Roy Jones Jr’s Namesake Son Has a Talent for Basketball — inside Their Father-Son Relationship

Legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr. is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of his generation. Nowadays, much of the attention has shifted to his namesake son Roy Jones III, who is a prodigious basketball talent.

Former heavyweight champion of the world Roy Jones Jr. has always made the headlines since he first made his professional debut as a boxer in 1989. Jones has since passed his peak, and another member of his family is currently making a name for himself but in a different sport.

Over the last few Roy Jones III has been building a reputation as one of the most promising young talents in the game of basketball. Still, Jones III has already amassed quite a considerable following because of his remarkable talent, and chief amongst his supporters are his proud dad.

ROY JONES JR CHEERING HIS SON INTO THE NBA

Roy Jones III is the son of boxing legend Roy Jones Jr., and he is currently making waves as a talented basketball player. The 5'10" junior point guard first gained prominence while playing for Pine Forest High in Pensacola, Florida.

In 2017, Jones transferred to Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), for his senior year, following an impressive last season for Pine Forest, which saw him average 14 points, two rebounds, two steals, and 1.5 assists. While sharing the news via his Twitter account, Jones wrote:

"Thankful and blessed to say that I will be attending Findlay Prep for my senior year #GoPilots."

Jones' exploits on the court have not gone unnoticed by Roy Jones Jr., and the proud dad has been raving about his son's chances of playing in the NBA. During a 2017 interview with TMZSports, Jones Jr. spoke glowingly about his son's talent and tipped him to make it into the NBA. In his words:

"I know he has that potential. He's talented enough to make the NBA, yes. I'm not like [LaVar] Ball, going to say that he's the best player in the NBA or that he's better than Steph Curry or Kyrie Irving."

The 51-year-old boxing commentator also added that his son is not currently on the level of current NBA strike Steph Curry or Kyrie Irving, but he does have what it takes to play at their level with time.

Roy Jones Jr. also expressed his happiness at his son pursuing a career in basketball rather than boxing. According to Jones Jr., his children would have found it challenging to live up to the high standards he had set with his blistering career, and more importantly, he feels boxing is just too dangerous for his boy.

While Jones may be hellbent on a career in the NBA, he is also focused on getting into college and earning a degree in business or communications.

The youngster is being shepherded by his proud father, who dotes on him regularly. The father and son share a solid bond, which is in stark contrast to the toxic relationship Jones Jr. had with his father and former trainer, Roy Jones Sr.

ROY JONES JR'S EARLY YEARS

Jones Jr. was born into a family with a little boxing history as his father Roy Jones Sr, who was a war veteran, also fought in the middleweight boxing category.

In terms of their character, Jones' parents were on two different sides of the spectrum. His mother, Carol, was very loving and easy-going, whereas Roy Sr. was very aggressive and gave his son a lot of tough-love while growing up.

Roy Sr. was harsh on his son right from his childhood and developed a routine that included regular taunts, aggressive sparring, yelling and abusing him, and other enraging tactics.

The behavior never really changed, and as Jones Jr. got older, he lived in constant fear of his father's physical and verbal abuse against him. On his relationship with his father, Jones Jr. had this to say:

"I was in pain all day, every day, I was so scared of my father. He'd pull up in his truck and start lookin' for something I'd done wrong. There was no escape, no excuse, no way out of nothin...'"

But his father's violence towards him inadvertently paid off and helped Jones Jr. develop a high threshold for pain. During his active days as a boxer, Jones Jr. was widely regarded as the best pound for pound boxer and remains the only boxer in history to begin his career as a junior middleweight and go on to claim a heavyweight title.

ROY JONES JR'S PERSONAL LIFE

Roy Jones Jr adopted a very different parenting style with his kids. Apart from Roy Jones III, the highly decorated boxer has 28-year-old twin sons, DeShaun Jones and DeAndre Jones.

Despite being raised surrounded by a lot of wealth and extravagant lifestyle, Jones Jr still ensured that his children remained grounded and exerted themselves around the house by engaging in chores and morning workouts. While speaking on his parenting style, Jones Jr. said:

"I teach them to be accountable and responsible. This gives them all the things they'll need to go on and raise a family once I'm gone. Some things you can only learn on a farm."

None of Roy Jones Jr's kids have followed in his footsteps with his twin sons taking up a career in music, while his youngest son is currently the only one interested in sports.

STEPPING BACK INTO THE RING

In 2018, Jones Jr ended his boxing career after defeating Scott Sigmon in a one-sided 10 round match. He also claimed the vacant World Boxing Union cruiserweight by his victory.

Jones Jr. enjoyed a successful boxing career spanning nearly three decades. During this time, he competed in 75 fights, winning 66 and losing 9. At his prime, he was known for his speed and athleticism, and he won 47 of those fights through knockout.

The father of three first began his career at 154 pounds and won titles at all the weight categories. In 2003, Jones Jr. defeated John Ruiz to become heavyweight champion of the world.

Nearly two years after retiring from the ring, Jones Jr. is scheduled for a comeback in an exhibition fight against former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Mike Tyson, on September 12.

Roy Jones Jr has spent the better part of the last two years supporting his son and running commentary on sporting events. However, fans are curious to see if the famous boxer still has that sting in his punch as he goes head to head with another legend.