Father-son duo: John and Javon Barbee aim for special Franklin Pierce basketball season
John Barbee’s 2025 New Year’s resolution was a simple one: smile more.
Barbee, Franklin Pierce High School’s boys basketball coach, is coaching one of his kids for the final time this season. His youngest son, Javon Barbee, is a senior and the top player for the Cardinals, who are tearing through the 2A South Puget Sound League this winter. John Barbee is trying to soak it all in.
“Really smile, enjoy being a dad coach and not so much as a coach, pushing, pushing, pushing,” Barbee said after watching his Cardinals dismantle Steilacoom on the road Friday night. “Really just enjoying the moment.”
Barbee’s four kids — Jalen, twins John Jr. and Zionna, and lastly Javon — all played basketball at Franklin Pierce. For John, it’s been one of life’s joys coaching them and watching them grow. Suddenly, it’s the end of the line.
“It’s gonna be hard,” Barbee said. “It’s been a great run with all of them. This is special because he’s my youngest.”
And Javon, a 6-foot-4 point guard, might just be the best of the bunch. He’s a high-level facilitator, aggressive on the glass, can score from anywhere on the floor and is stronger, faster and more athletic than most opponents he matches up against.
He’s averaging a double-double with 28.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, coupled with four steals and 3.1 assists. And he has instant offense capability, evidenced by a 15-point third quarter against Steilacoom on Friday, part of the senior’s 33-point effort. Franklin Pierce won the game, 70-35.
“We’ve just got that killer mindset,” Javon Barbee said. “We come out with the mindset that we want to kill this team so bad, they never want to play basketball again. … But at the end of the game, it’s all love. We want to treat everybody like they’re our little brother.”
And Javon knows all about being the little brother. Growing up as the youngest in an ultra-competitive, basketball loving family, he’s taken his share of beatings from his siblings over the years.
“Always very competitive, no matter what we do,” he said. “Playing Uno, Connect Four, playing video games. We argued a lot, but at the end of the day, we’ve all got each other’s backs.”
Being the youngest sibling instilled toughness in Barbee. Confidence, too.
“I’m gonna say I’m the best (sibling),” Javon said, smiling. “That’s just my mindset.”
John Barbee had to mull it over for a second before answering diplomatically, lest he cause a family argument during the next holiday gathering.
“He probably has the most versatility of all of them,” he said. “He’s got the size of my oldest one, he’s pretty athletic, he can handle the ball. He’s a 6-4 point guard. … He competes. I think he’s the most skilled. When it comes down to it, he has the complete package.”
Franklin Pierce is 8-3 overall with a 6-0 mark in 2A SPSL play. The Cardinals took 4A state tournament contender Kentwood to overtime (a 64-60 loss) earlier this season. Barbee’s squad has plenty of length; the starting five is all 6-foot-3 or taller. That has translated to disruptive defense and full-court pressing.
Could the Cardinals win it all in 2A this winter? The pieces are in place.
“This team’s probably the best team that I’ve played on since I’ve been here,” Javon said. “I think we’re just trusting the process.”
John Barbee likes their chances, but said he thinks there’s plenty of work to do.
“We’re as athletic and as good a rebounding team, especially offensively, as anybody,” he said. “We’re long … we’re gonna cause some problems. For us, it’s about, ‘Can we get better?’ We’ve still got a long way to go to actually be a top five team and compete.
“We’re right there. This is as talented a team as I’ve had since I’ve been here. They work hard and they’re really, really good kids.”
