Guy Fieri Recalls Emotional Moment with Son Ryder After He Lost His Final Basketball Game: ‘Really Beautiful’

Guy Fieri encourages his sons to show their feelings.

Guy is father to Hunter, 27, and Ryder, 18, and has also helped raise his late sister Morgan’s son, Jules, 24, since her death in 2011. Although his spiky hair and leather outfits give him a tough guy look, Guy and his wife Lori , they worry that young men have a sensitive side.

Ryder, a high school senior, recently “was put to the test” after his basketball team finished its final game, Guy says.

“They lost their last game by one point in a very controversial game,” Guy tells PEOPLE while promoting his upcoming appearances at the February 22-26 South Beach Wine & Food Festival. “I’ve never seen Ryder so upset.”

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But a difficult moment for the athlete turned into a great father-son moment.

Guy Fieri with son Ryder at the NBA All-Star Game in February.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

“The great thing was, I said, ‘The fact that you’re willing to let your emotions out and be willing to feel it and not just bury it or blame it on other people…'” he recalls. Tournament of Champions host. “I said, ‘This is one of the greatest rights of manhood that I ask of you.’

Guy and Ryder spent “a couple of hours” talking about his experience and emotions. “It was really beautiful. It was really the most beautiful,” adds Guy.

Now that the basketball season is over for Ryder, Guy has given him two options to occupy his time during the last three months of high school. “He can go play lacrosse, which he’s never played, or he can get a job,” he says.

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Ryder chose the former. “I’ve always told him he’s going to be great at lacrosse because he’s super fast. He’s a really great athlete,” says Guy, ever the proud dad. “So he went to varsity lacrosse and made the team. I think he’s starting.”

“I told him, ‘Don’t even say it’s great because I’ve been telling you the whole time you need to play lacrosse!'” he jokes. – He’s having fun with it.

Guy Fieri with his son Hunter.

Denise Truscello/Getty

When Ryder graduates from high school, he’ll start college — he’s been accepted to a few universities, but hasn’t committed to any yet, Guy says.

“He thinks he wants to do sports marketing or something similar,” adds the chef. “He’s not hungry for anything yet, which is fine. I mean, there’s plenty of time for that.”

Plus, he’ll have two college opportunities to figure it out. “He also knows he has to give me a graduate degree,” says Guy, who previously revealed that he doesn’t plan to give his money to his sons without them getting two degrees.

Guy Fieri and Lori Fieri at the 2024 Super Bowl.

Mindy Small/Getty

Hunter is in the MBA program at the University of Miami, and Jules is in the law program at Loyola Marymount.

“Shaq said it best,” Guy said Fox News. “Shaq said, ‘If you want this cheese, you have to get two degrees.'”

Tournament of Champions airs Sundays at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Food Network and Discovery+.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education