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What would you do if you could bring a star down to eye level? What if you were just an arm’s length away? Would you try to recreate its shine? Or would you stare into its beauty, both incomprehensibly bright and painstakingly supernatural?
Being that close to greatness would make the average person’s eyes pop out of their head, like a scary gimmick in the windowsill of a Halloween store. However, for recent BYU freshman Kanon Catchings, he’s been holding onto stars since the time he was born.
The legacy begins in the fall of 1974 with Harvey Catchings, who made his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers. In the middle of what would be an 11-year career in the L, Catchings became the basketball equivalent of Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard Williams Jr. Harvey’s daughters, Tamika and Tauja set the stage for a family-wide takeover on the hardwood.
If you were wondering what it would be like to touch a star, you’d have to either ask someone on the 2002-2016 Indiana Fever, or her own nephew to truly understand how bright of a star Tamika Catchings is.
“I looked up to her a lot,” Kanon reminisces. “She was one of the first basketball players I really knew.”
Tamika Catchings, despite an under-the-radar hearing disability, kick started her legacy winning three high school state championships in two different states (Illinois and Texas). Stepping into her college career, she made her presence known on the court, helping the Tennessee Lady Vols to an undefeated season and NCAA championship in 1998 under legendary coach Pat Summitt, paving the way for recent college stars like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
Spending her entire career with the Fever, Catchings led the team to a championship in 2012 and racked up a long, decorated list of accomplishments, including WNBA MVP (2011), 10 All-Star selections and five Defensive Player of the Year awards. Not to mention, four consecutive Olympic Gold medals (2004-2016) and holding the all-time WNBA record for steals (1,074).
A unique star, Catchings transcended familial expectations, and set the precedent for what greatness moved like. “I wanted to be just like her,” Kanon explains.
The next closest star in Kanon’s orbit was Tamika’s sister and Kanon’s mother, Tauja, who led her high school team to two state championships (’95-96), and was named Illinois’ Ms. Basketball in 1996. At the University of Illinois, Tauja became the first player in Illini history with more than 1,400 points, 700 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals, earning her All-Big Ten honors and the status of one of the best players in Illinois history.
Almost a decade later, another branch of the Catchings family tree has emerged with Kanon. Standing at 6-9 and known for his athleticism, the youngest Catchings has stepped into new beginnings at Brigham Young University (BYU) where he’s quickly made a name for himself.
“An aspect I’d like to show a lot of people is that I can guard every position on the court,” he explains. Being able to be anywhere on the court is where Kanon feels like he has a leg up on other recruits.
Dating back to his junior season in high school, Kanon averaged 17.5 points and 4.8 rebounds before joining Overtime Elite (OTE). There, he maintained his collegiate eligibility, playing at a high level and averaging 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Kanon’s decision to suit up for the Cougars had a lot to do with a lot to do with his former OTE coach Tim Fanning.
“That was a big drawing point for me when I came to BYU,” he explains. “It means a lot to have somebody that knows you and has coached you before on the staff.”
At BYU, Catchings hopes to refine his shooting and physicality, notably looking forward to improving on his skill set in a way that transcends the expectation that comes with his family name. His defensive instinct—a hallmark of the Catchings family—is something that he wants to showcase, and with his Hall of Fame aunt as a mentor, he’s looking forward to growing all parts of his game.
“I feel like I’ve improved a lot,” he says. “In ballhandling, passing the ball, [and] defense especially, but also, just ripping out shots—[I’m] just trying to be as consistent as I can in everything that I do on the court.”
In the wake of what could potentially be a breakout freshman season, the four-star recruit has every bit of pressure on his shoulders come November. But, with that transcendent familial stardom looming in the background, Catchings has all the guidance and tools he needs to add to the legacy—perhaps not only reaching for the stars, but becoming one himself.
Portraits via BYU Athletics.
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