Mike Conley shares picture of newborn son Elijah

Mike Conley shared a picture of his newborn son on Instagram.

The 2020 NBA Playoffs are set to begin on Monday, and players throughout the bubble in Orlando are preparing for even more high-octane matchups as the league’s final 16 teams get ready to square off in their respective first-round series.

The Utah Jazz, however, will be without Mike Conley for at least 2-3 games to start their series against the 3-seeded Denver Nuggets after the point guard left the bubble in Orlando to be present for the birth of his son.

If anyone was heartless enough to question that decision, the picture Conley posted of his newborn son Elijah on Instagram quickly put those lingering doubts to rest.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CD98M_XpqR2/

Mike Conley’s son Elijah looks healthy and adorable

Tagging his wife Mary, Mike Conley wrote the following for his caption:

"“@livinglereve and baby are doing great! In the words of our oldest son, ‘Welcome to the world Lightning Thunder Michael Alex Conley’! 😂 We settled on Elijah Michael Conley instead.. close enough though. What an awesome reminder of what’s important in life and what motivates us to be better! ✊🏾#mommydidgreat #blessed”"

Conley’s absence will obviously hurt the Jazz, who will also be missing backup big man Ed Davis due to a knee injury that won’t be re-evaluated for a few weeks. Conley’s fit in Utah hasn’t been seamless by any means, but he improved as the season went on and will still be a key contributor in any series the Jazz hope to win.

However, there are obviously far more important things in life than basketball, especially when it comes to being present for the birth of one’s son or daughter. As Conley’s decision to leave the bubble and his caption on Instagram show, he’s more than comfortable with the prudent choice he made to prioritize his family over his job or the game he loves.