Like father Like Son.
Many prominent athletes have had children who followed in their footsteps in their respective sports, including new Los Angeles Lakers point guard Bronny James and his superstar father, LeBron James.
That said, we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic father-son duos in sports history.
Let’s do it!
LeBron James and Bronny James
LeBron James has made an incredible mark on the NBA, becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer this year. A 20-time All-Star, four-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP, LeBron James has played 21 seasons, six with the Lakers.
His eldest son, Bronny, was selected by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in this year’s draft, making the pair the first father-son duo to play simultaneously on the same team.
Archie Manning and Peyton Manning, Eli Manning
Archie Manning is at the forefront of the Manning legacy, having played quarterback in the NFL for 13 seasons, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. A two-time Pro Bowler, Archie Manning was inducted into the Saints Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame.
Archie’s oldest son, Peyton, played quarterback at Tennessee, where he was the SEC Player of the Year in 1997 and runner-up in the Heisman Trophy category that same year. He went on to be the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. A 14-time Pro Bowler, Peyton Manning was named NFL MVP five times and a first-team All-Pro seven times. He is the only starting quarterback to win Super Bowls for two franchises and holds the NFL records for career passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539).
Eli Manning played quarterback at Ole Miss, like his father, and won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award in 2003. He was then drafted first overall by the New York Giants in 2004, winning two Super Bowls and being named Super Bowl MVP both times. A four-time Pro Bowler, Eli Manning ranks sixth in league history in passing yards, and his 210 consecutive starts from 2004-2017 is the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Sr. played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, most notably with the Cincinnati Reds. He won 10 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Slugger Awards, and two World Series titles, in addition to 13 MLB All-Star selections. In 2004, he was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, and finished his career with a .296 batting average, 152 home runs, and 859 RBIs.
Griffey Jr. played 13 seasons with the Seattle Mariners and nine with the Reds. Griffey Jr. and Griffey Sr. played two seasons together with the Mariners, becoming the first father-son duo to play on the same MLB team, and in 1990, they hit back-to-back home runs against the then-California Angels. Griffey Jr. was the American League MVP in 1997 and led the American League in home runs four times during his career. He is seventh all-time with 630 career home runs. A 10-time Gold Glove winner and 13-time All-Star, Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds
Bobby Bonds, a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, became only the second player to hit 300 career home runs and steal 300 bases.
Barry Bonds played 22 seasons, mostly with the San Francisco Giants, and was a seven-time National League MVP. Bonds holds the records for career home runs (762) and home runs in a season (73). A 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, Barry Bonds tied his father for most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases (five).
Dell Curry and Stephen Curry
Dell Curry, selected 15th overall in the 1986 NBA Draft, played 16 seasons, averaging 11.7 points and shooting 40.2 percent from three-point range in 1,083 career games. His most notable experience came when he played for the Charlotte Hornets, where he finished second on the team’s all-time scoring list.
Dell’s eldest son, Stephen, was selected seventh overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He became a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star and is widely regarded as the greatest shooter in NBA history, shooting over 43% from deep and 90% from the line in his career.
Mychal Thompson and Klay Thompson
Selected with the first overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft, Mychal Thompson averaged 16.7 points and 8.9 rebounds in seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers (1980-86) before playing half a season with the San Antonio Spurs (1986-87) and finishing his career with the Lakers. He won two championships with Magic Johnson and the Lakers.
Klay Thompson was selected 11th overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Warriors and has developed into one of the best shooters in basketball. A four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star, Klay Thompson averaged 19.6 points per game on 41.3% shooting from 3-point range in 11 seasons with Golden State. He announced his departure from the Warriors as a free agent earlier this month, opting to sign a three-year, $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
Bobby Hull and Brett Hull
Bobby Hull led the NHL in goals seven times and was the second-leading scorer in league history (610) when he retired. Hull won back-to-back All-Star Game MVP awards in 1970 and 1971 after winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1961. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
Bobby Hull’s son Brett scored 741 career goals, the fourth-highest total in league history. The right winger won the Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Dallas Stars and in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings. A nine-time All-Star, Brett Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, joining his father to become the Hall’s first father-son duo.
Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt is one of NASCAR’s most iconic drivers. He competed in 676 Winston Cups, winning 76 of them. Earnhardt’s career came to an end after he was involved in a fatal crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. He was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010.
Earnhardt Jr. won 26 Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 twice (2004, 2014). He earned 260 top-10 finishes in Cup Series races throughout his career and was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 2000.
Howie Long and Chris Long
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Howie Long played his entire 13-year career with the Raiders organization. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 after helping the franchise win the Super Bowl the previous year. Howie Long finished his career with 84.0 sacks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Chris Long was the second overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and became one of the few players in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls for different teams – with the New England Patriots in 2017 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018. The defensive end recorded 70.0 sacks in his 11-year career.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
National Football League
National Basketball Association
Major League Baseball
Learn more from the National Basketball Association Follow your favorites for game information, news, and more.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.