With his father joining the Phoenix Suns as a player development and leadership assistant coach, Flint's Mateen Cleaves Jr. only had a few days left in Michigan. There was no better place for the rising sophomore point guard to have a going away party than in the gym.

Cleaves Jr. worked out alongside former Michigan State basketball players Draymond Green, Cassius Winston, Raymar Morgan and Jaden Akins. After the workout, Morgan talked to Cleaves about how to control the pace of the game and not shy away from contact. Despite the wealth of knowledge that the former Spartans shared, his biggest gift was yet to come.

Later that night, Cleaves Jr. was at a party hosted by Suns owner and his father’s former Michigan State teammate, Mat Ishbia. Cleaves Jr. was surrounded by family; he refers

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