Desmond Bane’s parents are Etieno Ekiko, his father, and Marissa Bane, his mother. His mother is an American, while his father is an African man from Nigeria.
Desmond Bane’s parents had him when they were still very young. Because of this, the 26-year-old basketball star who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies was mostly brought up by his great-grandparents since he was only 2. Neither of his parents was fully in his life while he was growing up. Nonetheless, Bane has a good relationship with his mother, but his relationship with his father is still a work in progress.
Desmond Bane’s Mom is Marissa Bane
Desmond Bane’s mom is Marissa Bane. When she had her son, Marissa had no experience of being a mother, was still too young, and had no help from the man who impregnated her. Because of this, she struggled for a while before her grandparents stepped in and took over the responsibility of raising their great-grandchild.
Desmond found stability living away from his mother, but he also got to see her during the holidays. She was not there to bring him up, but she was always a part of his life. It is thanks to this that the two have come to have a great relationship.
Marissa has other children apart from Desmond. The kids are Ariyah Wright, Jaylen Wright, and Anna Bane. There are some reports that she is married to Terrill Haley, but this is one aspect of her life that is not very clear.
His Father, Etieno Ekiko, Is From Nigeria
Desmond Bane’s father, Etieno Ekiko, is Nigerian. As stated, he impregnated the mother of the NBA star when they were both high school students, but he was not present in the life of the kid after his birth.
The young Desmond never had the chance the meet his father, nor did he know about the identity of the man until when he was 13. It was at that time that he was told his father was a Nigerian who was living in a West African country.
Desmond did not so much as feel the absence of his father, as his adoptive parents proved to be more than enough. His great-grandfather, Bob, revealed that they had a father-son relationship. It was as a result of this that the young lad got to be athletic. Because Bob was a baseball coach, he got Desmond involved in sports very early.
More than that, Desmond got the chance to travel almost every weekend to play games and also to be involved in other sports, including soccer and football. He switched and focused on basketball after eighth grade. All these were opportunities he might not have had if not for his great-grandparents.
Desmond Bane’s father, Ekiko, was born in Oron villa of Akwa Ibon State in Nigeria sometime in 1980. He later moved to the United States, where he attended Regis University in Denver, and then he obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Colorado. Although it is said that he was in the United States at the time of his son’s birth, he has since returned to Nigeria, where he started a company, Damu Resources Limited.
Desmond Bane’s father is now reported to be married to a woman in Nigeria whose name has not been revealed.
Desmond Bane’s Parents Had Him As Teenagers
Desmond Michael Bane was born on June 25, 1998, in Richmond, Indiana, United States. At the time of his birth, it is on record that his parents were very young individuals of 18 years of age. In fact, his mother was still a teenager, just like his father, both of whom were still high school students.
Details as regards how his parents met were never revealed, but it is known that they were never married. Their relationship did not last long after Marissa became pregnant with Desmond, and Etieno left her and his unborn child.
To complicate things even more, because of Marissa’s age, she was not ready to have any child when she found out she was pregnant.
Key Points About Desmond Bane’s Family
| Family Member | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Etieno Ekiko | Father | Biological father |
| Marissa Bane | Mother | Biological mother |
| Fabian Bane | Brother | Brother |
| Brayden Bane | Brother | Brother |
He Was Brought Up By His Great-Grandparents
Because Desmond’s mother was very young when she had him, and with his father out of their lives by that point, the responsibility to raise him was left on the shoulders of his great-grandparents. At first, it was his great-uncle, Tony Bane, who took the child and played the role of a legal guardian and father in his life while his wife cared for the young Desmond together with their own kids.
Desmond seemed to have found stability in his life, but that was not to last a very long time, as he had to move after his great-uncle’s marriage came to an end.
The young child moved in with his great-grandparents, Bob and Fabbie, who provided a permanent home for him. They did everything within their powers to ensure that Bane was well protected and he got everything he needed. More so, they kept him away from the streets and helped him to get into sports at a very young age.
Beyond raising him to be athletic, Bob and Fabbie brought Desmond up in a religious environment as they were Catholics. He was also sent to Seton Catholic High School, and for his college education, he proceeded to the Texas Christian University.
His great-grandparents Sadly Passed Away in 2020 and 2021
Bob and Fabbie played the roles of parents in Desmond Bane’s life, but sadly, they were not alive to see him become a big name in the NBA.
Banes got selected at the 2020 NBA draft with the 30th pick on November 18 of that year. Sadly his great-grandfather, Robert “Bob” Wayne Bane, did not get to witness the great day. The man died on July 20, 2020, at the age of 87. Bob was born in 1932, and he worked as an electrician and facility manager.
Desmond’s great-grandmother got to witness his entry into the NBA, and she was there to witness some of his games, but she did not get to see him become an exceptional player as she also died on February 9, 2021. Born Fabiola Erlinda Armijo in New Mexico on September 15, 1939, Fabbie was one of the most important people in the life of Bane.
When it was time for him to go to high school many years before ago, the general opinion was for him to go to Richmond high school, where he would get better opportunities at playing basketball, but Fabbie was not going to have any of it. She insisted he had to either go to the Catholic school she wanted or she was going to pack her bags and return to her people in New Mexico.
The reason she wanted him to go to Senton over Richmond was that she could not forget some family members who went to Richmond only to end up on the wrong side of life. As far as she was concerned, it was more important for him to get a good education than just basketball.
Desmond Bane Does Not Have A Strong Relationship With His Father
Desmond Bane has reestablished contact with his dad, but they are still yet to build a solid relationship as they have never met. It has been reported that Desmond and his father often talk on the phone, but it is not clear if either has made any attempt at establishing physical contact.
Bane’s social media is flooded with photos of his family members, including his great-grandparents, mother, half-sisters, and his girlfriend, but there has never been a mention of anything relating to his father, which is a pointer to the nature of their relationship.