© Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard receives praise from younger brother Ryan Nembhard during NCAA Tournament
Andrew and Ryan both have suited up for Gonzaga
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard has battled with his younger brother, Ryan, often throughout their lives. As Dana O'Neil chronicled in The Athletic, their games against each other spanned from a Fisher-Price hoop in their basement to court work in their hometown near Ontario.
Now, they are in different leagues. Nembhard is in the NBA with the Pacers while his younger brother is a starting guard for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They both play important roles on successful teams — The older Nembhard's Pacers just secured a winning record for the 2023-24 season while Ryan's college club reached the Sweet 16 during the ongoing NCAA Tournament.
During the recent NBA All-Star break, Andrew went to see his younger brother play in Spokane, Washington, where Gonzaga plays home games. In the McCarthey Athletic Center, the younger Ryan finished with 18 points and 10 assists in a 26-point win over Pacific.
Even as the two are physically far apart, they are close as brothers. And recently, the younger Nembhard had praise for Andrew and what he is doing for the Pacers. Speaking to reporters before Gonzaga took on Indiana-located Purdue University in the NCAA Tournament, Ryan was complimentary of his older sibling.
"He's been my role model since I was a kid. I'm just super happy for him. I know he's living his dream, and he's having a great time doing it, too," Ryan said of Andrew, per Andrew Chernoff of WISH-TV. The younger Nembhard added that he's super proud of his brother.
Later, Ryan was asked what Andrew taught him about the game of basketball. "I think just learning through him and watching him play and him just being my brother and getting to see him do what he does every day... it's just been a lesson for me," he said.
Ryan's Bulldogs fell 80-68 vs Purdue, ending their season in the Sweet 16. Nembhard finished with 14 points and seven assists, but Gonzaga couldn't contain Boilermakers star Zach Edey.
Andrew's Pacers have been playing well recently. They had a defensively-dominant win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, and Nembhard himself had his third-highest scoring outing of the season on Wednesday when he scored 18 against the Chicago Bulls. Indiana is 7-4 in their last 11 games.
Ryan shared that he's a Pacers fan now. "That's my favorite team," he said. Perhaps at some point in the future, the two could be teammates in the NBA.
While Ryan's season is over, Andrew still has a few more regular season games, and the Pacers will be playing after the season ends — either in the playoffs or Play-In Tournament. They next hit the hardwood on Monday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets.
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