Corey Kispert was recently acquired by the Atlanta Hawks in a trade for Trae Young, and it’s clear why. The sharpshooting forward is a consummate professional and a hard worker on the floor, and Hawks fans might be hoping to get to know their newest player. Worry not; here’s everything you need to know about Corey Kispert’s parents.

Who are Corey Kispert’s parents?

Corey Kispert was born on March 3rd, 1999, to Craig Kispert and Deri Paulson Kispert in Edmonds, Washington state. Both of them are former athletes who pursued collegiate careers at Seattle Pacific University, making sports a constant presence in their household.

Craig is a former Division II basketball player who racked up over 1,200 career points for SPU, while Deri was a standout settler for the volleyball team, finishing her career with 3,783 assists, which still stands as one of the highest totals in school history.

Athletics run even deeper in the family, with Corey’s maternal grandfather, Dainard Paulson, having played five seasons in the NFL as a All-Pro level defensive back for the New York Jets.

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Craig Kispert serves as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Ottawa University, a position he assumed in 2021 following over 33 years in finance.

Deri, meanwhile, founded Brave Space, LLC, in June 2020, offering Christ-centered consulting services with a focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion.

How did Craig and Deri Kispert meet?

Craig and Deri Kispert met while attending Seattle Pacific University around the same time, with their first connection coming in the gym, where Craig played basketball and Deri starred on the volleyball team.

They began dating in Deri’s freshman year, and eventually got married in 1990, almost a decade before Corey was born.

What is the ethnicity of Corey Kispert’s parents?

Craig and Deri are both American by nationality, but there’s no reliable data on their ethnicity. Corey was raised in Washington state in a family deeply rooted in American sports culture, both collegiate and professional.

How good is Corey Kispert’s relationship with his parents?

Kispert has a strong relationship with both of his parents, rooted in trust. With both being former athletes, they were able to recognize the Hawks forward’s talent early, but let him define his own path.

By the time he was in elementary school, Corey was excelling in almost every sport he tried.

“[I knew] when he started beating me in 1-on-1 at about seven years old,” Craig said in an interview, recalling the moment it clicked to him.

Still, the Kisperts resisted pushing him in any one direction. That freedom strengthened their bond, and the forward’s success doesn’t just show talent, but a supportive and patient background.

How Craig and Deri Kispert laid the path for Corey Kispert’s NBA journey

Craig and Deri didn’t map out an NBA future for Corey, but they quietly prepared him for it. Their athletic backgrounds helped them identify traits early, and their restraint ensured that Corey’s motivation came from within.

By the time his jump shot began to separate him from his peers and regularly outperform his older brother, it was clear that basketball was in his future.

That philosophy carried through to the 2021 NBA draft, where both parents sat next to Corey as he was selected 15th overall by the Washington Wizards. Days later, they accompanied him to Washington, D.C., for his first charity event with the team, marking the start of his NBA career.

“It’s the culmination of a lifetime of his hard work,” Deri said later. “It’s emotional, surreal, just totally and completely joyful. It’s been driven by him the whole way.”

As Corey begins a new saga with the Atlanta Hawks with CJ McCollum, the same relationship that helped him get to where he is will help fuel his play in this next chapter.