Honoring the father-son duos in the NBA

Happy Father’s Day to all!

I recently posed the question of whether the Houston Rockets would consider drafting the son of an NBA legend — LeBron James — and while my point in that blog wasn’t to create a farfetched scenario of father and son joining forces in H-Town, it did remind me how genuinely cool it will be to see the two of them sharing the same court.

I’m not even implying it will be as momentous as the Griffey’s hitting back-to-back home runs, but no matter how you feel about Bronny James’s long-term potential as an NBA player, it’s undeniable that the first sight of them playing with or against each other will be magical.

For Father’s Day, I’d like to acknowledge some of the most intriguing father-son duos that have graced the sport. I think it’s important to embrace how something as simple as a basketball can strengthen a lifelong bond between parent and child. Seeing all of the challenges, perseverance, and overall life lessons that have been passed down through the game is something that I have grown to appreciate as I’ve grown older and reflect on the past. It’s what makes depictions of basketball such as He Got Game resonate as strong as they do.

As for your Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. currently holds the mantle as one of a handful of second-generation players to play for the team. The interesting tidbit about him and his father, Jabari Sr., is that they’ve both appeared in the same game as LeBron. That guy is truly an anomaly.

Prior to Bari, KJ Martin held that distinction in Houston as his aerial highlights brought back flashbacks of how elite of an athlete his father, Kenyon Martin Sr., used to be.

Another former Rocket, Austin Rivers, also made history when he became the first player to be coached by his father, Doc Rivers, during their time with the Los Angeles Clippers. Want another factoid? Rick Barry and two of his sons, Jon and Brent, all finished their careers as members of the Rockets.

We also can’t think of Rockets’ basketball without mentioning the honorable John Lucas Jr. The longtime Rockets affiliate has had numerous stints with the organization as both a player and coach, and his eldest son, John Lucas III, appeared in 60 regular season games for Houston over the course of his career. Jr. gets credit for being the first pick of the 1976 draft and Lucas III might most famously be remembered as the guy that LeBron jumped completely over that one time.

Father-son duos stretch far beyond the Rockets lore as well. We all know about the Bryant’s, Joe and Kobe. There’s that family that Houston is sick of, Dell, Steph and Seth Curry. Gary Payton and Gary II also bring plenty of accolades to the table. Arvydas and Domantas Sabonis are sneakily the best combo thus far and I won’t forget the Thompson’s, Mychal and Klay, who have combined for six rings.

As we’re currently in the midst of the NBA Finals, I thought it’d be relevant to point out the second-generation guys that exist on each team’s roster. Al Horford, another dinosaur by NBA standards, is on the verge of claiming his first NBA title, and if you’ve paid attention to Boston Celtics games over the years, you won’t be shocked to see the broadcast occasionally pan over to an exuberant Tito Horford celebrating his son’s success.

On the Dallas Mavericks side, Tim Hardaway Jr. shares in common something with his Hall of Fame father, Tim Sr., both were Dirk Nowitzki’s teammate.

In an alternate universe, Jalen Brunson could have also been playing for this Mavs team in the Finals had he not been lured to the New York Knicks by assistant coach and nine-year vet, Rick Brunson.

Also worth mentioning is the late great, Bill Walton, who along with his son, Luke, became the first father-son duo to win multiple titles. As many of you know, the Celtics are wearing commemorative patches in honor of the recently deceased Walton. He was a legend on and off the court. Rest in Peace, Big Red.

As you can see, the NBA isn’t short on lineage, and it won’t be surprising to see more familiar names in the league soon. If you ever want to feel old, look at some of the names in the upcoming recruiting classes. I for one, consider myself fortunate enough to have been able to watch the entirety of some of the greats’ careers, and I’m looking forward to seeing their offspring carry on that legacy.

Happy Father’s Day, y’all.