In a charmed life, sons might be Juwan Howard’s greatest accomplishment
Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard has so many accolades on his resume he might not know where to begin to list them all. From NBA champion, elite assistant coach, two-time National Championship game performer, All-American … he’s done it all.
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But his kids might be his best accomplishment, and two of them — Michigan junior forward Jace Howard and freshman wing Jett Howard — epitomize that. The two are mature beyond their years, always handling media appearances with grace … and yeah, they happen to be ballers, too.
Jace showed he could be a spark as an energy guy last year, and he’ll have more opportunity to play at the 4 this year. Jett, meanwhile, will likely start and be one of the players the team leans on as a shooter this year.
“I’m going to tell you this like my boys know this — I love them unconditionally,’ Juwan Howard said at Media Day. “They always are going to be special in my eyes. They are unique in a lot of ways, and both are very different, even though they are from the same mom and dad and I watched them grow and watch how they developed over the years.
“Seeing who they are and what they’ve become — I’m so damn proud of them. And I’m going to coach them with that. At times, there’s going to be some hard, tough love. Am I coaching them harder than their teammates? Maybe, maybe not. But they’re going to get coached.”
And he won’t expect more of them than he does his other players, who he also deems his “sons” while they’re under his care. They’ve continued a culture established by John Beilein built on trust and love for one another — a “marriage,” as Howard put it, in which much is expected from all of them.
That includes his boys, who have a;lready represented the family well.
“That’s what makes it fun for us is that they have a responsibility, and so do we,” the coach continued. “Our responsibility is to love each other and help each other grow.
“I know I’ve said this before, and I’ll keep saying it until I turn blue in the face … we do a fine job of allowing our players to be active participants as the voice within the culture and also within the team. With my boys, they are a large part of that. The beauty of it is just watching how their teammates and staff have accepted them.”
That’s because they don’t expect any special treatment. It was evident when the coach named Jace one of the team captains. Not only did the players not object, but they also expected it.
The junior has been one of the strongest voices on the team the last few years, respected by the younger and older Wolverines. He’s embraced that role and is a perfect fit for the culture.
“Jace is very comfortable with himself. That’s why I respect Jace so much,” Howard said. “He doesn’t care what people think or how they view him. He’s a young man that is not afraid to speak up in times when some may be afraid.
“He’s just a very smart kid … a coach’s son. That helps a lot, too. Let’s call it what it is. He’s played different sports — football, basketball. He’s been a leader in the classroom, so it just translates very well. It’s nice to see how he’s been able to take on that voice this year and not be afraid.”
He learned from some of the best, he added, in guys like Isaiah Livers and Chaundee Brown. It was at home with his sons one night when he realized just how special it was.
“It was just nice to hear Jett one day we were talking. We were just chatting it up,” Howard said. “I try not to talk about basketball a lot when I’m at home with my boys, but Jett brought it up. He’s like, ‘Dad, you did it right … the captains that you chose. Those are the right leaders for our group.’
“… I’ve been on those teams where the guys that they vote for captain end up being the guys for like a popularity contest. Are those the guys that are really leading, or do they really know how to lead? Sometimes, no. Folks lead in different ways. I know some people are not just natural-born leaders. Jace, he’s a natural-born leader.”
Jett likely will be, too, with the respect he’s gained from those in his class and on this team.
His time will come. For now, though, he’ll be content to help give the team everything it needs in 2022-23, just like his father did for the Wolverines 30 years ago.
