In the aftermath of Inter Milan’s 20th scudetto win, a picture made rounds on the internet. It was a photo of Inter’s number nine, Marcus Thuram, and his father, Serie A football legend and French World Cup winner, Lillian Thuram. It was a picture that reminded the world that legacies in sports, as in any other area of life, can indeed be passed down through the genes.
Throughout history, many children of sports stars have often tried to follow in their father's footsteps. Sometimes, it works out perfectly, other times they get lost in their father's shadows and completely lose the plot. However, when it does work out well, it makes the best of stories.
From Ken Griffey Sr and Ken Griffey Jr, to Archie and Peyton Manning, to LeBron and Bronny James, we take a look at some of the most memorable father-son duos in sports history.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr
On September 14, 1990, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. hit consecutive home runs playing against the Angels. It was the first time that would happen in the history of Major League Baseball. 34 years later, they're still the only father and son duo to pull off that accomplishment.
Ken Griffey Sr negotiated the terms of his 17 year old son’s contract with the Mariners in June 1987, and just about three years later playing against the Kansas City Royals, they became the first father-son duo to appear in the same lineup in a MLB game. It was a debut to remember for the duo, as they each went 1-for-4. Ken Griffey Jr would go on to make 630 career home runs and was immortalized as a member of the MLB’s Hall of Fame in 2016, bringing his father's dream to reality.
Bobby and Barry Bonds
The Griffeys may have done it first, but Bobby and Barry Bonds are arguably the greatest father and son duo to grace the MLB. Bobby himself made the league’s All-Star team three times and won the Gold Glove thrice. He is also a proud member of the 300-home run club, one of the league's most elite categories.
His son Barry, came into baseball after learning so much from his father in his early years. Under the guidance and tutelage of his father, the younger Bond would go on to amass 762 home runs, making him baseball’s home run king. He also won seven MVP awards.
As a duo, Bobby and Barry Bond are the father-son combination with the most combined home runs, totalling over 1,000. They also have a combined 975 stolen bases. They're not only of the greatest father-son duos, they're also a testament to the impact of family in sports history.
Archie and Peyton Manning
The NFL has had its own fair share of father-son duo making history together in the same era. Despite the plethora of trans-generational legacies, the biggest of them, arguably, is Archie and Peyton Manning.
The Manning family name is easily the most recognisable in NFL history and one of the most famous sports families in history. The man who started it all, Archie Manning (now 72) started out as a high school footballer in Drew, Mississippi before moving up to collegiate football at Ole Miss. From then on, it was greatness as he was drafted into the NFL in 1971 and even earned a couple of Pro Bowl nominations.
Archie’s oldest son Cooper would have been the first to continue his legacy but he was unfortunately diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which ended any such hopes. However, Archie's second son Peyton had big shoes to fill and he filled them admirably. After starting out at Isidore Newman, he went on to play college football at Tennessee before getting his first taste of NFL action as Indianapolis Colts’ first overall pick of the 1998 NFL draft. He retired in 2015 after winning two Super Bowls and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Other members of the Manning family tree to have played football include Peyton's brother Eli, and Cooper's first son Arch (18), who currently plays college football for the Longhorns.
Gordie and Mark Howe
One of the upsides of having a father who is a legendary player of a sport you hope to play is that you get to witness first hand everything it takes to succeed in the game. The downside, however, is that you have super huge shoes to fill and depending how that goes, you may end up forever lost in his shadows.
Mark Howe, son of arguably hockey's greatest all round player, Gordie Howe, certainly had these thoughts on his mind when he first picked up a hockey stick. In his own words, it was like he had a target permanently affixed to his back and everyone kept taking shots. But boy did he fill those shoes!
For 21 consecutive years, Gordie Howe ranked among the top ten in the NHL scoring charts, until he retired in 1971. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 and was the first hockey player to win the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
Mark, on the other hand, was one of the best two-way NHL defensemen in the 1980s, a three-time runner up for the Norris Trophy and played in the Stanley Cup finals three times in his hockey career. What a family of undeniable sports legacy!
Dell and Steph Curry
Wardell Stephen Curry Sr was an NBA player who was active from 1986-2002, retiring as the all-time leader in points (9,839) for the Charlotte Hornets', and their highest for three-point field goals made (929). He is widely known as one of the game’s top 3-point shooters of his time. In the 1993-94 season, Dell won the Sixth Man of the Year award after coming close a few times. Now retired, he works as a color commentator on Charlotte Hornets television broadcasts.
Following in his illustrious father's footsteps, Wardell Stephen "Steph" Curry II, was drafted into the NBA by the Golden State Warriors as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. It was his father's 45th birthday and a dream come true for the Curry family. In his first season, Steph made 77 starts and played in 80 games overall. He averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.90 steals in 36.2 minutes. That year, he finished runner up in the Rookie of The Year award, behind Tyreke Evans.
He has since gone on to become one of the league's greatest shooters of all time, a four time NBA champion, an NBA Final MVP, NBA All-Star Game MVP, two gold medals at the FIBA World Cup, and most recently, a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics with the US Men's National Team.
Seth Curry, Steph's brother, is another of Dell’s sons doing his thing as a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets. At 34, he's currently eighth in NBA history for career three-point field goal percentage. Family sports legacy at its finest.
LeBron and Bronny James
Top scorer in NBA history, four time NBA champion, 20-time All-star, but nothing could have made LeBron James happier than the moment he and his son Bronny made their way onto the court in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles Lakers‘ season opener on October 22, 2024. The duo made NBA history at that moment, making them the first father and son to play in the NBA together. Interestingly, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr, themselves from one of the world's most famous sports families, were in the stands to witness the historic occasion.
LeBron James is widely regarded as the G.O.A.T of the NBA. The first time he spoke about his dream to play alongside his son was a few years ago, while Bronny was still in high school. The dream became a possibility when a teenage Bronny entered the draft following one collegiate season, and became the 55th overall pick for the Lakers. With some more years in the tank for LeBron, could this go on to be the greatest active father-son duos in sports?
Wrapping Up
These are just a few of the many memorable father-son duos in sports history. Like LeBron James, football legend Cristiano Ronaldo also expressed his desire to one day play with his son. “My son tells me, 'Dad hold on a few more years - I want to play with you”, Ronaldo said in an interview, which he says fuels him to keep playing until he can make this dream a reality.