Jacob Toppin wants to make something clear: He is not his brother, Obi.
They may share a last name and some similarities — they are both athletic forwards who can jump to the moon — but they are not the same.
“We’re two different people,” the undrafted rookie said. “Obviously, we’re gonna be different players.”
Comparisons are bound to come. Obi spent the first three years of his NBA career with the Knicks, and now Jacob is following in his footsteps. Or at least hoping to.
Shortly before the Knicks dealt Obi to the Pacers for two future second-round picks this summer, ending an underwhelming stint for the former lottery pick, they signed Jacob to an Exhibit 10 contract.
Unlike Obi, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Jacob has to fight just to make the roster.
He started well, producing four points, two blocks and two rebounds in 10 minutes in Monday night’s preseason opener.
“I’m a person who lives life where I had to earn everything,” said the 6-foot-9 Jacob, an unranked prospect coming out of high school. “Nothing was given to me. So, I just take it as everyday I have to come in, I have to perform in everything that I do and give 100 percent. So, that’s really what I’ve been focused on.”
Obi was a big college star, the National Player of the Year during his final season at the University of Dayton.
Jacob spent one year at Rhode Island before transferring to Kentucky.
Last season, he broke out, averaging 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists, doubling his numbers from the previous season. He still didn’t get drafted.
“I like him a lot. I like his energy. Everyday he comes in, [has] great concentration,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He’s still a little raw, [there are] things he has to work on. But he’s a great worker. So just keep doing what you’re doing. He brings great energy. There’s a defensive component to him. Likes contact, rebounds in traffic, that sort of thing. Runs the floor. He’s got to develop consistency with his shot and he’s really worked hard at it.”
Asked to compare the two, Thibodeau said Obi is the better athlete and more advanced offensively, but he raved about Jacob’s defense.
That was always a shortcoming of Obi’s, and one reason his role was limited.
It is likely Jacob’s path to making the roster.
“I feel like I could bring a lot defensively. I think I could guard multiple positions,” he said. “I’m just very versatile on that side. Obviously, whatever the team needs me to do, I’m gonna do.”
It is funny how things work out. Just as Jacob arrives with the Knicks, Obi is gone.
They have talked frequently about what’s to come, Obi giving Jacob advice.
He’s ready to carve out his own niche with the orange and blue.
“Obviously, my brother has his own path and I have my own path and this whole process, I’ve been trying to focus on myself and be better every single day and that’s what I’ve been doing,” Jacob said. “This whole summer was just working to be a better version of myself everyday.”
