain combating like we used to, as a result of we have been making an attempt to kill one another.” And after they performed soccer collectively, particularly. “We have been making an attempt to tear one another’s head off.”
Then there’s the second factor.
In the event that they’re competing towards you, get out of the way in which. They’re coming for you.
“It’s us versus the world,” Jaylon stated. “It was all the time like that.”
It is smart that Jordyn doesn’t want Jaylon on Thursday night time. And Jaylon doesn’t want Jordan. Positive, it’s all the time higher after they’re collectively. However given all they’ve been by means of — and the way in which they’ve come out, they’re each in prime positions to take pleasure in their night time.
The Cavaliers are up 2-0 within the collection, with Jaylon taking part in a key rotational function.
Jordyn appears to have received over the hearts of a number of groups selecting within the high 10 — and positively within the high half of the primary spherical. He’ll hear his identify early within the night time.
They owe their success to one another. And after they do lastly join on Thursday night time, they usually’re each first-round picks, right here’s what Jaylon will inform Jordyn.
“Don’t let no person change you,” Jaylon stated. “On this world and this trade, there’s going to be lots of people who’ve one thing to say about you. There’s all the time going to be critics. However by no means change who you’re. Bear in mind what bought you to this second. Keep true to your self.”
