All About NC State Player DJ Horne's Parents, Lamar and Tivona Horne

The basketball player's parents purchased an RV so they could travel to see his games

DJ Horne is one of the standout players on the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team this season, and no one is more proud of him than his parents, Tivona and Lamar.

Originally from the Raleigh, N.C. area, the point guard started his career at Illinois State, where he played basketball for the school for two seasons before transferring back to Arizona State for his junior and senior years.

As fate would have it, he eventually found his way back home, using his last year of eligibility to play for the NC State Wolfpack, where he has helped the team go to the Final Four in March Madness.

His parents have cheered him on every step of the way, and shared their joy about his journey during recent interviews. “Having DJ back home in Raleigh, playing for NC State, is truly a dream come true,” his father said in a video shared by the NC State Men's Basketball team X account.

Here’s everything to know about Horne’s parents.

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They raised DJ just outside of Raleigh, where NC State is based

Horne was originally born in Raleigh, where NC State is located, but was raised just outside of the university in Cary, N.C.

Growing up in the area, he developed a love for basketball pretty early on, recalling to the NC State men’s basketball X account how “basketball started to get very real” for him when he started playing at JD Lewis Multipurpose Center in Raleigh, noting it’s where he got some of his first dunks.

After playing at Cary High, he transferred to Trinity Christian, where he was named First-Team All-State by the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, per his bio on the NC State athletic website.

They encouraged him as he pursued his basketball dreams

As Horne’s love for basketball developed, he began to put his all into practicing and making a name for himself. However, as he approached his senior year of high school with no offers from colleges, he began to get discouraged.

"He was experiencing some self-doubt, like he wasn't that good of a player that he couldn't garner the interest of colleges," his father told WRALSportsFan.

“He was like, 'Dad, I tried. I’m sorry.’ He was like apologizing," Lamar recalled to the NC State men’s basketball X account. "I said DJ, you have nothing to apologize for, son.'"

Horne added that it was his father’s support that helped him push through: "He was just always making sure that I wasn’t being too down on myself, even though it was a discouraging process."

Thankfully, he got an offer from Illinois State, where he played his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Arizona State for his junior and senior years and eventually using his last year of eligibility to play for NC State.

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His dad works for Verizon

According to The Arizona Republic, Horne’s mother works at a local school, while his father has been a network engineer at Verizon for the past 23 years. In March, the company shouted out Lamar as his son and the Wolfpack advanced in March Madness.

“Network engineer, Lamar Horne, is father to DJ Horne who is leading the North Carolina State Wolfpack to the sweet sixteen game this friday against Marquette🏀,” the company captioned a photo of Lamar and Horne. “No matter the team you’re cheering for this weekend, let’s give our support to the #VTeam! Sound off in the comments to send some good vibes to Lamar & best of luck to DJ!”

His parents purchased an RV to travel to see his games

Horne’s parents are dedicated to watching him play! While Horne played college basketball, his parents purchased an RV so they could easily travel to his games, as reported by The Arizona Republic.

Lamar joked to March Madness Men’s Basketball TV.that the RV, nicknamed Gladys, was an “honorary member” of their family. After taking it to Illinois, when Horne played at Illinois State, they actually lived in the RV when he transferred to Arizona State.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, both his parents were able to work remotely while their younger son was able to do his high school classes online, allowing them to travel around the country to cheer their son on.

“The fact that they were able to make that happen and come out there and spend that year out there with me, it meant everything,” Horne recalled to March Madness Men’s Basketball TV.

They’re NC State fans, obviously

It’s clear that Horne’s parents have a love for NC State as they are always proudly sporting Wolfpack gear during interviews.

Speaking with March Madness Men’s Basketball TV, Lamar recalled that when they first got the phone call from NC State coach Kevin Keatts about Horne joining the team, he made sure to throw on a Wolfpack shirt before answering the call. “He threw up the Wolfpack sign and the rest is history,” Lamar recalled of Keatts’ reaction.

“Having DJ back home in Raleigh, playing for NC State, is truly a dream come true,” Lamar told the NC State Men's Basketball X account. “It’s a blessing to see him out there at PNC Arena.”

They’re incredibly proud of him

Amid March Madness, both Tivona and Lamar have gushed about how proud they are of their son and his incredible journey as a collegiate athlete. "It's pretty big. This is what he's worked for all this time," Tivona told ABC11.

"To see him achieve this level of success to get a championship for NC State, come on. I mean, 37 years?" Lamar added, with Tivona quipping, "I don't think it's quite hit me yet, I haven't slept really for two days. I'm just happy for DJ."

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