Is Jai Lucas related to John Lucas? Explaining connection between Miami head coach, former NBA player

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Is Jai Lucas related to John Lucas? Explaining connection between Miami head coach, former NBA player originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Not all top basketball coaches, whether in college or the NBA, have a professional playing career under their belt. That cannot be said of the Miami Hurricanes' Jai Lucas, however.

Lucas, who became the Hurricanes' head coach in March 2025, was once a McDonald's All-American in high school, a point guard at both Florida and Texas, and a G League player — that is, until he decided to take up coaching.

In his first year at Miami, Lucas guided his team to an NCAA Tournament bid. But what some may not know about him: playing and coaching basketball seems to run in his family.

Here's what to know about Lucas' connection to former NBA player and coach John Lucas II.

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Is Jai Lucas related to John Lucas?​

Yes, Jai Lucas, the head coach of Miami men's basketball, is related to John Lucas, the former NBA player and coach who was once at the helm of the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jai Lucas is John's son, following in his father's footsteps as a player-turned-coach. And that's not the end of the basketball lineage — additionally, Jai's brother, John Lucas III, was a college hoops star at Baylor and Oklahoma State before appearances for NBA teams for over a decade. John Lucas III then took up coaching, as he has been an assistant for the Timberwolves, Lakers and Suns, and is currently the player development coach for the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.

Both Jai Lucas and John Lucas III have taken after their father, John Lucas II, in the basketball coaching ranks.

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Where is Jai Lucas from?​

Jai Lucas is from Houston, Texas. He played high school in the city's suburb of Bellaire, and as a 5-foot-10 guard, he became one of the top prospects of the 2007 class before committing to Florida.

Lucas played two seasons for the Gators, although he sat out in 2008-09 when he intended to transfer. He then played two seasons for the Texas Longhorns.

Before he became a coach, Lucas also played in the NBA's G League from 2011-13.

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Who is John Lucas II?​

John Lucas II is a former basketball player and coach who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft, a point guard in the NBA for over a decade, and a coach in the league who had stints as head coach for the Spurs, 76ers and Cavaliers.

Lucas was a two-time consensus First-Team All-American and a three-time First-Team All-ACC selection at Maryland, where he also played tennis. He played for the U.S. in the 1974 FIBA World Championship while in college.

After becoming the Houston Rockets' No. 1 pick in the 1976 NBA Draft, Lucas would play in the league for 14 years; he played for Houston for two years, then was sent to the Golden State Warriors by NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien as compensation for the Rockets signing Rick Barry as a free agent.

Lucas faced some off-the-court issues, missing practices and drug issues, which resulted in him entering a rehab program after his time with the Warriors and Washington Bullets. After playing professional tennis and minor-league basketball for some time, he joined the Spurs in 1983. However, Lucas was waived twice by the Rockets over the next few seasons due to his drug issues, failing two tests.

In 1987, he was given another shot by joining the Milwaukee Bucks, where he found success. Lucas averaged a career-high 17.5 points for Milwaukee in 1986-87. After his time in the NBA ended, he spent some time in the Continental Basketball Association.

Lucas later became an NBA coach; he first bought and coached the Miami Tropics of the United States Basketball League, initially wanting to be a team owner, but then wanting to guide players, especially in overcoming drug problems. He led the Tropics to league titles in 1992 and 1993.

Lucas was the head coach of the Spurs from 1992-94, the 76ers from 1994-96, and the Cavaliers from 2001-03. He also was an assistant for the Nuggets (1998-2001), Clippers (2009-10) and Rockets (2020-23).

With his own history of substance abuse, Lucas also later began running a wellness and aftercare substance-abuse recovery program for athletes, per ESPN.

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Jai Lucas coaching timeline​

Here's a look at Jai Lucas' coaching career so far.

Texas, assistant coach, 2016-20​

Lucas' coaching career began at his alma mater, Texas, in 2016. He was hired by Rick Barnes as an assistant, and even when Shaka Smart took over for the Longhorns, Lucas was retained.

Kentucky, assistant coach, 2020-22​

In 2020, Lucas was added to John Calipari's staff at Kentucky as an assistant. He was tabbed as the Wildcats' lead recruiter — and during his tenure, Lucas was rated as the second-best recruiter in the country, trailing only Duke's Jon Scheyer.

Duke, assistant coach & associate head coach, 2022-25​

When Scheyer took over at Duke, he brought on Lucas as an assistant coach. He became the first Duke assistant who had not played for the Blue Devils in 30 years.

However, as he coached stars like Kyle Filipowski, Jared McCain, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Lucas was eventually promoted to associate head coach.

Miami, head coach, 2025-present​

In March 2025, Miami hired Lucas to take over its men's basketball program, succeeding Jim Larranaga and interim coach Bill Courtney.

In his first year with the Hurricanes, Lucas has led them to a 13-5 conference record, an NCAA Tournament bid as a No. 7 seed, and a first-round win over Missouri.

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