“Growing up in Victoria, my life was almost entirely unrelated to basketball. I did a camp here and there and played on a Saturday in the local competition.” This was Jock Landale’s statement back in 2018, as he was talking about his career in the NBA. Fast forward, he is successful in carving up a career away from home, even though he took up basketball late. His journey has not been straightforward from being undrafted to accepting a backup role, that’s how life has been for the former Rockets center.

After one-year stints with the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns, the 29-year-old found some stability with the Houston Rockets. But after a 7 team blockbuster trade, he became a free agent. Even the Warriors were interested in securing his services, but ultimately is the Grizzlies who acquired the Australian Big, as Zach Edey requires some time off after his injury. With a new home on the horizon, let’s look at his old and stable connections.

Who are Jock Landale’s parents?

Jock Landale’s parents are Clive and Suellen Landale. His father, Clive, played a key role in encouraging Jock to pursue basketball after a break from the sport. “My parents threw me into basketball for no reason,” he said. “We have no history of basketball in our family, nobody in our family is really that tall, nothing. So they were just like, ‘You should try it out.’ And I used to hate it. Like, I used to kick and scream and be like, ‘I don’t want to go, I don’t want to do this.’”

The Landale family owns a farm in Deniliquin, Australia, where they have resided for over 150 years. In 2018, Clive took over the duties of the farm once his father could no longer work the land. He changed base from Melbourne, which is a 4-hour drive, it was the same year when his son was trying to create a professional career in the NBA.

But that’s not her favorite story about her son. Jock was young and practicing skiing once, when a tragedy stuck. “I fell back, and my pole got caught between my wrist and my bone,” he said. But why is her mother’s favorite story? She had just been on the phone with her friends telling them how thankful she was that Landale had made it through ski season unscathed. Twenty minutes later, she got the call, as Landale put it: “Hey, your son’s cooked his arm, he’s gonna have to come home and get surgery.”

What is Jock Landale’s ethnicity and religion?

Being connected to their farms for over 150 years describes the Landale family’s ethnicity perfectly. Jock Landale is of Australian ethnicity. He was born in Australia and represents the country in international basketball competitions. Despite his success in the NBA after the 4 year spell, his parents have a mixed reaction to his career so far.

Landale grew almost a full foot from his freshman year to his senior year, earning a scholarship to St. Mary’s in California. Under coach Randy Bennett and a fellow Aussie in assistant coach Marty Clarke, Landale realized he’d need to prepare to expand his game as a floor-spacing big man. His senior year in college, Landale attempted 10 3-pointers in 36 games. He went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, which was devastating at the time.

“My parents are so proud of me. Sometimes I just wake up to a random text from Mum and she’ll be like, ‘I’m sitting here crying about how proud I am of you and how much you have accomplished.’ She’s a very supportive mum. Dad, he’s always like, ‘Nope, you haven’t done enough yet.'”

Even though the 29-year-old doesn’t specifically talk about religion. He once shared his beliefs in a critical situation. Jock Landale has criticised Cairns’ decision not to wear the NBL’s inaugural pride jersey and encouraged the NBA to follow the Australian league’s lead. Because the Taipans faced fierce backlash when they opted not to wear the one-off jersey last month. The jersey featured a small rainbow-coloured sponsor’s logo designed to champion the inclusivity of the NBL

Cairns argued they were protecting an unnamed player from public scrutiny as the reports of their hesitation to wear the uniform on religious grounds surfaced. That’s when calm and composed Landale shared his thoughts. “There is real merit in everyone getting around that, being supportive of Isaac and the gay community itself,” Landale said. “It shouldn’t affect anyone the way it has. “Religion is not something I am too attentive to. I just believe people should be able to live the way they want to live.” Even though he did not specify his religion, but urged others to follow theirs without restrictions.

He remains firmly connected to his Australian roots and values, already planning his eventual return: “I’m gonna relish being back in Australia at that point in my life and being around mates and embarking on the next opportunity.” His retirement date is set for 2032. Staying close to the family is also why he has already planned his retirement.

“My whole career is trajectory. I want to try and make the Brisbane 2032 Olympics on home soil and hang them up after that,” he said. .”I want my kids to grow up in Australia,” he said. Further, he emphasized the struggles that his wife goes through, and being in Australia would help her out as well. “My wife’s obviously Australian as well,. She’s done massive amounts for me as far as handing over her life and coming and following mine.”

Landale also feels the weight of missed moments with loved ones — family gatherings, weddings, milestone birthdays. “That kind of stuff really hurts when it happens and I’m not there for it,” he admitted. For all its challenges, Landale clearly cherishes his NBA experience. This includes surreal moments like receiving a pep talk from 50 Cent or meeting motivational speaker David Goggins. Now, the next step is in his career with the Memphis Grizzlies. Before signing the Australian, the team let go of their big man.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Grizzlies agreed to trade backup center Jay Huff to the Indiana Pacers. In exchange, they received a second-round pick and a second-round pick swap. To fill that gap, Memphis has selected Jock Landale. Across two seasons, he averaged 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game for the Rockets. The team already has enough spots at centers with Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela. So, the move fits right in as Landale figures to compete with Brandon Clarke for the backup center spot.