Andrej Stojaković, son of NBA legend Peja's Stojaković, is writing his own story at Illinois

How the son of one of the greatest shooters in NBA history adapted his game to be different than his father and helped Illinois reach the Final Four

Cameron Salerno

Apr 3, 2026

11:01 am ET

•

7 min read

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INDIANAPOLIS -- The last name Stojaković carries weight in the basketball world.

When you think of shooting, you think of Stojaković -- more specifically, Peja Stojaković. During Peja's 13-year NBA career, he was one of seven players in NBA history to make at least 1,700 3-pointers while shooting over 40% from beyond the arc. Some of the other names on that list are Steph Curry, Ray Allen and Klay Thompson.

But Illinois forward Andrej Stojaković's game couldn't be more different from his father's. The younger Stojaković is an excellent finisher around the rim, using his size and athleticism to overpower defenders. His 6-foot-7 frame is also much different from his father's, who was taller and stronger during his playing career.

Seven of Illinois' top eight rotational players have knocked down at least 25 3-pointers this season. Andrej is not one of them. Still, he finds ways to capitalize on Illinois' excellent spacing. He averages 1.14 points per possession while shooting 63% at the rim, per Synergy.

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The question is how the son of one of the greatest shooters in NBA history developed a completely different game from his father. Dell Curry and Peja overlapped in the NBA, and while Steph became an even better shooter than his father, Andrej evolved to become exactly the player Illinois needed to reach the final weekend of the college basketball season.

"Whoever followed me in high school, I think they would say my game was a lot more similar to my dad's," Stojaković told CBS Sports. "When I was in high school, I was more of a shooter. As time passed, I was asked to do different things. That's where my versatility came in terms of driving the ball and playing defense."

Stojaković has been part of one of the most successful transfer portal classes in the modern recruiting era at Illinois. The Fighting Illini are in the Final Four for the first time since 2005, where a matchup vs. No. 2 seed UConn awaits Saturday.

CBS Sports spoke to people who knew Stojaković best, those who saw him grow in his basketball journey, including his agent and a close family friend, Drake U'u, who has known the Stojaković family since 2015, when he worked with Peja in the Kings' front office.

"Even from a young age, he's been unbothered," U'u told CBS Sports. "It's such a big last name to live up to. To his credit, he has continued to write his own story and work his butt off."

Growing up in Sacramento

In Sacramento, the last name Stojaković carries even more weight. Peja is a legend in the city after being part of the Kings' heyday in the early 2000s. He made his mark as a 3-point shooter in the NBA during an era where it wasn't as popular as it is today.

Playing high school basketball in that same city could've been the weight of the world on a young teenager. Instead, Andrej embraced it.

"He is so incredibly proud of Andrej and the work that he's put in," U'u said. "Andrej doesn't get to this point without his dad pushing him behind the scenes. What I can really admire and appreciate about Peja is he doesn't want to be in the spotlight. He wants this to be Andrej's show. That's unique."

> Peja and Andrej Stojakovic celebrate the trip to the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/MFhfQbIB4Z

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 29, 2026

Andrej isn't the first son of an ex-player to play high school basketball in the same city his father played, and he certainly won't be the last. Both of LeBron James' sons (Bronny and Bryce) attended Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, not far from where the Los Angeles Lakers play. Bryce is now also at the Final Four, a redshirting freshman for Arizona.

Andrej can relate to LeBron's kids and other sons of ex-NBA players. It's not easy trying to live up to his father's name, but Andrej didn't feel the pressure.

"When my dad retired, and we moved back to Europe, no one really expected anything from me," Stojaković said. "I wasn't even playing basketball. And then we got back to Sacramento, it was kinda like a fresh page. The few people who are in my position across the country, players in college, players in the NBA that deal with their fathers being ex-players, (the pressure) is always going to come with it. The good, the bad. I have to be prepared to handle it."

Peja and Andrej Stojaković at Game 7 of the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.

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Andrej attended Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California, located just outside of Sacramento. That school is