The buzz surrounding Kyle Filipowski’s personal life has intensified following the 2024 NBA Draft, where the 20-year-old basketball sensation was unexpectedly overlooked in the first round. Despite his impressive stature and skills, standing at 6ft 11, Filipowski was only picked in the second round by Utah Jazz. Amidst these professional developments, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony hinted that off-court personal details might have influenced the draft decision.
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Givony discussed on NBA Today how NBA teams had concerns regarding Filipowski’s personal life, particularly his relationship with an older girlfriend, which might have played a role in his draft position. “NBA teams are talking about the fact that they had question marks about his girlfriend being so much older than him, why was he estranged from his family because of this whole situation,” Givony explained. “He apparently doesn’t talk to his parents or his brother and It’s a very, very odd situation. I personally don’t understand why it would cause him to drop like this into the second round.”
Filipowski is currently in a relationship with Caitlin Hutchison, who is eight years his senior. The couple first appeared together publicly in May 2022 when Hutchinson was Filipowski’s prom date. Since then, their relationship has progressed significantly, with Hutchinson recently announcing their engagement on Instagram, saying, “Four months since the happiest yes I’ll ever say.”
In response to the swirling speculations and the draft outcome, a dramatic twist came from Filipowski’s own family. A person claiming to be his brother, Daniel Filipowski, aired serious accusations against Hutchison on the social media platform X. He suggested that Kyle had been manipulated, describing him as a “perfect pawn and target for this girl’s lifelong scheme based on his human characteristics and growing potential as a high-level prospect which started taking place in 2019, exactly at the time when she began her pursuit of him.”
Daniel shared messages about ‘coercive control’ and expressed solidarity with others who might be in similar situations. “Kyle…myself, your entire family and friends love you and are here for you! I have received so much outreach and support from families that have a child who has fallen victim to this same terrible and evil progression of psychological control and manipulation and my heart goes out to all the families out there who have suffered through this experience in the past or are currently going through this right now! You all are NOT ALONE.”