“I had the opportunity to enter the NBA Draft, which has always been a dream of mine,” Ryan Kalkbrenner penned in the Bluejays’ Stories section in 2024, contemplating whether to go pro or not. He ended up staying back another year and earned All-American honors, averaging 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 1.5 assists while shooting 65.3% from the field. He then entered the 2025 NBA Draft and was picked up No. 34 overall, signing a four-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets worth $9.97 million—and he’s already showing he’s worth every penny.

But what shaped the 4x Big East DPOY into such a young, bright, and admirable talent? His hard work and endless love for the game, undoubtedly. And what about his parents’ support?

Who are Ryan Kalkbrenner’s parents?

The story began on January 17, 2002, in St. Louis, Missouri, when Ryan Kalkbrenner was born to Kraig and Lynn Kalkbrenner. Lynn, a former college basketball player at Saint Louis University, passed her love for the game down to her kids. However, not much is publicly known about his father, Kraig’s professional life. Ryan grew up alongside his younger brother, Nate, in a tight-knit, basketball-loving household. 

You don’t have to look far to see where Ryan’s basketball fire came from. “My mom was the real baller of our family. She played at Saint Louis in college and signed me up when I was in first grade. So the competitive gene was in me, and in my sophomore year of high school, something clicked,” he once wrote.

From those early first-grade days on the court to high school breakthroughs, it’s clear Ryan’s journey started at home, and the Hornets definitely have his mom to thank for it all.

What nationality are Ryan Kalkbrenner’s parents?

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s parents are both American; however, there’s no further public information available about their ethnicity. That, of course, makes Ryan an American as well. He reflected on his childhood in Missouri, saying, “Growing up in St. Louis, I was always the tall, skinny kid.” Ryan hooped at Trinity High School in Spanish Lake before joining the Creighton Bluejays as a four-star prospect. And he didn’t just play basketball and move on—he went on to leave his mark, holding the record for the most NCAA Tournament games played in program history, with 11 appearances.

Who are Ryan Kalkbrenner’s siblings?

Ryan has a brother, Nate Kalkbrenner, though nothing else is publicly known about him.

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s relationship with his parents

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s bond with his family runs deep, and it shows in every step of his journey. The reason he turned down offers from Stanford, Purdue, and Kansas? To choose Creighton. Why? “Because of the family atmosphere,” as mentioned on his college profile. And his parents couldn’t be prouder.

“Crazy to think that you start off the bench freshman year, and had not a couple of people transferred out, who knows what would have happened then? Yeah, so he gets the opportunity to start his sophomore year and just blossom from there,” his father, Kraig, said, reflecting on Ryan’s growth.

“You have faith in your kid. You wanna believe in them, but to win an NCAA tournament game every year in his career, that’s what I call spoiled when it comes to basketball. There’s a lot of kids that would love to have that in their back pocket,” Ryan’s father continued.

Even as a kid, Ryan Kalkbrenner’s athletic path was uncertain—he initially considered pursuing tennis. But family support, love, and a shared passion for basketball helped guide him to where he is today. In the NBA, with the Hornets!