For many the first memory you have is playing catch, or shooting hoops with your father. As you grow older maybe your lucky enough to have your dad as your high school baseball coach. But now imagine your father was a hall of fame athlete, showing you the ropes in your respected sport.
While the chance of that happening is rare, there are more than enough instances to fill out an extensive list of father-son combos in each of the 4 major sports.
MLB
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr.
Ken Griffey Sr. played 19 seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. He was part of the Big Red Machine that won World Series titles in 1975 and 1976.
Griffey Sr. was a three-time All-Star and finished his career with a .296 batting average, 152 home runs and 859 RBIs. His accomplishments were enough for him to be inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
As for his son, Jr. reached rarified air. Griffey Jr. is one of the best players to ever play the sport, and arguably the most naturally gifted.
Jr. played 22 seasons, compiling 630 career home runs(7th all time), 10 Gold Glove awards, and a league MVP in 1997. He led the AL in home runs four times during his career, and stayed clean despite playing in the steroid era.
The most iconic thing this father son duo achieved was hit back-to-back home runs in a game as members of the 1990 Seattle Mariners. They remain the only father-son duo to achieve this feat.
Bobby Bonds/Barry Bonds
Everyone knows the name Barry Bonds, for good or bad, you know the name. But his father Bobby Bonds was quite the baseball player himself.
Bobby Bonds played the majority of his 14 seasons with the San Francisco Giants and became just the second player to hit 300 career home runs and steal 300 bases, joining the great Willie Mays.
At the time of his retirement, Bobby held records for the most times leading off a game with a home run in a season (11), and in a career (35).
Much like Griffey Jr. out did his dad, Barry Bonds blew Bobby’s career out of the water.
Barry Bonds played 22 seasons, and like his dad, majority of it in a San Francisco Giants uniform. Barry owns many MLB records, some that will never be broken. 762 Career home runs, 73 home runs in a single season, and a 7x NL MVP. He also holds the MLB records for walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688) in a career.
He was a 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Bonds tied his father for the most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, with five.
Sandy Alomar/Roberto Alomar/Sandy Alomar Jr.
The Alomar family are special in baseball. They are the first on the list to be a father-son-son combo.
Sandy Alomar Sr. competed in 15 seasons and could play all infield and outfield positions. Sr. was never an elite player, but he made an all star team in 1970. He is best known for his aggressive approach on the base paths, which can be seen by his 227 career steals.
Roberto Alomar, the best of the family, was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. In his 17 year career Roberto hit .300, with 2,724 hits and 210 home runs. But his defense is what set him apart. He won more Gold Gloves (10) than any other second baseman.
Sandy Alomar Jr. had the longest playing career, eclipsing 20 years. Sandy Alomar Jr. was the first rookie catcher to start an All-Star Game, and he won Rookie of the Year. Alomar Jr. was named an All-Star six times, and his most impressive feat was a 30 game hit streak in 1997.
Cecil Fielder/Prince Fielder
In 1990, Cecil Fielder was the first player since George Foster in 1977 to hit at least 50 home runs in a season. Fielder led the American League in home runs in 1990 and 1991 and in RBIs from 1990-92. He finished his career a 3x All-Star with 319 career home runs, 1,008 RBIs.
Prince followed in his father’s footprints, becoming the youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a season. Cecil and Prince Fielder are the only father-son duo to each hit 50 home runs in a season.
Prince Fielder was a six-time All-Star and won the Home Run Derby twice — once as an NL All-Star and once as an AL All-Star. Fielder was a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2015.
The most fascinating stat is Prince finished his career with 319 home runs, the same amount as his father.
Ray Boone/Bob Boone/Bret Boone/Aaron Boone
Let me introduce you to the first 3 generation family to play baseball.
Ray Boone was the first family member to play in the MLB. He made his debut in 1948. His career spanned 12 years.
Ray’s son Bob Boone made his debut in 1972. Bob had a successful 18 year career for multiple teams. After his playing career came to an end, he transitioned into a manager for the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds. He then stayed in the game as a general manager for the Washington Nationals later in his life.
Bob had three sons, two of which made the MLB. Bret Boone played a 13 year career, making the all star team 3x. Bret was quite a fielder, winning 4 gold gloves, and twice winning the silver slugger award for his hitting ability.
Aaron Boone, current Yankees manager, had a good playing career as well. The highlight of Boone’s career was the 2003 season. He was an Allstar and etched his name into baseball history with his 2003 ALCS walk off home run to send the Yankees to the World Series.
Keep an eye out for a 4th generation Boone to make the MLB as Bret and Aaron both have kids. Bret has a son who was drafted in 2017.
NBA
Dell Curry/Stephen Curry/Seth Curry
If there is one thing about the Curry family, they can shoot.
Dell Curry retired as the Charlotte Hornets’ career scoring leader (9,839 points) and ranked first in 3-pointers made (929). During his 16 year career, Dell won the 6th man of the year 1994. While a long successful career, his sons have turned it up a few levels.
Stephen Curry is recognized as the best shooter to ever pick up a basketball. He holds the NBA record for most made 3-pointers in a regular season, with 402, and most consecutive regular-season games with a made 3-pointer, with 157.
Steph is a 2x league MVP, and became the first unanimous. He has also led the Golden State Warriors to three NBA championships, and a record 73 win season.
His brother Seth is no slouch either. While bouncing around the league, Seth has remained consistent with his jump shot. It appears he has found his home in Dallas, recently signing a long term contract to be a 6th man.
Mychal Thompson/Klay Thompson
If you are not big on learning the history of the sport, the only reason you know Mychal Thompson is because he is Klay’s dad. But Mychal had a very successful NBA career.
Mychal was the No. 1 pick in the 1978 NBA draft, and won back-to-back NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and ’88. In his best season, Mychal averaged a double-double with 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. He didn’t have the shooting ability of his son, but he could certainly score on the break.
Klay Thompson has one upped his father in the championship category, winning 3 with the Golden State Warriors. Mychal and Klay Thompson became just the fourth father-son duo to each win an NBA title as a player and the first to each win back-to-back championships.
Klay has the purest shooting form in the game, just ask President Obama. Playing alongside Steph Curry, Klay is part of the best shooting backcourt the league has ever seen. And when we talk about getting hot, Klay is next to none. He dropped 60 points on 11 dribbles, and holds the record for most points in a quarter (37).
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant/Kobe Bryant
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant’s basketball career expands beyond the NBA game and into international waters. He played eight seasons in the NBA before heading to Europe and playing seven seasons with teams in Italy.
He scored 53 points in a game twice during the 1987-88 season, so you can say Kobe got his scoring ability from his dad. Oh and Jelly love for the game was real, playing professional basketball into his 50’s.
Kobe Bryant is obviously the better of the two. Widely recognized as a top 10 player of all time, Kobe’s resume speaks for itself.
He played 20 seasons for the Lakers and was named an All-Star 18 times. Kobe brought the city of Los Angeles 5 NBA titles, and has both no. 8 and 24 retired by the team. Bryant was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008 and the Finals MVP in 2009 and ’10. He was the NBA scoring champion in 2006 and ’07 and was named to the All-NBA first team 11 times and the All-Defensive first team nine times.
NFL
Archie Manning/Peyton Manning/Eli Manning
Safe to say the Manning family is the “first family” of the NFL?
Archie Manning was a quarterback in the NFL for 13 seasons, mostly with the New Orleans Saints. Archie never won a championship, and was often on bad teams, however He has been inducted into the Saints’ Ring of Honor and the Saints’ Hall of Fame. In his career he threw for 125 touchdowns and rushed for 18.
The real reason for the family making the list is the work of the two sons, Peyton and Eli.
Peyton holds the NFL records for career passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539). He is the only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl for two franchises. Peyton was named the NFL’s MVP five times and a first-team All-Pro seven times.
Eli’s career was more of a rollercoaster. He led the New York Giants to two improbable Super Bowl victories over Tom Brady’s New England Patriots. But outside of those two great seasons it was a lot of down years for the Giants franchise.
He is a four-time Pro Bowler, ranks sixth in passing yards in NFL history and started 210 consecutive games from 2004 to 2017, the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.
Clay Matthews Jr./Clay Matthews III/Casey Matthews
Clay Matthews Jr. played 19 seasons in the NFL, appearing in 278 games, the most by a linebacker. He recorded 1,561 tackles, 69.5 sacks and 16 interceptions in his career.
Clay Matthews III, a six-time Pro Bowler, helped the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl title after the 2010 season. He won Defensive Player of the Year 2010. In his 9 year career, Matthews III has totaled 80 sacks, 14 forced fumbles and six interceptions.
Casey Matthews had a limited playing career, from 2011 to ’14 with the Philadelphia Eagles, cumulating 2.5 sacks.
Howie Long/Chris Long/Kyle Long
Howie Long, now seen on Fox pre game show, played his entire 13-year career with the Raiders’ organization. He was a key component to the Raiders 1984 Super Bowl win, and won the 1985 DPOY. Long finished his career with 84 sacks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Howie passed down his football ability to his two sons, who have also had successful careers.
Chris Long was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NFL draft and has won back-to-back Super Bowls. Like his father, Chris played defensive end, recording 63.5 sacks in his 10 year career.
Kyle Long also chose football, but opted for the offensive side of the ball. Chris made the pro bowl 3x as a offensive guard, twice making all pro teams.
NHL
Bobby Hull/Brett Hull
The Hull’s are hockey royalty.
Bobby Hull received the Hart Memorial Trophy twice as the NHL’s most valuable player and earned the Art Ross Trophy three times as the NHL’s leading points scorer. Hull led the NHL in goals seven times and was the second-leading goal scorer in NHL history, with 610, when he retired (he is now 17th). Bobby was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
His son Brett scored 741 goals in his career, the fourth-highest total in NHL history. He scored at least 50 goals in five consecutive seasons, and his 86 goals in 1990-91 are the third most in a season in NHL history.
He won Stanley Cups in 1999 with the Dallas Stars (including scoring the championship-winning goal) and in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings.
Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, joining his father to become the first father-son duo in the Hall.
Future Members On the List
Vladimir Guerrero/Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is showing flashes of his father’s home run hitting. Could he follow in the footsteps of his dad’s hall of fame career?
Craig Biggio/Cavan Biggio
Cavan Biggio is teammates with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the Blue Jays. He too is trying to follow his father’s hall of fame career.
Randy Moss/Thaddeus Moss
He plays Tight End so it is a little different but Thaddeus Moss is a pass catcher just like his hall of fame father.
Shaquille O’Neal/Shareef O’Neal
Shareef is a 4 star college recruit coming back rom heart surgery. Let’s see if he can make the league his father dominated 20 years prior, because the talent is defiantly there.
