Who Are Jalen Slawson’s Parents? Meet Tom Slawson, The Citadel Star Behind The NBA Forward

Jalen Slawson on court in his Indiana Pacers jersey.© Instagram/ @jalenslawson

Jalen Slawson's love for basketball came from his father, Tom Slawson, a college star who is now in a Hall of Fame. Jalen, who is on a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers, grew up in Summerville, South Carolina, with the game all around him. His older brother played point guard and his cousin RJ played college basketball at South Carolina. Jalen became the 2023 Southern Conference Player of the Year at Furman and was picked by the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Draft. 

Jalen Slawson's father Tom was a Citadel star

Tom Slawson, whose full name is Thomas Slawson Jr., played for The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, from 1976 to 1980. At 6-foot-7, he became one of the best players in the school's history. He scored 1,408 points, which put him fourth on the all-time list when his Hall of Fame profile was written.

Tom led the team in scoring in his junior and senior years, with 17.1 and 15.4 points per game. He also led in rebounding for three straight seasons. The Citadel inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

His 1978-79 team finished 20-7, the first side in the school's history to win 20 games. Years later, there was a funny twist. The Citadel and Furman are old Southern Conference rivals, so Tom needed some convincing when Jalen chose Furman. Jalen has joked that his father soon got used to wearing purple.

Jalen has also inked a Citadel jersey on his arm in honour of his father. He told WCIV in 2024 that basketball is a big part of his family story.

Mother Karen, brother Brandon and the wider family

Jalen's mother is Karen Slawson. She has stayed out of the spotlight, but Furman reports say she often spoke with the mother of Jalen's teammate Mike Bothwell while the two players spent five seasons together at the university.

Jalen also has an older brother, about 18 years his senior, who played point guard. He taught Jalen how to read defences and make passes when Jalen was still a child. In the WCIV interview, Jalen spoke about his brother Brandon, whose Fort Dorchester jersey is part of the tattoo on his arm.

His cousin RJ played college basketball at South Carolina. His nephew Jonathan now plays at Pinewood Prep, Jalen's old school, and wears his old jersey.

One jersey on the arm is red while the rest are black and white. It belongs to Darrian George, a close friend of the family who died in a car crash while he was a student at Fort Dorchester.