Michael Bibby (Mike Bibby Jr.) is still in high school, but he may have the skills to be better than his grandfather, Henry, and his father, Mike.
The NBA Draft is less than a week away and speculation of who the Kings may take with the 8th pick, or which team they may trade with, is running wild. In a few years, there could be a player on the draft board with a familiar last name for those in Sacramento.
Mike Bibby is a legend around these parts, largely because of the big shots he hit during his tenure as a King, including the Game 5 shot in the 2002 Western Conference Finals, not to mention serving as the floor general for the best teams the Sacramento franchise has seen for six seasons. He also won a NCAA championship with the University of Arizona in 1997. Mike is the son of Henry Bibby, who won three NCAA championships with UCLA and would later win an NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 1973.
Despite the accomplishments of his father and grandfather, some say that Michael Bibby (or Mike Bibby Jr.) might be the best player of the Bibby family.
Earlier this year, Bibby Jr., who is 16, helped Shadow Mountain High School win the Arizona Division II State Championship. He hit seven three pointers on his way to 27 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the championship game. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game last season - his sophomore year. His father, Mike, also led Shadow Mountain to a state championship, but as a senior in 1996.
Mike, who now coaches his son at Shadow Mountain High School, was in Sacramento on Thursday for his Youth Skills Camp at Natomas Middle School. Bibby told Sactown Royalty that he wants his son to be the best Bibby to play basketball.
"I want him to be. He works hard. I've been having him shoot baskets. He's done workouts since he was 6," Bibby said.
And what's his game like?
"He's a hell of a shooter … everybody says he's a clone of the way I play," Bibby said. "His IQ is high, very unselfish. At this age, he can shoot better than I could."
If you check out this video (which is somewhat long), his shot and demeanor certainly does resemble the point guard who used to sport No. 10 for the Sacramento Kings.
It is obviously way too early to assume the youngster is going to be able to fill the shoes of his father and grandfather, or even make it into the NBA for that matter. But Bibby Jr. does currently have scholarship offers from USC, the University of Oregon and the University of Memphis.
Mike Bibby spent the afternoon with the kids at his skills camp on Thursday in Natomas and said he hopes to make the camp a regular thing.
"When I got traded, I didn't come back [to Sacramento] much. The only time I came back was when I played. And then I came back for the draft, and then I came back for this. So hopefully, it will start to be a yearly thing or maybe even more than a one-time thing," Bibby said.
Bibby hasn't played in the NBA since 2012 with the New York Knicks. He was invited to the San Antonio Spurs camp at the start of last season, but plantar fasciitis prevented him from going. Overall though, Bibby seems to be enjoying his new role as a coach and full-time dad (he has three girls too).
"I'm a family man now … All the times I missed out with my kids and stuff, I want to be home with them," Bibby said.