Javon Small’s Pop Pop Goes Viral for Heartfelt Reaction to Draft Moment

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Jun 27, 2025 7:37 AM ET

That moment of being drafted is something that comes with a whole batch of emotions, and Thursday night, former West Virginia guard Javon Small and his family got to experience that feeling when he was selected 48th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.

His grandfather went viral on social media after the camera showed him yelling, "That's my boy!" while tears of joy flowed down his face, happy that his grandson had accomplished his dream of making it to the NBA.

Warning: The embedded video below may bring tears to your eyes.

Javon Small's grandpa got emotional watching his grandson get drafted in the second round

Too wholesome ❤️ pic.twitter.com/toxUrcUlUn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 27, 2025

“My family is just my world, man," Small said in an interview with ESPN. "To see my pop pop over there with me…he took me to every single tournament since I was a little kid, rarely misses any games, so that’s who I do it for.”

Small became the 42nd player in West Virginia basketball program history to be selected in the NBA Draft and the first since Miles McBride was taken by the New York Knicks in 2021.

During his one and only season in Morgantown, Small averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while shooting 41% from the floor and 35% from three-point range.