Debbie Ledford’s fantasy is for her twin sons, Robin and Brook, to become NBA teammates. Instead, they will share the same city — if not the same franchise.
“To be honest, my dream is they would play on the same NBA team and I know that’s unlikely,’’ Ledford told The Post via phone from her Fresno, Calif., home. “But I’m happy for them. They are both in New York City. Both teams, they got a great deal of potential.’’
Two days after Brook Lopez agreed to terms to remain in Brooklyn, his 7-foot brother signed a four-year, $54 million deal with the Knicks. Robin Lopez is not an All-Star like his brother, but he’s a desperately needed center on a height-challenged Knicks roster.
Ledford said Robin, whose personality is personified by his wild, big hair, became instant buddies with Knicks president Phil Jackson after they met Thursday in Los Angeles. The Zen Master has his eccentric side, too.
“I know they hit it off in that respect,’’ said Ledford, a 6-foot former world-class swimmer at Stanford in the 1960s. “Rob and Phil will get along very well. Phil and Derek Fisher, they had a great conversation. Derek seemed a man of class. Robin enjoyed it.’’
Robin, 27, will be the center of attention in the Big Apple after spending the last two seasons in the small market of Portland. His mother said Knicks fans will get a kick out of Lopez, who is known more as a lunchpail center than an elite one. Robin and Brook both shared the frontcourt at their mother’s alma-mater.
“It played very well in Portland — it’s a quirky city,’’ Ledford said of Robin’s personality. “Robin is comfortable in his own skin. We come from a family that is artistic and athletic and not one-dimensional. And New York is the most diverse city in the world.’’
According to Ledford, Jackson told Lopez during the meeting he was most impressed with him during the Lakers-Suns Western Conference finals in 2010. The Lakers won the series in six games, but the Suns posted two straight victories and Jackson, then the Lakers’ coach, thought Lopez was responsible. That series made an impression on Jackson regarding Lopez, who scored a playoff career-high 20 points in a Game 3 win.
Ledford, a single mother, has spent several nights at the Garden rooting for her sons against the Knicks. Now she can pull for the home team, except when the Nets visit. There has been talk in the family of Brook and Robin becoming roommates, but their mother said they would need a mansion to pull it off.
“I have to root for both teams, and when they play each other it’s terrible,’’ Ledford said. “With Phil and Derek, I think things are looking up for the Knicks.’’