Spurs Center Jeff Pendergraph Changes Name to Jeff Ayres, ‘Felt No Connection’ to Old Name

Jeff Ayres, a three-year veteran, will make his first appearance in the NBA this season.

Ayres, formerly known (as much as he was “known”) as Jeff Pendergraph, changed his last name this offseason to his biological father’s surname. Pendergraph told the San Antonio Express-News that Pendergraph was the named of the stepfather his mother married when Ayres was in elementary school, who hasn’t been in his life for years.

This is actually the second time Ayres has changed his name. He was born with his mother’s last name of Orcutt, according to the Express-News, and legally changed it when she married while he was in elementary school.

Ayres and his father are now said to be working on repairing their relationship to give his young daughter, Naomi, a connection to the family’s past. Jeff McDonald writes that Ayres “saw no need for Naomi to carry a name he felt no connection to himself.”

Pendergraph has been a backup center for three NBA seasons, most recently with the Pacers. He played in 37 regular-season games with Indiana, as well as nine playoff games, averaging 1.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in the postseason. He signed a two-year contract with the Spurs in July.

Photo via Facebook/San Antonio Spurs