Four-time NBA champion Horace Grant had a clear message for Portland Trail Blazers fans when asked about his nephew, Jerami Grant: this is the kind of player you build a culture around.
In an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports, the Chicago Bulls legend didn’t just praise Jerami’s scoring or defense. He went a step further, calling him the “best employee” a team could ask for and describing him as one of the “most sound, greatest human beings” you’ll ever meet.
Grant spoke with Heavy while promoting his new TV show, “Legends in Session with Horace Grant,” a Chicago-based series that dives into the journeys of sports icons and celebrities and donates memorabilia proceeds to each guest’s chosen charity.
Horace Grant Gives Blazers Fans a Strong Jerami Grant Endorsement
Asked what fans — not just in Portland but around the league — might be missing about Jerami, Horace went straight to his demeanor and the way he carries himself.
He noted that Jerami doesn’t show a lot of outward emotion on the court and rarely gets visibly upset, which can make it easy to underestimate how competitive he really is. But push the right buttons, Horace warned, and Jerami will absolutely let you know what he’s thinking.
Fans got a taste of that earlier this season, when Jerami got into it with Yves Missi.
At the same time, the former Bulls big man emphasized that his nephew is the opposite of a fake tough guy.
“He’s not one of those guys you see talking tough all the time,” Horace explained, adding that Jerami is “one of the most sound, greatest human beings” you could meet, both as a teammate and as a person away from basketball.
Horace also had some fun with Jerami’s fashion sense, admitting there are outfits his nephew can pull off that he never could. The subtext: Jerami is comfortable in his own skin — something that tends to resonate in a young, evolving locker room.
Why Jerami Grant Is the ‘Best Employee,’ According to His Uncle
Pressed to describe Jerami’s best NBA role in a single sentence, Horace didn’t hesitate.
“I would say the best employee,” he said.
That might sound simple, but coming from a four-time champion who shared the floor with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, it’s a loaded compliment. To Horace, it means Jerami shows up every day, takes his responsibilities seriously and does whatever the team needs. Perhaps there is no better example of this than Jerami’s coming off the bench for a struggling Trail Blazers team this season. Jerami embraced the role, and has flourished in it.
On the court, Horace sees a blend of the Grant family tree.
“There are two parts to this,” he said. “He gets his scoring from my brother,” Harvey Grant, who had multiple near-20-point seasons in his own NBA career. “And his defense he gets from his uncle.”
That combination is exactly what Portland has leaned on: a wing who can create offense, guard multiple positions and slide into different roles as the roster evolves.
What It Means for the Trail Blazers’ Culture
When the conversation shifted from on-court production to culture, Horace lit up even more.
First, he dropped the cliche — and then doubled down on it. Jerami, he said, is going to give you “100% when he’s out there on the floor” and the same effort away from it. He pointed to his nephew’s work in the community and his commitment as a family man as just as important as anything in a box score.
If the Blazers ever decided to hang Jerami’s picture up in the arena, Horace suggested the caption would go beyond stats and accolades. In his eyes, it would read something like: great basketball player, even better person.
For a franchise trying to build an identity around competitiveness, professionalism and player development, that’s not nothing. It’s one thing for a coach or GM to say a player is a “culture guy.” It’s another when a four-time champion who shares his last name calls him the best “employee” in the building.
Horace Grant’s New Show Keeps the Stories Going
Grant’s praise for Jerami came during a broader conversation about his next project, “Legends in Session with Horace Grant.” The show, which fans can find through LegendsInSession.com, is structured like an NBA game, with “pregame” questions, four quarters and a “postgame” rapid-fire segment.
Early guests include Charles Oakley, Horace’s twin brother Harvey Grant and former rival Vernon “Mad Max” Maxwell. Each episode ends with signed memorabilia being auctioned off, with every cent going to the guest’s charity of choice.
For Blazers fans, that backdrop matters. Horace isn’t just talking up family — he’s building an entire platform around transparency, character and the journeys that shape players. And when he looks at Jerami Grant, he clearly sees someone who fits that vision, both in Portland and beyond.
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