At the time, DaRon’s dad, DaRon Holmes Sr. said, “I know people like to sell that, but that’s not the end all,. The Obi Toppin story is great. Congratulations to Obi, and congratulations to the coaches for what they were able to do for Obi. While that is certainly impressive, that’s not the story.”
Holmes Sr. said his son chose the Flyers because of a number of factors.
“I just think there’s a lot about the program and the university that fits who he is as a person,” DaRon Sr. said then.
Toppin took Dayton to new heights in the 2019-20 season, winning all the major national player of the year awards and turning himself into a NBA Draft lottery pick. On Tuesday, one day before the 2024 NBA Draft, where he’s expected to be a first-round pick, Holmes talked about Toppin’s legacy.
“Being realistic, Obi created a pathway for a lot of us,” Holmes said. “Obi was part of (the decision). Also, after seeing what Obi did, I was able to see how the coaches were and then it just opened everything up. I definitely give him credit for that.”
Holmes did know about Dayton before Toppin’s success, but learned more about the program from watching the Flyers during that 29-2 season. All of that played a role in him choosing Dayton.
Holmes fielded a number of questions about Toppin, who played for the Indiana Pacers last season after three seasons with the New York Knicks, during a pre-draft media session at the Lotte New York Palace hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
One reporter asked Holmes how he would defend Toppin on a fast break if they run into each other next season in the NBA.
“Well, he can jump a little higher than me, if I’m being honest,” Holmes said. “I’ll definitely play defense. I’m not going to run away from it. I’m going to swipe at the ball and try to get a steal while he’s trying to load up and then just bring it the other way. It depends. If he already has a full head of steam, it might be smarter to not jump. I might foul him.”
Holmes and Toppin have played pickup basketball against each other on campus a couple of times, Holmes said.
“What I respect about him as well is every year I’ve been at Dayton,” Holmes said, “he’s come back every summer and helped coach us up a little bit during our summer workouts.”
Holmes has also remained in touch with his former Dayton teammate Toumani Camara, who was a second-round pick a year ago and a starter as a rookie with the Portland Trail Blazers. Holmes played his first two seasons at Dayton with Camara.
“I talked to him a couple days ago,” Holmes said. “He’s excited for me, and he said he’s going to help me out with advice on draft day.”
Asked what advice Camara has given him about being a rookie in the league, Holmes said, “He doesn’t want to spoil everything for me, but he did say, ‘Embrace it. You’re going to have a lot of fun. Take it one step at a time and breathe.’”
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