Jordyn Oliver and Jaden Owens have been playing with and against each other for years. They’ve developed an easy camaraderie, a friendship that has bent for games played against each other and flourished from those when they compete in the same uniform.
Now, with their futures all set at Baylor and UCLA, respectively, the pair is enjoying their last run together at the McDonald’s All American Game and, later, the Jordan Brand Classic.
In Atlanta, the dynamic DFW-area duo has been celebrating amidst the hoopla, drinking in their final surefire scenes together.
And just as the pair has been excited to celebrate their scholastic accomplishments, their former AAU/EYBL squad has also been taking note of their joint success from afar.
The common bond and friendship shared by the pair is testament to the bonds that some of the nation’s most elite athletes develop as they move down adjacent paths together. At any given time, the “two J.O.’s” have been the best guards both in the district, region, state and, arguably, the country. If that last segment is a stretch, it isn’t by much.
In each of those situations, one of their largest hurdles was the other local star with the same initials. Yet, rather than develop any lingering animosity, the pair invested in the bond forged by their common achievements, attention, frustrations and celebrations.
For that reason, it’s only fitting that they get to go out together at both the McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All American Games. We should all just be excited to see what they come up with next.
