The children of NBA superstars can almost never match the level of their parents.
The history of the NBA It is full of players whose children (and even grandchildren) managed to follow in their footsteps and reach the most important basketball league in the world. Currently, figures like Jalen Brunson, Klay Thompson, Dylan Harper and of course, Stephen Curry, are the children of former players in the league.
But, none of them come from any truly brilliant figure in NBA history. That is to say, all of them are players who have already shone brighter than their respective fathers, or in the case of Harper, have the opportunity to do so with the expectations that a high selection in the Draft.
On the other hand, it is difficult to count on the children of professional basketball superstars being able to put the following generations on the court. Unlike other sports, such as baseball, boxing or American football, basketball is not known for creating multigenerational dynasties with its most brilliant players.
Despite this, some have tried. Here, the most notorious cases in the history of the league:
The children who did not surpass their father on the court
Michael Jordan and his sons Jeffrey and Marcus
For an entire generation of NBA fans, Michael Jordan is he GOAT unquestionable. And at the end of the 20th century, when Michael was close to completing his career with the Chicago Bulls (where he won six league titles and set countless records) and the Washington Wizardsthe media began to notice the development of his two children.
They both played high school basketball in the Chicago suburbs, and both Marcus and Jeffrey ended up playing college basketball at UCF, near Orlando, Florida. But in January 2012, Jeffrey left the team for “personal reasons,” and today he is dedicated to business.
Marcus, for his part, also seemed to have a path to the NBA after his good performances at UCF, but like his brother, he left the team in 2012. Since then, he has also tried to open businesses, and appeared in a reality show in 2024.
They are the father-son duo with the most points in history… although the son has 97 as of January 20, and the father has almost 43 thousand – more than any other player in the history of the league. Controversially, Bronny was selected in the second round of the Draft in 2024 by the Lakersa team where he currently plays with his father. And although Bronny has a very different physical profile from his father (LeBron measures 6’9″ or 2.06 cm, while Bronny measures 6’2″ or 1.88 cm), the son has not managed to establish himself in the league, going to the G League at various times.
Just in case, Bryce James, LeBron’s son and Bronny’s younger brother, is already playing with the University of Arizona, looking to join his father and brother in the NBA starting next year. Like Bronny, he plays point guard – although Bryce, at 6’5” or 1.96, is taller than his older brother.
For almost 20 years, the Kingston, Jamaica-born, Northeastern United States-raised Patrick Ewingwas one of the most dominant figures in the NBA. His legendary battles with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls go down in history, and Ewing was selected to the All-Star Game 11 times between 1986 and 1997. His number, the legendary 33, was retired by the Knicks after his retirement.
Ewing Jr. did not reach the height of his father, who measures 7’0″ or 2.13 cm, “staying” at 6’8″ or 2.03, and after being drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2008, he played just seven games in the NBA with the New Orleans Hornets before retiring in 2015.
Shaquille O’Neal and his children
The great Shaq had enormous successes during his career, being one of the most dominant players of the 1990s and the beginning of the current millennium. He was a four-time champion and is Top 10 in NBA history in points, field goals and blocks. His number was retired by the Lakers, Heat and Magic – a singular achievement.
Among Shaq’s children is Shareef, who seemed to follow in his dad’s footsteps, before undergoing heart surgery in December 2018. He played four years at UCLA and LSU at the collegiate level, and reached the G League in 2022. In 2024, he was signed by the Sacramento Kings, but did not debut.
Children who surpass their parents
Joe Bryant y Kobe Bryant
Joe Bryant He enjoyed an eight-year NBA career with Philadelphia, San Diego and Houston. But he carved out a longer career in European basketball before retiring in 1992. This path allowed his family to see the world, and the young Kobehis son, play other sports before dedicating himself fully to basketball.
Kobe appeared on the scene in 1996, when after playing high school he declared himself eligible for the draft. Although he was drafted by Charlotte, they traded him to the Lakers, and the rest is history. Five-time champion, 18-time All-Star, and more than 33,000 points in one of the most impressive careers in NBA history.
Dell Curry y Steph Curry
A priori, it seems that the career of Dell Curry It would be hard to beat. In 16 years in the NBA, he scored more than 12,000 points and was voted the league’s Sixth Man of the Year in 1994, when he played with the Charlotte Hornets. Additionally, Dell was selected in the 1985 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles for his talent there.
His children Steph and Seth saw it all in the front row, and Steph especially challenged herself to surpass her father. Today, he has four NBA titles, 12 selections to the All-Star Game, more than 31 thousand points in the league and he was also the manager of a generational change in the NBA, where the three-point shot is favored over almost any other type of scoring.
Mychal Thompson and Klay Thompson
The same way, Mychal Thompson It shone from the start. He was the first draft pick in 1978, won two NBA titles with the Lakers and scored almost 13,000 points in a 13-year career in the most important basketball in the world. He is identified as part of the Lakers dynasty in the 1980s, along with Magic Johnson y Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
But Klay Thompson He joined the Golden State Warriors with Steph and together they inaugurated the Splash Brothers dynasty. At the moment, Klay already has more championships than his dad (four) and more points, since he recently has more than 17 thousand, between Golden State and now, the Dallas Mavericks.
The one who wants to break the pattern
Scottie Pippen He is, quite simply, one of the best players in NBA history. Thanks to his elemental part in the Chicago Bulls dynasty, and later, his participation with teams like Houston and Portland, Pippen carved out one of the most complete careers in the history of the league. In the end, there were six championships, almost 19 thousand points and seven times named to the league’s All-NBA team.
His son Scotty has the possibility – although distant – of reaching these heights if he continues what he has shown so far. Like his dad, he has shown a knack for scoring and defending. With the Memphis Grizzlies, where he has spent the last three seasons, he has shown great potential – although we haven’t been able to see it this season thanks to foot surgery he underwent in October. He is expected to return for the second half of the current campaign.
