Niele Ivey, the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women’s basketball team and former WNBA player for Indiana Fever, Detroit Shock, and Phoenix Mercury, is gaining recognition not only for her impressive coaching record but also for her son, Jaden Ivey’s quickly rising NBA career.
She was pregnant with Jaden during her first season in the WNBA in 2001 when she played for the Indiana Fever.
Soon after Jaden was born, he followed his mom everywhere, especially her games.
Being surrounded by basketball all his childhood, and even before he was born, shaped his life around the sport.
Niele’s supportive parenting as a single mom played a huge role in the NBA success Jaden enjoys today.
While Jaden’s relationship with his mom is well-documented, his relationship, even the identity of his father, Javin Hunter, remains low-key.
Niele Ivey, an All-American point guard, and Javin Hunter, a standout wide receiver, both attended the University of Notre Dame.
Javin Hunter played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team from 1998 to 2001, where, in his senior year, he became the team’s top receiver, leading the team in both catches and receiving yards.
He was known for his speed and agility, making him a valuable asset in both the passing game and special teams.
In addition to football, Javin was also a member of the Notre Dame basketball team during his freshman year.
His collegiate football performance led to the Baltimore Ravens drafting him in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Niele played point guard for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women’s basketball team, from 1997 to 2001, which she coaches today.
She was named a Third-Team All-American by the Associated Press in 2001, becoming the first Notre Dame point guard to earn this distinction.
She received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in 2001 and was a three-time All-Big East selection, earning first-team honors in 2001.
Ivey finished her collegiate career with 1,430 points before she was selected in the second round as the 19th overall pick by the Indiana Fever in the 2001 WNBA draft.
Niele and Javin began dating during their time as college athletes at Notre Dame.
Not much else is known about their short-lived relationship, but Niele became pregnant in 2001.
The timing couldn’t have been worse; Niele was about to jump-start her career as a professional basketball player, and Javin had been drafted to Baltimore, a nine-hour drive from Indiana.
The couple soon broke up, leaving Niele to deal with the pregnancy alone.
Due to the stigma around playing while pregnant and a fear that she might lose her newfound professional basketball career, Niele kept the pregnancy a secret while she continued playing in her first year in the WNBA.
In an interview with NBA.com, Niele quoted,
It was a dream come true being drafted, then finding out I was pregnant, that was a challenge to navigate being a young mother. I just had a lot of worries and anxiety from that, not knowing what it would mean for my career, would I be able to come back, all that.
Via PEOPLE
She added,
So some of the challenge was being able to perform pregnant. It was a secret that I didn’t express with my coaches because I wanted to finish the season. Feeling scared and nervous, I carried all that throughout the summer.
Via PEOPLE
She gave birth to Jaden Ivey on February 13, 2002, and now that Javin had gone away to Baltimore, she had to raise him alone.
Niele was not yet ready to give up on her basketball career, so she took Jaden everywhere, including practice.
In the same interview, she said,
He was on the court his whole life, literally, even before I gave birth. For him to be a pro basketball player? I couldn’t have imagined it, but it sounds like it was meant to be.
Via PEOPLE
She added,
It was Jaden and I, him being with me at work and me supporting him with all of his activities, school and sports. Two peas in a pod, always together. We’re kind of attached that way, which is such a beautiful thing. A strong bond. He was a really great kid and I was always so proud and blessed to be his mom.
Via PEOPLE
I always say I turned into survivor mode. I said, ‘This is my profession. I need to get back so I can play for me and him. I remember having moments [when] it was so hard. I sacrificed, we both did, but we both learned how to navigate together. I’ve been very blessed.
This was how Niele became her son’s role model and how he developed a lifelong interest in the sport.
In an interview with IndyStar, Jaden said,
Because of what she had to do not only on the court but off the court, being a single parent, that’s just saying how strong of a woman she is.
Via PEOPLE
I learned about the game being around her, every day, going to the gym, how to work, how to study … [I] learned all that from her.
While Niele has had coaching success at every level, her first student was her son.
She taught him the bare basics of the game growing up and, to this day, gives him solicited advice on improving his game.
After Jaden’s father, Javin, left for Baltimore, he had a short but respectable career in the NFL.
He played for the Ravens from 2002 to 2004. In his rookie season, he scored two touchdowns, including a notable 99-yard kick return against the New York Jets.
His career was, however, significantly impacted by injuries, including a torn Achilles tendon that caused him to miss the entire 2003 season.
He briefly joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 but had no significant impact.
After his retirement, Javin transitioned into the corporate world, entrepreneurship, and youth training.
He owns BMOC Sports and Marketing, which provides sports training and mentorship to young athletes aged 8 to 18.
Having not completely ignored his academics in favor of football, Javin graduated from Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Computer Application.
After a long gap, he continued his studies and earned an MBA from Frostburg State University in 2011.
He has since worked for many big companies in the auto and tech industry, including Ford Motor Company, Tesla, and Amazon.
Talking about his relationship with Jaden, they are not that close physically.
But, Javin has maintained some level of communication with his son over the years.
Following Jaden’s 2022 NBA Draft selection by the Detroit Pistons as the 5th overall pick, Javin has accompanied his son to media events and photoshoots.
He has even talked to media outlets about how Detroit means so much to him and his family, having been originally from there.
Javin and Niele also seem to maintain a cordial relationship for the sake of their son.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Jaden Ivey is in a committed relationship with Caitlyn Newton, with whom he has a son.
- He averaged 16.3 points per game in the 2023-2024 season.
- Javin has a son named, Jordan Hunter, from another relationship. He, too, is a basketball player.
