Generally, greatness runs within the household. A number of gamers in sports activities historical past have adopted of their fathers’ footsteps to change into stars of their very own. In actual fact, among the best gamers in main North American sports activities are sons of former skilled athletes.
Not many father-son duos get the chance to play collectively, although — like what LeBron and Bronny James did with the Los Angeles Lakers at first of the 2024-25 season. In actual fact, they turned the primary father-son duo in NBA historical past to play in a sport collectively. Despite the fact that the elder James has achieved so much in his NBA profession that is brought about many to assume he is the most effective gamers in league historical past (4 NBA titles, 4 MVPs, all-time main scorer), he stated that taking part in along with his son is the highest accomplishment of his profession.
“On the subject of the titles, that is one separate factor however to have the ability to be on this league, to play on this league and in addition with the ability to do it alongside Bronny proper now, that is one of many greatest accomplishments and possibly the No. 1 accomplishment I’ve ever been capable of do,” James stated in January.
“To work together with your son — I’ve heard it from lots of people and, not solely [in] sports activities, however I’ve heard it in enterprise and [other] walks of life, they usually say it is the best factor you may ever have.”
Because the James household made historical past this previous yr, let’s check out the ten greatest father-son duos in sports activities historical past.
10 greatest father-son sports activities duos of all time
The elder Lengthy had an uncommon path to a Corridor of Fame profession, taking part in at Villanova proper earlier than its college football program briefly shut down. However as he emerged as a standout there, the Raiders chosen him within the second spherical of the 1981 NFL Draft. He went on to change into the most effective defensive linemen within the NFL within the Nineteen Eighties, making eight Professional Bowls and serving to the Raiders win Tremendous Bowl XVIII.
Lengthy’s eldest son, Chris, adopted in his footsteps. The second total decide in 2008, Chris Lengthy had a number of stable seasons with the Rams earlier than successful a Tremendous Bowl title with the Patriots in 2016 and the Eagles a yr later. Lengthy, who completed his profession with 70 sacks, was one of many few gamers in NFL historical past to win back-to-back Tremendous Bowls with totally different groups. He and his father additionally turned the primary father-son duo to ever win a Tremendous Bowl.
Kyle Lengthy, in the meantime, performed on the opposite facet of the ball. The three-time Professional Bowl guard was a first-round decide of the Bears, and he spent most of his profession in Chicago, dropping to the Eagles (and his brother) within the memorable “Double Doink” playoff sport. He joined the Chiefs for a season in 2021 after a one-year retirement however didn’t seem in any video games with them on account of harm.
9. Cecil Fielder and Prince Fielder
A pair of Fielders are among the many high energy–hitting father-son duos in MLB historical past. Cecil Fielder was an All-Star for the Tigers within the early Nineties after stints with the Blue Jays and in Japan, main the American League in homers in back-to-back seasons. He additionally turned the primary AL participant since Babe Ruth to guide the league in RBIs for 3 straight seasons. He later gained a World Sequence with the Yankees, ending his profession with 319 homers and three All-Star nods.
The youthful Fielder was each bit the hitter that his father was. He shortly emerged as one of many sport’s high sluggers when he was with the Brewers within the mid-to-late 2000s, hitting 50 homers in his third season. He later joined the Tigers, almost serving to them win a World Sequence in 2012. A six-time All-Star, Prince Fielder’s 50-homer season made the Fielders the primary father-son duo to file no less than 40 homers in a season. He additionally hit the identical variety of homers as his father did in his profession.
A long time earlier than Klay Thompson was a centerpiece of the Warriors‘ dynasty, his father was a key contributor to the Lakers’ dynasty within the Nineteen Eighties. He helped Los Angeles win a pair of titles, averaging over 10 factors per sport off the bench in these championship seasons. Previous to that, Thompson was taken with the No. 1 total decide within the 1978 NBA Draft by the Trail Blazers, having fun with eight stable years there earlier than becoming a member of the Spurs in 1986.
Klay Thompson made up half of the “Splash Brothers” twosome that gained 4 championships between 2014-22. The five-time All-Star averaged over 20 factors per sport in every of Golden State’s title-winning seasons, with the Warriors reaching the NBA Finals two extra instances throughout his tenure with the staff. The Thompsons are certainly one of 5 father-son duos to have ever gained an NBA title.
The opposite half of the “Splash Brothers” was the son of an NBA standout, too. Dell Curry broke out as one of many first nice 3-point shooters within the league, making 40.2% of his photographs from deep over his 16-year profession. He additionally gained Sixth Man of the 12 months in 1994 and is second on the Hornets‘ all-time factors chief listing.
In fact, Steph Curry took his father’s 3-point prowess to a complete different stage. The Warriors star revolutionized the sport along with his 3-point taking pictures, successful two MVPs (together with the primary unanimous one in league historical past) en path to guiding Golden State to 4 championships. Curry set the NBA’s all-time file for 3-pointers made in 2021, six months earlier than he gained his first Finals MVP.
The Earnhardts are two of NASCAR‘s most iconic drivers. The elder Earnhardt participated in 676 Winston Cup races, successful 76 of them. Earnhardt’s profession got here to an finish after he was concerned in a deadly crash on the ultimate lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. He was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Corridor of Fame inaugural class in 2010.
Earnhardt Jr. gained 26 Cup Sequence races, together with the Daytona 500 twice (2004, 2014). He had 260 top-10 finishes in Cup races in his profession and was named to the NASCAR Corridor of Fame in 2021.
5. Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds
Earlier than Barry Bonds reset the file books, his father additionally joined the file books in a novel method. Bobby Bonds, a three-time All-Star, was simply the second participant to hit 300 profession dwelling runs and steal 300 bases, recording 332 homers and 461 stolen bases.
Three a long time after Bonds emerged as a younger star with the Giants, his son added to his already Corridor of Fame profession in an enormous method throughout his time within the Bay Space. He gained 5 of his seven NL MVPs throughout his 15 seasons with the Giants, together with 4 in a row at first of the century. Bonds broke a few dwelling run data as properly, hitting 73 homers for essentially the most in a single season ever in 2001 and setting the all-time file for homers with 762.
The Guerreros have left their mark on Canadian baseball historical past. The elder Guerrero was a four-time All-Star with the Expos, ending within the NL’s high 10 in homers 4 instances throughout his eight seasons in Montreal. He added to his historic profession in his first season with the Angels, hitting 39 homers in 2004 to win his first and solely MVP. The nine-time All-Star turned a Corridor of Famer on the second poll.
As for the youthful Guerrero, he was certainly one of MLB’s greatest energy hitters in simply a short while. He hit 48 homers in his third season in 2021, which marked his first of 4 straight All-Star nods. Guerrero Jr. is simply 25 years previous, so it is doable this father-son duo might climb the listing.
3. Bobby Hull and Brett Hull
The Hull household produced two of the best gamers in NHL historical past. Bobby Hull was arguably the most effective participant within the historical past of the game throughout his prime, main the league in targets in seven seasons and ending second all-time in targets scored (610) on the time of his retirement. The 2-time MVP winner additionally led the league in scoring 3 times.
The youthful Hull might need been a fair higher participant than his father. Brett Hull scored 741 targets in his profession, the fifth-highest in league historical past. He additionally gained Stanley Cups in 1999 with the Stars and in 2002 with the Red Wings. A nine-time All-Star, Brett Hull was inducted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 2009, becoming a member of his father to change into the Corridor’s first father-son duo.
2. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. notably made historical past after they turned the primary father-son duo to play collectively within the majors. Earlier than they appeared in 51 video games collectively within the early Nineties, Griffey Sr. performed a key position within the Reds‘ World Sequence triumphs within the Nineteen Seventies. He was the most effective contact hitters within the sport after they gained all of it in 1975 and was an All-Star a yr later when the Reds claimed the World Sequence once more. Griffey Sr. ended his profession as a three-time All-Star.
The youthful Griffey is called one of many best gamers in MLB historical past. He was a 13-time All-Star and an MVP winner, main the AL in homers 4 instances. Junior, who principally starred for the Mariners and Reds, additionally gained 10 Gold Gloves in his profession. He ranks seventh all-time with 630 profession dwelling runs, and he set a file on the time for the very best Corridor of Fame voting share in 2016.
1. Archie Manning and Peyton Manning, Eli Manning
Most households would like to have one quarterback ok to make the NFL. The Manning household not solely had three (more likely to be 4 quickly), however all three additionally turned high quarterbacks within the league.
Archie Manning was a two-time Professional Bowler over his 14-year NFL profession, spending most of it with the Saints of their early seasons as a franchise. Whereas the Saints by no means had a lot staff success with Manning, he was extensively seen as the most effective passers of the Nineteen Seventies.
Manning’s two quarterback sons wound up having even higher careers than he did. Peyton Manning, the elder of the 2, lived as much as the hype as a generational prospect when the Colts chosen him first total within the 1998 NFL Draft. He gained 4 MVPs throughout his time in Indianapolis and introduced the Colts a Tremendous Bowl title in 2006. Manning continued his all-time profession with the Broncos in 2012, including one other MVP award and Tremendous Bowl championship within the closing 4 seasons of his profession. He nonetheless holds a number of NFL data, together with MVP wins, and was a first-ballot Corridor of Famer in 2021.
Eli Manning might change into a first-ballot Corridor of Famer quickly, too. The Giants‘ determination to commerce up and nab him with the primary total decide within the 2004 NFL Draft paid dividends. Whereas the youngest Manning did not have the person prowess that his older brother had, he led the Giants to a substantial amount of success. He helped them pull off one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history within the 2007 season, giving the then-undefeated Patriots their first loss in dramatic style. Manning took down the Patriots within the Tremendous Bowl once more 4 years later, making him certainly one of a handful of quarterbacks to begin in two Tremendous Bowl wins.
The Manning household might add a 3rd technology to strengthen their standing on this listing quickly. Arch Manning, who’s the grandson of Archie and the nephew of Peyton and Eli, is about to start his first season as Texas’ beginning quarterback in 2025. The highly-touted quarterback prospect has been extensively thought-about as one of many favorites to win the Heisman within the upcoming season and seen because the frontrunner to be the No. 1 total decide within the 2026 NFL Draft.
Honorable mentions:
- Sandy Alomar, Roberto Alomar and Sandy Alomar Jr.
- Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders
- Doc Rivers and Austin Rivers
- Joe Bryant and Kobe Bryant
- Clay Matthews Jr., Clay Matthews III and Casey Matthews
- Ed McCaffrey and Christian McCaffrey
- Marvin Harrison and Marvin Harrison Jr.
- Peter Schmeichel and Kasper Schmeichel
- Tim Hardaway and Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Invoice Walton and Luke Walton
- Bruce Matthews and Jake Matthews
- Richard Petty and Kyle Petty
- Calvin Hill and Grant Hill
- LeBron James and Bronny James
Take a look at all of our Daily Rankers.
Need nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
Get extra from Nationwide Soccer League Comply with your favorites to get details about video games, information and extra
Dale Earnhardt Jr.