Some athletes are self-made. Johnny Furphy? He came with a built-in training staff. Growing up in Melbourne, basketball wasn’t just a hobby – it was the family business. While other kids learned life lessons from cartoons, Johnny was getting master classes in competition from two people who’d been there, done that, and won the medals to prove it.

Who are Johnny Furphy’s parents? What is their nationality?

Johnny Furphy has sports in his blood. His dad, Richard Furphy, was an Australian rules football beast before trading the field for the sidelines as a full-time basketball dad. His mom, Liza Alpers? Oh, just a national-level diver who used to launch backflips into pools like it was nothing. With genes like that, sitting on the couch was never an option.

The Furphy household ran on two things: Vegemite toast and the family motto—“Play hard or go home.” Growing up in Melbourne as the youngest of three, Johnny was sandwiched between Joe, a pro Aussie football player, and Holly, a rising star on Australia’s youth soccer team. So yeah, if you’re wondering where the kid’s talent came from, look no further—his family tree might as well be a sports Hall of Fame.

Who is Johnny Furphy’s father, Richard?

Now, Richard Furphy isn’t just some dad—he’s a former professional Australian rules football player and the architect of the Furphy family’s all-star sports dynasty.

Born and raised in Australia (like his famous son), Richard didn’t just pass down his athletic genes—he actively shaped Johnny’s career, from backyard training sessions to high-stakes decisions like moving to the U.S. for college basketball. Coaches and scouts didn’t just deal with Johnny—they called Richard to talk about potential.

Who is Johnny Furphy’s mother, Alpers?

If Richard Furphy was the sports strategist, Liza Alpers was the high-flying (literally) balance to the equation. A former national-level diver, she didn’t just cheer from the sidelines—she knew the grind of elite athletics firsthand.

Like her husband, Liza is 100% Australian, and together, they turned their Melbourne home into a full-blown sports academy. While Richard handled the playbooks, Liza brought the mental toughness—after all, diving off platforms takes nerves of steel, something she clearly passed down to Johnny.

She wasn’t just a mom in the stands, either. When Johnny made the leap to Kansas basketball and later the NBA, Liza was there, crossing oceans for games, draft nights, and everything in between. And let’s not forget: She also raised two other pro-athlete kids. So no, she’s not just a basketball mom—she’s the reason the Furphy kids were basically born with a competitive switch flipped to “ON.”