WATCH: Tom Izzo tells son Steven to 'slow down' after air-balled free throw, jokes about punishment
Arguably the only bond stronger than a player and a coach is one with parents. For Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, he has the privilege of combining those into one, with his son being on the team.
Steven Izzo is further down the bench but had the opportunity to get into Tuesday’s game vs. Nebraska. The younger of the two Izzo’s has never scored a point in a Michigan State uniform and had a golden opportunity with the Spartans up big. However, things did not go to plan.
With 22.6 seconds left in the game, Steven got to the free throw line for a one-and-one. He wound up air balling the shot before receiving some coaching/fatherly advice from Tom.
“You have got to slow down,” Izzo said with a smile on his face. You can watch the full moment here.
Izzo was asked about the moment after the game, saying there would have to be some kind of punishment for an air-balled free throw. He joked by saying Steven would “pay the price” and “won’t eat” at the next family meal.
Steven got on the court for two minutes, avoiding Club Trillion status. He was able to record an offensive rebound but did not find too much success elsewhere. Going 0-2 from the floor, one was a three-point attempt that hit the rim — a miss the Michigan State student section was not too thrilled with.
He missed a normal shot as well as the search for his elusive first point is still out there.
When you’re up 20 points at home, there are a lot of reasons to have some fun in the middle of January. Having your son involved is an even better excuse, especially for somebody such as Tom and Steve Izzo.
A fun moment between the father-son duo.