When you stand at 7-foot-4 and dominate college basketball like few others have, people naturally wonder where that combination of size, skill, and determination comes from. For Zach Edey, the answer lies not just in genetics but in the unwavering support of his parents who’ve shaped every aspect of his remarkable journey.
The Purdue center, affectionately known as “The Big Maple” among fans, didn’t stumble into basketball stardom by accident. Behind his back-to-back National Player of the Year awards and his transformation from a raw hockey-playing teenager into one of the most dominant forces in college basketball history stands a family unit that’s as fascinating as it is supportive.
Julia Edey: The Engineer Behind the Athletic Machine
Zach Edey’s mother, Julia Edey, brings an unconventional perspective to the world of basketball parenting. As a mechanical engineer, she approached her son’s athletic development with the same analytical precision she’d apply to solving complex engineering problems—though perhaps with considerably more emotion involved.
What sets Julia apart isn’t just her professional background, though. She’s cultivated interests that seem worlds away from the hardwood courts where her son has made his name. Her passion for gardening and beekeeping has created a household environment that balances the intense pressure of high-level athletics with the grounding simplicity of nature. It’s not everyday you find a basketball mom who can discuss pick-and-roll defense one moment and bee colony dynamics the next.
Julia’s involvement in Zach’s basketball career has been comprehensive from the start. She’s managed the logistical nightmares that come with raising an elite athlete—the travel schedules, the training sessions, the dietary requirements for someone who needs to fuel a 300-pound frame. But her contribution goes deeper than just being a scheduler or chauffeur.
She’s been adamant about Zach maintaining a well-rounded education, ensuring that basketball doesn’t consume his entire identity. This emphasis on academic achievement alongside athletic pursuits reflects her engineering mindset: build a strong foundation across multiple areas, and the structure will withstand any challenge. Friends and coaches who’ve observed the Edey family dynamic often point to Julia’s balanced approach as a key factor in Zach’s maturity and level-headedness despite his growing fame.
Her presence at games is almost as constant as Zach’s dominance in the paint. Whether it’s a regular season matchup or a crucial NCAA tournament game, Julia’s there, though she prefers to cheer from a relatively inconspicuous spot rather than court the attention that comes with being the parent of a star player.
The Father Figure: Canada’s Basketball Advocate
Zach Edey’s father remains somewhat more private than Julia, but his influence on his son’s athletic development is undeniable. A proud Canadian national with a deep love for sports, he recognized something special in Zach early on—even when his son was still figuring out whether basketball or hockey would be his path forward.
His involvement in youth basketball leagues went beyond just being a supportive dad in the stands. He took on roles as an assistant coach, learning the game alongside his son and providing guidance that combined parental support with tactical knowledge. This hands-on approach meant Zach always had someone who understood both the technical aspects of basketball and the emotional challenges of competitive sports.
The values he instilled in Zach—hard work, dedication, resilience—sound cliche until you watch Edey play and see how thoroughly those principles have been internalized. His father’s coaching philosophy emphasized steady improvement over flashy talent, a lesson that proved crucial when Zach arrived at Purdue as a relatively unpolished prospect and had to develop his game through relentless work in practice.
What’s particularly interesting about Zach’s father is how he balanced being involved without being overbearing. In an era where youth sports are often dominated by parents living vicariously through their children, he managed to support without suffocating, to guide without controlling. That approach has allowed Zach to develop his own relationship with basketball, to find his own motivation beyond simply pleasing his parents.
A Heritage That Enriches: Understanding Zach Edey’s Ethnic Background
Zach Edey’s mixed ethnicity—Chinese and Caucasian descent—adds another layer to his identity both on and off the court. Growing up in Toronto with this diverse heritage gave him perspectives that many of his basketball peers might lack, an understanding of different cultural values and approaches to life and competition.
The Edey family has never shied away from celebrating this cultural diversity. They’ve embraced it as a strength, recognizing that Zach’s unique background helps him connect with a broader range of people and fans. In a sport that’s increasingly global, this cultural awareness isn’t just personally meaningful—it’s practically valuable.
His mixed heritage also reflects the multicultural reality of modern Canada, particularly Toronto, where different backgrounds blend together in ways that enrich everyone involved. Zach’s comfort navigating between different cultural contexts likely contributes to his ability to handle the diverse personalities and backgrounds he encounters in college basketball and will face in his professional career.
The Privacy Paradox: Staying Grounded in the Spotlight
Despite Zach’s increasingly public profile—especially after his dominant 2023 and 2024 seasons that saw him win consecutive Wooden Awards—the Edey family has maintained strict boundaries around their private lives. They’ve deliberately chosen not to court media attention, keeping personal details close to the vest even as interest in Zach’s background has grown.
This commitment to privacy has served multiple purposes. It’s protected the family from some of the more intrusive aspects of sports fame, allowing them to maintain normal relationships and routines despite Zach’s celebrity status. It’s also helped Zach stay focused on basketball itself rather than getting caught up in the peripheral distractions that derail many young athletes.
The family celebrates milestones and achievements together, but always away from cameras and social media spectacle. Their approach stands in stark contrast to the current era where many athletes and their families document every moment for public consumption. There’s something refreshingly old-school about the Edeys’ determination to keep what matters most private.
From Toronto to West Lafayette: The Journey That Parents Made Possible
Zach Edey’s basketball journey from a Toronto teenager to Purdue’s most decorated player required more than just his own talent and work ethic. His parents facilitated every step, from finding the right high school basketball program to navigating the complex world of college recruitment.
When Zach made the decision to commit to Purdue, his parents supported the choice even though it meant their son would be hours away in another country. They trusted the coaching staff, believed in the development program, and recognized that sometimes the best thing parents can do is let their children pursue opportunities even when it means physical distance.
That trust has been validated spectacularly. Under coach Matt Painter’s guidance and with his parents’ continued support from afar, Zach transformed from a project player into arguably the most dominant big man in college basketball. His improvement from freshman year to his final seasons at Purdue represents one of the great development stories in recent college basketball history.
The Athletic Support System: More Than Just Basketball
What makes the Edey family’s approach particularly effective is their recognition that supporting an athlete means supporting a whole person. Julia’s insistence on balanced interests—her own hobbies serving as a model—meant that Zach never felt like basketball had to be his entire identity.
This holistic approach to athletic development is something sports psychologists increasingly advocate for but that many families struggle to implement. When you’re raising someone with elite potential, the temptation to focus exclusively on that talent is enormous. The Edeys resisted that temptation, understanding that the mental health and long-term wellbeing of their son mattered more than maximizing every percentage point of his basketball potential.
Their support extended to helping Zach navigate the social challenges that come with being exceptionally tall from a young age. Growing up when you’re already approaching seven feet tall presents unique difficulties, and having parents who helped him embrace his size rather than feel self-conscious about it proved crucial.
The Future: Continued Support Through New Chapters
As Zach Edey transitions from college basketball to the professional ranks—he was selected 9th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024 NBA Draft—his parents’ role will inevitably evolve. But the foundation they’ve built, the values they’ve instilled, and the support system they’ve maintained will continue to serve him well.
The move to professional basketball brings new pressures and challenges. There’s more money involved, more media scrutiny, more expectations. But if Zach’s college career demonstrated anything, it’s that he’s been well-prepared by his family to handle pressure without losing sight of what matters.
Julia and her husband won’t be courtside at every game anymore—the NBA schedule and geographic spread make that impractical. But their influence will remain present in how Zach approaches his career, manages success and setbacks, and maintains perspective in an industry that can easily distort young players’ sense of reality.
Lessons From the Edey Family Model
What can other families learn from how Zach Edey’s parents approached raising an elite athlete? Several principles stand out that have broader applicability beyond just basketball families.
First, balance matters enormously. Julia’s diverse interests and insistence that Zach maintain a well-rounded education created resilience that pure athletic focus never could have achieved. When your entire identity is wrapped up in one thing, any setback in that area becomes catastrophic. The Edeys avoided that trap.
Second, being involved doesn’t mean being controlling. Zach’s father’s hands-on approach as a youth basketball coach could easily have crossed the line into overbearing parent territory. That it didn’t—that he managed to support and guide while still letting Zach own his basketball journey—required restraint that’s harder than it looks.
Third, privacy provides protection. In an age of social media oversharing, the Edey family’s commitment to keeping personal matters private has given them space to be themselves without performing for an audience. That authenticity strengthens family bonds in ways that public performance never could.
Finally, celebrating cultural diversity enriches everyone. Rather than downplaying Zach’s mixed heritage, the family embraced it as something that makes him unique and valuable. That celebration of difference rather than pressure to assimilate has contributed to Zach’s confident sense of self.
The story of Zach Edey’s parents isn’t just about how they raised a basketball star. It’s about how a supportive, thoughtful family created an environment where a unique talent could flourish while remaining grounded, balanced, and true to himself. As Zach continues his basketball journey at the highest levels of the sport, the foundation his parents built will continue supporting every step he takes.
