"It's a significant gesture," James remarked of Tyler's. Basketball isn't the only thing that connects us. To me, he's like a brother. I'm sure I'd do the same thing if I'd been traded or whatever. We have a good relationship. " - ESPN's Chris Broussard during an interview with Jeff Goodman on October 26, 2009. Tyler and James are twins who were born on January 4th, 1992. They play for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA. Their father is Thomas Johnson who was a football player who also had a brief career as a track and field sprinter. Their mother is Tina Richardson-Johnson who was a basketball player in her own right during her playing days at Tennessee State University where she met Thomas Johnson. After marrying, they moved to Germany so Thomas Johnson could continue his professional career with Borussia Dortmund. When she wasn't able to find work there, she decided to go back to school and get her degree in social work. She didn't just study though, she also played intramural sports while going to school. As kids, they lived in Germany until their father got hired by the New Jersey Nets as an assistant coach. He then took him and her family to America so they could live here.