Is Wolves star Taurean Prince related to former NBA champion Tayshaun Prince?

Taurean Prince is emerging as a crucial player for the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. Prince has averaged 9.1 points per game across 54 games. He has made four starts and played 22 minutes on average. Prince's shooting has stood out this year. He has shot 46.7%, including 38.1% from the 3-point range.

Fans have often confused Prince for former NBA champion Tayshaun Prince because of their similar last names and first names nearly sounding the same. Tayshaun also played for the Timberwolves, giving another reason for fans to get confused. Some have even wondered if they are related. However, that's not the case.

Taurean grew up in San Marcos, Texas and went to Baylor College. He got drafted as the 12th pick in the 2016 draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Taurean played for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Meanwhile, Tayshaun went to Kentucky and got drafted in the NBA as the 23rd pick by the Detroit Pistons. He played 13 years in the NBA for the Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Tayshaun won the title in 2004, his sophomore year with the Pistons. He averaged 11.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in his career, shooting on 45/37/76 splits.

Taurean Prince playing vital minutes for Minnesota Timberwolves

Taurean Prince has had to step up and play vital minutes for the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the 2022-23 NBA season. The T'Wolves lost some depth with Naz Reid going down injured, leaving them with a lack of scoring options coming off the bench.

Prince has averaged 25.8 minutes of playing time and bagged 11.5 points per game over his last four appearances. The T'Wolves went 3-1 in that stage and secured themselves a seventh-seed game against the LA Lakers on the road.

Prince was huge in their season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Timberwolves erased a 12-point deficit to win the tie 113-108. Prince contributed 18 points on 50% shooting playing 35 minutes in that game after Jaden McDaniels went down with a hand injury after punching a wall in the tunnel out of frustration in the first quarter.

The Timberwolves will hope Taurean Prince can continue to make a significant impact if they make the playoffs this year. They are likely to miss key rotation players early in the postseason, making his contributions even more important.