Dell, Stephen and Seth Curry top NBA father-son duos،
Some of the NBA’s greatest talents grew up not far from the league.
Dell Curry often brought his two sons, Stephen Curry and Seth Curry, to shoots during his nine seasons with the association. Klay Thompson admitted that he grew up with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom his father, Mychal Thompson, won two championships before retiring in 1991.
Although no father-son duo has ever played in the same NBA game – LeBron James has expressed his desire to play in the NBA with his son, Bronny James, a freshman at USC – the story of league proves that talent doesn’t matter. We often don’t stray too far from the family tree.
Here are some of the most notable father-son duos in NBA history:
Dell Curry, Stephen Curry, Seth Curry
One of the best 3-point shooters of his era, Dell Curry played 16 seasons in the NBA, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1993-94.
Dell shot at least 40% from deep in nine seasons, including a high of 47.6% in the 1998-99 season. He still holds the records for most games played and 2-point field goals made in Charlotte Hornets franchise history.
Stephen and Seth Curry followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming elite 3-point shooters themselves. Since entering the league in 2013, Seth has never shot below 40% from the 3-point line in a full season. In 14-plus NBA seasons, Stephen has only shot below 40% from deep twice.
Stephen also won four championships, nine All-Star appearances, All-NBA honors and two MVP awards with the Golden State Warriors. In 2022, he became the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made.
The brothers faced off in the 3-point shooting competition during NBA All-Star Weekend in 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stephen finished second, while Seth didn’t make it past the first round.
Joe Bryant, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe Bryant, spent eight seasons in the NBA. Originally drafted by the Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Joe before the start of the season.
He spent four seasons with the 76ers, appearing in the 1977 NBA Finals, and three seasons with the San Diego Clippers. He played his final NBA season with the Houston Rockets before playing overseas in France and Italy, where Kobe spent most of his childhood.
After Kobe was drafted No. 13 by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, the Lakers immediately traded him. He spent 20 seasons in Los Angeles, winning five championships and earning 18 All-Star appearances and 11 first-team All-NBA honors.
Rick Barry, Brent Barry
One of the few players to compete in both the NBA and ABA, Rick Barry was a 12-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA member and one-time champion. Barry averaged at least 20 points per game in 12 of 14 seasons, including a career-high 35 points in the 1966-67 season.
Just like his father, Brent Barry played 14 seasons, but he won two championships with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 24 minutes per game during the Spurs’ title run in 2005, then 11.8 in 2007.
Mychal Thompson, Klay Thompson
In 1978, Mychal Thompson became the first foreign-born player to be selected first overall. He spent eight seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Spurs and then again to the Lakers.
Mychal won back-to-back championships with the Lakers in 1988 and 1989, serving as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s backup. He retired in 1991.
His son, Klay Thompson, spent his entire career with the Warriors, winning four championships and five All-Star appearances. Klay is in the top 10 for 3-point field goals of all time, while his father made one 3-pointer during his NBA career.
The Thompsons are one of five father-son duos to each win an NBA championship.
The king of the killer crossover, Tim Hardaway made five All-Star appearances and earned All-NBA honors during his Hall of Fame career. He averaged at least 20 points per game in five of 13 seasons and was part of the Warriors’ “Run TMC” trio in the early 1990s.
That powerful scoring carried over to his son, Tim Hardaway Jr., who averaged double-digit points in 9 of his first 10 NBA seasons.
Bill Walton, Luke Walton
A decorated college player, Bill Walton enjoyed similar success in the NBA.
He won two championships in 10 seasons and averaged 18 points, 15 rebounds and 3.4 blocks during the Blazers’ 1977 title run. The elder Walton was also a key player off the bench for the Boston Celtics during their 1985-86 championship season.
Luke Walton also played 10 seasons and won consecutive championships in a reserve role with the Lakers.
Gary Payton’s 17-year playing career included nine NBA All-Star and All-NBA appearances each as well as a Defensive Player of the Year award. He appeared in 23 games during the Miami Heat’s 2006 championship run, playing 24.3 minutes per game.
Although Gary Payton II was not named an All-Star or All-NBA, he inherited his father’s defensive prowess and won a championship. Gary II was injured in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals and missed the Conference Finals during the Warriors’ 2022 title run. But he returned in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, averaging 18.5 minutes per game in the series.
Playing seven seasons in the NBA, Arvydas Sabonis demonstrated his unique skillset for a big man. He is considered one of the greatest passing centers and played an important role on the Trail Blazers of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His passing skills carried over to three-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA Domantas Sabonis. Last season, he averaged 19.1 points, a game-high 12.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
