“I think for me, looking up to my dad, and my mom, and then seeing my other family members…. and watching them, I think our whole family’s a team full of athletes,” said Kylor Kelley during an interview back in April 2025. Having been raised amongst family members who possessed prior experience in basketball, the 28-year-old revealed being influenced to pursue basketball right from an early stage. That influence allowed him to carve out a professional career with the NBA G League, several other international basketball clubs, and, as of late August 2025, an opportunity with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Therefore, without any further ado, let us know more about the NBA center’s family background.

Who are Kylor Kelley’s parents?

Kylor Kelley was born back in August 1997 to Jeff Kelley and Shandel Howell. According to reports, the nationality of both of Kelley’s parents is American.

Jeff Kelley once served as a 6-foot-9 forward for Boise State. Over the course of 4 seasons, between 1983 and 1987, he averaged 6.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 109 games. On the shooting front, he averaged 2.8-5.1 (55.4%) field goals, 0.0-0.0 (0%) 3-pointers, and 0.9-1.8 (53.4%) free throws. According to his LinkedIn, Jeff Kelley later went on to serve as a Teacher at West Ada School District for 25+ years.

Shandel Howell, on the other hand, stands at 6-foot-5 and was reportedly a memorable shot blocker during her high school days in Utah. She intended to play basketball at Utah State. However, as Kylor Kelly revealed once, “The year she got there, they had to cut women’s basketball”. He added, “But I still say she played at Utah State”. According to her LinkedIn profile, Kelley last served as a Showroom Sales Manager for the American Bath Group.

Who are Kylor Kelley’s siblings?

Kylor Kelley has two brothers, Konnor and Krishaun. Konnor reportedly graduated from Oregon State back in 2018 with a degree in mechanical engineering. According to his official Instagram profile, Krishaun Kelley graduated from the Gervais High School back in 2022.

Kylor Kelley’s sporting family background

As mentioned, Kylor Kelley’s parents weren’t the only ones who played basketball. His brother, Konnor, also played during his tenure at Gervais High School, according to his NCSA College Recruiting profile. During an interview with the NBA G League’s ‘Certified G’s’, Kelley stated that his grandfather “was a walk-on at Washington State”. He revealed that his uncles also tried their hand at the sport in the same interview.

How Kylor Kelley’s family shaped his career

According to ‘The Athletic’s Brian Bennett, Kylor’s mother, Shandel Howell, coached Kylor throughout his youth. She never took it easy on him during one-on-one games, revealing that “He always had to shoot it over me. I made him work on his timing and practice going straight up for blocks, because I knew that would be a devastating feature for him defensively.”

Kylor Kelley was 6 or 7 when he moved with his mother and brother to Oregon after his parents split. As highlighted by ‘The Register Guard’, Kelley continued having a support system with his mom and stepfather. Former NCU coach Luke Jackson once saw Kelley play at an AAU tournament in Seattle and convinced the player to come play at Northwest Christian. More than his family, Jackson helped Kelley fair well, as the latter revealed that “We’d work out twice a day, morning and night, even on weekends. He was helping me get to where I needed to be”.

Everything that Kelley went through in the past shaped his future. Now, as he is set to start a new journey with the Los Angeles Lakers, it remains to be seen how he will fare.