🔊 There are sports families, and then there are the Masons. Rooted in athletic excellence and broadened by an appreciation for the arts, fashion, and entrepreneurship, Alton Sr. and Anita Mason have quietly built one of the most remarkable families in American sports. Their story does not begin with fame or a spotlight. It begins with two young people who fell in love in high school, chose the same university, and never stopped pushing each other or their children toward greatness. Two Sweethearts Who Chose the Same Court Alton Mason Sr. and Anita Mason were high school sweethearts long before either of them imagined what their family would become. Both attended Arizona State University, where Alton Sr. established himself as a standout point guard for the Sun Devils from 1997 to 2001. He was not just a college player. After finishing at ASU, he went on to play professionally overseas for twelve years, suiting up in countries that included Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Latvia, and the Netherlands. The family moved with him, which meant their children grew up with a global perspective that most American kids simply never get. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alston Mason (@alston.mason) It was in Belgium where their second son, Alston, was born. That detail alone tells you something about the life Alton Sr. built. He was not just a father watching from the stands. He was someone who competed at the highest level available to him for over a decade, and his sons absorbed every bit of that drive. You May Also Read: Cristian Garin’s father Sergio Garin and family life explained in detail What Anita Built at Home While Alton Sr. was on the court, Anita Mason was the architect of the household. She managed her children’s activities, supported their individual interests, and oversaw family businesses, including a wine venture called Mercy Cellars. She also had a modeling background of her own, which likely explains why neither of her sons found the fashion world unusual or out of reach. Her philosophy as a mother was both simple and deliberate: “We always put them in a lot of different activities, not just to keep them busy but to see what appealed to them. With Alston, it was always basketball. He did other things too but that was always his main thing.” That approach produced four children who are each excelling in their own lane. The family includes: Alton Jr., 27, now one of the most sought-after supermodels in the world, represented by IMG Models, and the first Black male to walk for Chanel Alston, 23, is the starting point guard for the Arizona State Sun Devils and a Big 12 contributor, averaging the most minutes per game of any player in the conference The two daughters, Ania and Aniah, round out the family. Ania, 21, studies fashion design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and Aniah, 18, was a senior at Mesquite High School at the time of this writing. Four children. Four distinct paths. One intentional household. The Legacy of a Point Guard Father When Alston entered the transfer portal for a second time after two strong seasons at Missouri State, Arizona State was more than just a basketball opportunity. It was a homecoming with meaning attached to it. His father had worn the same jersey, played the same position, and earned the same respect in Tempe decades earlier. ASU head coach Bobby Hurley, himself a former NBA point guard, understood exactly what bringing Alston home meant. “It means something to him,” Hurley said. “His dad played at Arizona State which I like. Putting that Arizona State jersey on means something to him.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alston Mason (@alston.mason) That kind of motivation is hard to manufacture. Alston has spoken openly about his reasons for choosing ASU, and the legacy piece was front and center. “It was a mixture of many things, part of that being able to go back home,” Alston said. “My dad played there. It was continuing the legacy and having my family be able to be close again, come to more games.” A Mother Who Shows Up Anita Mason makes nearly every ASU game. The only ones she misses are those that conflict with commitments to one of her other children. That says everything about who she is as a parent. She is not just present for the famous son or the son who draws headlines. She is present for all of them, balancing a calendar that would exhaust most people. Her words about motherhood carry the kind of warmth that does not come from performance: “We’re blessed as a family. I am just so happy that everybody is doing something that they love. As a parent, you want to see your kids healthy and happy and excelling at whatever they are doing.” The Masons of Gilbert did not happen by accident. They are the result of two people who met young, stayed committed, traveled the world, and then poured everything they learned into a family worth watching. Read More: Max Verstappen Brother and Sister: Full Family Breakdown FAQs Where did Alton Mason Sr. play college basketball? Alton Mason Sr. played college basketball at Arizona State University, where he was a point guard for the Sun Devils from 1997 to 2001. How long did Alton Mason Sr. play professional basketball? After finishing his college career at Arizona State, Alton Mason Sr. played professional basketball overseas for twelve years, competing in multiple countries across Europe. Which countries did Alton Mason Sr. play basketball in? Alton Mason Sr. played professional basketball in Belgium, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Latvia, and the Netherlands during his twelve-year overseas career. Who is Anita Mason? Anita Mason is the mother of Alton Mason Jr., Alston Mason, Ania, and Aniah. She serves as the manager for her children’s careers, oversees the family’s wine business called Mercy Cellars, and was a model herself earlier in life. She and her husband, Alton Mason Sr., were high school sweethearts who both attended Arizona State University. Were Alton Mason Sr. and Anita Mason high school sweethearts? Yes. Alton Mason Sr. and Anita Mason met in high school, and both went on to attend Arizona State University together. They have remained together since and raised four children in the Gilbert, Arizona area. Did Anita Mason work in entertainment or modeling? Yes. Anita Mason had a modeling background of her own before transitioning into managing her family’s businesses and her children’s careers. Her background in modeling likely played a role in normalizing the fashion world for her sons, Alton Jr. and Alston. Post navigation Cristian Garin’s father Sergio Garin and family life explained in detail
