Tyrone Grant is welcoming in a new era to his life – and it has nothing to do with basketball. The former St. John’s University star and his girlfriend, Cinzia, had their first child, Tyra, in March 2008.
“My friends, they’re used to seeing me in the nightlife,” Grant said. “They’re used to seeing me in the clubs, partying and having a good time, every night, every day. But now I pretty much go out and party once a week – if that. I just enjoy my family, my child, my wife.”
The Brooklyn native and Grady HS great has enjoyed tremendous success playing basketball in Europe over the years, in places like Italy, Greece and Spain. Grant has done well financially – he owns homes in New York, Miami and Milan, where he met Cinzia, a beautiful Italian model.
But gone now is the Mercedes S500, the Range Rover and the Navigator, which he calls “stupid, young boy toys.” All Grant, 32, drives now is a Toyota Camry.
“I’m used to just being by myself, spending money on myself,” he said. “But now I got responsibilities. I gotta cut back on a lot of things. I’m living domestic right now. … It’s a reality check. I needed to slow down. I blew a lot of money in my career. Now it’s time to start saving and putting it in the right places.”
Grant wants to play at least eight more seasons overseas. He missed half of this past season with a tendon injury in his foot, but went over to Israel for a few games toward the end of the year. He expects to be back somewhere in Europe this winter, where he has established himself as a rock−solid big man known for defense and rebounding – much like he was at St. John’s.
He averaged 10.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a senior in 1998−99, helping to lead the Red Storm to the NCAA Elite Eight. Grant has been a standout on the New York City streetball circuit for more than a decade. He has earned the nickname “The Negotiator” for his propensity to talk trash.
It’s clear that he can still put the ball in the basket, too. He had 25 points and seven rebounds for Nike 1 in a 96−89 loss to Dyckman⁄NYAC on Tuesday night at Nike Pro City at Hunter College in Manhattan.
“The young guys, they’re super athletic, but they don’t really know how to play basketball,” Grant said. “I think I can still do it. I’m having fun.”
The same can be said of his new lifestyle. The frivolous spending is all gone and Grant seems to now be a family man.
“This change in my life, I wish it took (place) before,” he said. “This is pretty much a [180] and I can honestly say I’m enjoying it.”
