In 2008, there was one Plumlee. A year later, there were two. Now, it’s Plum-three.
When Marshall Plumlee committed to play for Duke in July of 2010, he made a decision not only for himself but also for his family, joining his two older brothers—senior Miles and junior Mason. His choice led to the formation of the first trio of brothers to ever play on the same ACC team, and just the third ever in Division-I basketball.
Their parents, Perky and Leslie Plumlee, probably had the most invested in their youngest son’s decision, which ensured that they only have to root for one basketball team without splitting their time among their sons.
“We couldn’t be happier that everybody is here,” Mason said. “But at the same time it will make for good practices and it will make it easier on our parents. [They are] the biggest beneficiary. They only have to travel to Durham.”
And even though the three brothers can suit up and compete with each other now, that was not always the case in the Plumlee household. Growing up, while Miles and Mason could roughhouse and play one-on-one, Marshall was a bit too young—and if you can believe it, too small—to play on their level.
This is why his growth is so obvious to his older brothers, because he can now practice and compete with them in a way he never could before.
“Marshall was always a bit younger, so there was always a bit of a gap there, but me and Mason were always really competitive [growing up],” Miles said. “Marshall has come a long way.”
This, however, is not the first time the three brothers played on the same school team together. Four years ago, Miles was a senior and Mason was a junior at the Christ School in Arden, N.C. At the same time, Marshall was a freshman who split his minutes between the junior varsity and varsity teams during the season.
The varsity squad went on to win the state championship that season. Miles and Mason both won multiple state championships, but Marshall is the only one to have won it all four years of high school.
Even though they may have lived and played together in high school, their relationship has blossomed as collegiate teammates in a way it never had before. Between rigorous practices, study halls, and a summer trip to China, the 21-foot-tall triumvirate is spending more time together than they ever did, even when they lived under the same roof.
“I know we’ve become closer already just this fall and over the summer,” Mason said. “We see each other five or six hours a day now. Even when we lived at home, we may not have seen each other that much.”
For Marshall, having two brothers around has aided his transition to the college game immeasurably.
“[The adjustment was] definitely a lot easier than I think it would have been without them,” Marshall said. “They’ve given me a heads-up to the college game, in particular Duke’s style of basketball, which is a unique advantage I have and part of the reason I chose Duke. They’ve definitely given me a lot of insight.”
Having known him for so long, they also have a unique perspective on his style of play. Still, Marshall’s game is somewhat different from that of his brothers. While Miles and Mason are not classic back-to-the-basket post players, Marshall is a more prototypical big man.
“He doesn’t have any interest in anything outside of five feet,” Mason said.
Entering their third year on the team together, it is clear that Miles and Mason are different players, but they made it clear that their sibling is unique as well. Maybe it was all the running he had to do to keep up as the youngest brother, because the two agree that Marshall has more energy running up and down the floor than either of the elder siblings.
“You’d better be in shape to keep up with him because he’s got a huge motor,” Miles said. “He runs the court really well. I don’t even like to run with him all the time.”
Marshall—who fellow freshman Austin Rivers referred to as “one of the funniest kids I’ve ever met”—even jokes about his own ability to run the floor. Although Miles and Mason could not envision a scenario in which all three brothers were on the floor at the same time, Marshall pleaded the case, saying he would like to see a lineup of Miles at center, Mason at power forward and himself as a 6-foot-11 shooting guard.
Regardless of whether or not the three see simultaneous action this season, they are working towards a common goal—a national championship. At Christ School, they felt the exuberance of winning a title together, and nothing would make this season mean more to the trio than a similar ending in April.
“When you look back on certain years, like when you look back on the year we had in high school together, winning the state championship was the culmination,” Mason said. “But you remember every day—the fun times on the bus or in the hotel, and that’s the stuff that makes the year special. Hopefully we can end it the right way here too.”
Correction: The Plumlee brothers are the third trio of brothers to play for a Division-I basketball program at the same time, not the second, as an earlier version of this article stated. They are the first set of three brothers to play together since Bucky, Terry and Harold Bockhorn took the court for Dayton in the 1957-58 season. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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