The NBA has seen more and more second-generation players entering the league over the past couple of decades. Any sport growing and evolving will see prospects who grew up loving the game as part of their family lives. Most talents to have fathers play in the league in past eras will have a bigger target on their backs.
There are both ups and downs that come with following in your father’s footsteps when entering the NBA. Some can’t handle the extra pressure that comes from those expectations growing through nothing of their own control. However, the names to step up can create a legacy on their own. The following NBA players have proven to be better than their fathers in the sport.
10 Kobe Bryant
Many fans don’t realize that Kobe Bryant’s father spent time in the NBA. Joe “Jellybean” Bryant played about eight seasons in the league during the 1970s and 1980s for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets as a complimentary talent.
Kobe took that to the next level when he instantly joined the NBA as a top name and lived up to the hype. The success of Bryant was so strong that he rarely got compared to his father like most young prospects entering the league. Kobe is on the short list of legends that can realistically be argued as a top five all-time superstar.
9 Stephen Curry
One of the biggest instances of an NBA father and son duo both thriving in the league featured Stephen Curry more than living up to Dell Curry’s legacy. 1990s fans will remember Dell as one of the best three-point shooters at a time when it was rare.
Steph entered the league with more expectations than a lottery pick and an even stronger reputation for outside shooting. The game was changed by Steph becoming an all-time great and making the three-point shot even more important. Dell jokes about being known more as Stephen and his brother Seth’s father than his own career these days.
8 Jalen Brunson
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The recent offseason news of Jalen Brunson signing a massive contract with the New York Knicks had some talk about his father coming into play. Jalen’s father Rick Brunson was a bench player in the league and spent a few years with the Knicks.
New York recently hired Rick in a coaching role, and it certainly helped in landing his son. Jalen had a breakout season for the Dallas Mavericks and has already passed his father’s legacy in the league. Knicks management signed him with the hopes of him becoming a contender for an All-Star spot.
7 Jeremy Grant
NBA fans remember Horace Grant from the ’90s Chicago Bulls more than his brother journeyman Harvey Grant. This leads to confusion with the current new generation of Grant siblings breaking out in the league. Many fans assume they are the sons of Horace since few remember Harvey, and it doesn’t help that they are identical twins.
Jerami Grant has been the most successful of his siblings with great stats on the Detroit Pistons and a new major role on the Portland Trail Blazers. The NBA success of Jerami has already passed his father Harvey, and he has a chance to match or pass his uncle Horace.
6 Andrew Wiggins
The recent season validated Andrew Wiggins as a very successful and impactful basketball player in the NBA. Wiggins made his first All-Star appearance and contributed on both ends to the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA Championship.
The hype for him entering the league was huge as a purely talented #1 pick and the son of a former NBA player. Andrew’s father Mitchell Wiggins spent a little under a decade in the league trying to get rotation minutes. The success of Andrew already puts him past his father and a large percentage of all-time NBA players.
5 Kevin Love
Another second-generation NBA player that few fans realize is the one who saw Kevin Love entering the league after his father had the same path. Stan Love spent a handful of years trying to make his mark in the 1970s with minimal playing time before he fell out of the league.
Kevin has added a lot more NBA success to the family’s league as a multi-time All-Star and an NBA Champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA career of Kevin is still going today with his recent success as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate showing another possible chapter to his career moving forward.
4 Klay Thompson
The Splash Brothers became bonded together on the Golden State Warriors for having many things in common. Klay Thompson is an all-time great shooter just behind Stephen Curry and they both had fathers with relatively successful NBA careers.
Mychal Thompson was a very underrated player spending over a decade in the league and contributing to two Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championships. The scoring of Mychal was impressive, but he never reached near the level of his son. Klay is already considered in the conversation as a top five all-time shooting guard with quite a few years left in his career.
3 Domantas Sabonis
One of the most interesting father and son duos in NBA history featured Arvydas and Domantas Sabonis each being quite talented players. Arvydas was more successful internationally and became a rare story of someone coming to the United States later in their careers for the NBA.
The Portland Trail Blazers had some good moments with Arvydas, but injuries prevented him from ever using his full talent to become an All-Star caliber talent. Domantas has already made the All-Star team twice and put up much better numbers than his father did in the NBA.
2 Al Horford
Al Horford’s father Tito made history as the first Dominican born player to even play in the NBA. Tito was quite talented, but he was a journeyman trying to find the right roster. The Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullets barely gave him playing time during his stints there.
Tito opened the door for many athletes from the Dominican Republic who loved basketball, but his son Al has taken it to new heights. The Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks each saw Al as their center during some of their best years in recent memory. Al is a tremendous all-around talent with many years of consistent greatness and a chance to win an NBA Championship with the Celtics.
1 Devin Booker
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A large percentage of NBA fans have no idea that Devin Booker’s father played in the league since it isn’t as talked about as most other names on this list. Melvin Booker spent a few years in the NBA trying to make it with the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors.
Unfortunately, fate would see Melvin never breaking out the way his son has. Devin has become arguably the best shooting guard in the league with outstanding stats. The Phoenix Suns have made Booker the face of the franchise and strongly believe this will lead to an NBA Championship.