There are friends, there is family, and there are friends who become family.

And the saying rings especially true in sports.

Blood, sweat and tears forge connections that stand the test of time. Russell Westbrook had Kevin Love. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had Tyger Campbell. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had Bill Walton – all strangers who turned into lifelong partners.

And sometimes, family members don the same armor and fight under the same badge. Former Bruins and brothers Charles and Ed O’Bannon suited up in the blue and gold to help lead UCLA men’s basketball to its 11th national championship in 1995.

But while teammates often become friends, and family members can become teammates, the most rewarding connections come when friends become family – and even more so when family becomes true friends.

As unusual as that may seem, two fresh faces on UCLA men’s basketball – junior guard Skyy Clark and sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. – embody this reality. Though unrelated by blood, the two have long called each other “cousins” even before the transfer portal brought them to Westwood prior to the 2024-2025 season.

Dailey has been Clark’s right-hand man since they joined forces in Westwood. But Dailey’s family has been in Clark’s corner for decades – particularly as Clark’s father has dealt with serious medical issues.

“This past summer, my pops, he was in the hospital due to multiple strokes. And he was in a coma for like a month. And then he was in the hospital bed for the next three to four months. And then after that, and he’s still doing rehab and everything. So it’s the first year where I haven’t had my pops in my ear,” Clark said. “But before that, it was E Day’s (Dailey’s) pops, who – … I would just ask him questions. Or if I didn’t need it, and he saw that I was struggling, he would talk to me and try to get my mind right.”

With the unwavering support and encouragement of the Dailey family, Eric Dailey Sr. said he doesn’t think twice about offering himself to Clark.

Dailey Sr., a former college basketball player at TCU and a retired overseas professional player, said he understands the mental and physical toll the game demands, adding that a sturdy support system can lift people past the hardest of times.

“That’s what we’re here for. You got to be the OG that helped someone, because someone helped me,” Dailey Sr. said. “As long as you know you got somebody there – you might not even use them, but as long as you know they are there, then that’s key. You’re out here in this world by yourself, but you know you got somebody you can call on.”

The Clark and Dailey family connection stems from Clark’s father and uncle growing up with Dailey Sr. in Florida, along with Clark’s uncle being the best man at Dailey Sr.’s wedding.

“It all started way back. My uncle Steve and his (Dailey Jr.’s) pops played at Vanguard High School in Ocala, Florida,” Clark said. “Steve is my dad’s older brother. And so he used to watch them play basketball as a little kid, and then my dad also went to Vanguard – so they all were super close growing up.”

Dailey Jr. and Clark grew up in different states, the former in Florida and the latter in California. While social media and family ties kept the two in contact, their bond didn’t take shape until a USA Basketball camp early in their high school careers.

“It was a fun time in our lives,” Dailey Jr. said. “We were young kids, and we were at one of the best camps in the country.”

Their connection stretched into high school. With Clark at Montverde Academy and Dailey at IMG Academy, the two went head-to-head as members of two basketball powerhouses.

Dailey Jr.’s team defeated Clark’s twice in the 2021-2022 regular season, winning by a combined five points. However, Clark’s team got the last laugh in his senior season, downing IMG in the semifinals en route to a national championship.

Clark began his collegiate career at Illinois before trekking to Louisville the following year, while Dailey Jr. played at Oklahoma State for his freshman campaign.

Then fate brought the “cousins” together.

Clark committed to UCLA on April 3, and less than two weeks later, Dailey Jr. joined him.

“We’ve always wanted to play together. We’ve always talked about it and everything. But obviously, we lived so far apart, so it was hard to do,” Clark said. “Once we got this opportunity, we had to make that happen. It’s been fun this whole year.”

Since stepping foot in Pauley Pavilion, Dailey Jr. and Clark have established themselves as mainstays in coach Mick Cronin’s roster – slotting in as the second- and fifth-leading scorers on the team, respectively. But their real imprint has been in how they command their squad, the two said.

“We lead in different ways. Clark’s more like the general, where he’s controlling the game. And I’m more the energy – I control the energy of the game. So I can control it with aggressive play or hyping the guys up, and he’s more of the X’s and O’s,” Dailey Jr. said. “I’m more like the hype guy to get my team to do whatever it needs to get done. I think we balance each other perfectly.”

Beyond sharing a hotel room during game days, they regularly carve out time for one another off the court. Bound by shared interest, Clark and Dailey Jr. talk basketball, listen to Bob Marley or groove to reggae.

“It’s kind of like they (the coaching staff) put us together for a reason,” Dailey Jr. said. “They obviously knew we had a connection before, but to keep it going and have it translated to the court is the main thing.”

Dailey Sr. added that the families have gotten together to watch their sons play in person this season – most recently witnessing Dailey Jr. and Clark combine for 42 points in UCLA’s 90-63 win over USC at Pauley Pavilion on March 8.

But even seeing the duo team up on TV remains something special for their families.

“It means a lot because we got a lot of family back home in Florida, and for them to be able to turn on one channel and see both of us playing at the same time is a huge thing whenever his (Dailey Jr.’s) dad or mom are at the game,” Clark said. “They’re family too. His pops is one of the most down-to-earth people, and his mom – I love her to death.”

Clark and Dailey Jr. have labeled each other “cousins” since birth. But it’s the shared love for basketball and time spent together that turned family into friends.

Best friends.

Although the season is still unfolding, the two have bigger aspirations than simply winning a national championship. They want to establish a legacy in Westwood – one that Clark said should resemble Jaquez and Campbell – and etch their names into history.

That’s just the power sports have.