Brandin Podziemski’s rise to the NBA has been nothing short of remarkable. The Warriors‘ emerging star had no clear path to basketball stardom. His journey has been one of perseverance, unexpected turns, and a lot of hard work. From growing up in Wisconsin to earning honors like the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, Brandin’s story is one of passion and relentless determination.

And he had the best support system all along! As such, let’s dive into the personal life and the young guard’s roots, from his family to his path to the NBA.

Who are Brandin Podziemski’s parents? Where is the Golden State Warriors starter from?

Brandin Podziemski was born on February 25, 2003, in Greenfield, Wisconsin, where he spent his early years. Raised in a supportive family, Brandin is of Polish descent, a detail he embraces proudly. He’s even gone so far as to express interest in Polish citizenship, perhaps to join the Polish national basketball team.

Born to John Podziemski and Barbara West, and his father particularly played a pivotal role in shaping his basketball career. Well … not at first. In fact, in a 2022 conversation with Papa Podziemski, the man confessed a shocking fact. “Honestly, truthfully, God as my witness: I wanted him to fail so badly at basketball,” he admitted to Kyle Boone of CBS Sports.

Can any of you Podz fans imagine a Warriors team without the fearless, hard-nosed guard now? Thankfully, the plan his father put in place to hopefully dissuade him from pursuing basketball turned out to be the very aspect that ended up being the deciding factor. Before we go into what John told his son, let’s see why the man was against Brandin playing basketball.

Simply because what he saw from his son when he was as young as a toddler was a future in baseball. Showing an early talent for the sport, he had excellent hand-eye coordination as a left-handed player, which convinced John Podziemski that his son was destined for greatness in baseball. So, what did he tell Brandin who was begging his father to give him a chance?

“So, the first thing I told him is ‘You have to play up.’ And then he’s like, ‘OK, deal.’ I just wanted him to fail in basketball so that he would be done and say, ‘I’m coming back to baseball.’ I just had baseball in my mind. We knew nothing about basketball. I couldn’t believe we were even trying it. All we knew was baseball, and he was so good at it,” John revealed to Boone.

But if baseball was all Brandin Podziemski knew, how on earth did basketball spark his interest? Well for starters, the Dubs star loved basketball from the get-go. In fact, he often watched the games on Saturdays with his dad and on Sundays with his mom. However, it was a chance experience with his church basketball team during his eighth grade that set him on a new trajectory.

Despite having never played organized basketball, Brandin led his team to a championship in his first season. That moment sparked a lifelong love for the sport.

Does Brandin Podziemski have any siblings?

The straight answer to that is, yes. Podz has a younger sister, Gabriella Podziemski. However, not much information is available about Gabriella. But there is no doubt she was just as supportive of her brother’s pursuit of a basketball career as their parents. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that they supported Miss Podziemski in her pursuits as well.

Coming back to Podziemski; although he was initially overlooked by many, including some coaches who doubted his potential, he never let it discourage him. After high school, Podz went on to win prestigious titles like Mr. Basketball Wisconsin, Gatorade Player of the Year, and Wisconsin Conference MVP. That wasn’t all, though.

Podziemski’s performance earned him 14 full scholarships from powerhouse programs like Kentucky, Miami, etc. before deciding on the University of Illinois. However, after a rocky start at Illinois, he transferred to Santa Clara University, where he truly began to shine. At Santa Clara, Brandin averaged 19.9 points per game, was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year, and earned a First-Team All-Conference selection. And it was his success here that solidified his place in the NBA.

But first, he had to get through with his dad.

Brandin Podziemski had to convince his father to play in a basketball tournament

As you might have understood by now, Brandin’s transition to basketball wasn’t easy. In fact, convincing his father to let him join a basketball tournament was a key moment in his journey. At the time, though, Podz’s focus was still on baseball. However, some of his friends in Muskego urged him to play for St. Joseph’s in Big Bend. Although his schedule was packed to the brim, Podziemski promised his father his grades would stay up.

Finally, John Podziemski relented. “I never knew the magnitude of this tournament until we were actually in it. … You take the 40 best Catholic teams in the state and you play to see who’s best. They were pushing hard for him to play and I didn’t fully get it,” Podziemski senior revealed.

In the end, his father did get it. It ultimately led to Brandin finding his true passion.

With every step along his journey, from baseball phenom to basketball star, Brandin Podziemski has defied expectations and proven that determination is the key to success. And his father sums it up the best.

“You can’t bet against him. You’ll lose. He has that much fight in him to show you that you’ll be wrong.”