The 10 Best Father-Son Duos in Sports History
Joining the family business isn't so simple in professional sports.
When a son—or multiple, on even rarer occasions—follows in his father's footsteps, though, that household joins a relatively small community.
As if that's not enough, a few families across major North American sports boast Hall of Fame-worthy talents in two generations.
The list is subjective but highlights father-son duos with immense accomplishments in both of their careers. Contributions as an owner—whether that's an NFL franchise or racing team, for example—are not considered.
Future potential, as would be the case for a young standout like Marvin Harrison Jr., is also not a factor.
Honorable Mentions
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There are so many deserving pairs. It's impossible to list everyone, but the following list is loaded with impressive father-son duos.
NBA
Joe and Kobe Bryant
Dell and Stephen Curry (and Seth)
Arvydas and Domantas Sabonis
Mychal and Klay Thompson
NHL
Peter and Paul Stastny
Keith and Matthew Tkachuk (and Brady)
NFL
Ed and Christian McCaffrey
Howie and Chris Long
Jackie and Matthew Slater
Patrick Surtain Sr. and II
MLB
Cecil and Prince Fielder
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Jr.
Bobby Witt Sr. and Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr.
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The legendary Dale Earnhardt is one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.
Because of his unrelenting, aggressive style, he became known as "The Intimidator." Earnhardt won 76 races—including the 1998 Daytona 500—and a record-tying seven Cup Series championships in 26 seasons.
Earnhardt, who died in a crash at the 2001 Daytona 500, saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. become a full-time Cup racer in 2000.
After winning back-to-back Busch Series titles in 1998 and 1999, Junior had a strong Cup career. He took the checkered flag in 26 races, highlighted by four at Talladega and two at Daytona, and notched seven top-10 point finishes.
Both of them, deservedly, are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Roberto and Sandy Alomar Sr.
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As with a few others, the Alomar family is not technically limited to a duo.
Sandy Alomar Sr. made his MLB debut in 1964 and played 15 years, earning an All-Star bid with the California Angels in 1970.
In the next generation, both Sandy Alomar Jr. and Roberto Alomar had excellent careers. Sandy was a six-time All-Star, while Roberto put together a Hall of Fame-bound resume of 12 All-Star nods and 10 Gold Gloves, making him the pick here to form the duo with his father.
Baseball, clearly, ran in the family.
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Bob and Bret Boone
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Realistically, three generations of the Boone family are relevant here.
Back in the 1950s, Ray Boone made a couple of All-Star teams. His son Bob Boone enjoyed a 19-year career that included seven Gold Gloves and four All-Star trips. And then, his sons Bret and Aaron played in the majors.
Bret Boone hit 252 homers in 14 seasons, earning two Silver Sluggers and three All-Star nods along with four Gold Gloves at second base.
Aaron Boone, currently the New York Yankees manager, made an All-Star team and is otherwise remembered for a walk-off home run in the 2003 ALCS—though Bret is the pick for the duo for his better playing resume.
Moises and Felipe Alou
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While this section will focus on Felipe Alou and Moises Alou, their extended family is loaded with former MLB players and managers.
Nevertheless! Felipe is up first.
After debuting in 1958, he spent 17 years in the bigs. Alou, who peaked with the Atlanta Braves during the late 1960s, hit a solid .286 with 206 homers in his career and made three All-Star teams.
Moises broke into the league in 1990 and rose to prominence with the Montreal Expos—managed by someone named Felipe Alou. Moises matched his father with 17 seasons but collected six All-Star nods and two Silver Sluggers while posting a .303 average and 332 home runs.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr.
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In most cases, the father has retired before the son plays. However, the Griffey family had a wonderfully rare experience.
Ken Griffey Sr. spent 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, mostly suiting up for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. A three-time All-Star and two-time champion with the Reds, he finished his career on the Seattle Mariners.
During the 1990-91 campaign, he played next to his son.
Ken Griffey Jr. debuted with the Mariners in 1989 and became a force, winning 10 straight Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and an MVP in 1997. The sweet-swinging lefty played 22 seasons and made the Hall of Fame.
There's no question it was special for Ken Sr. to stand in left field and have a perfect view of Junior patrolling center field.
Bobby and Barry Bonds
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Not only did Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds each assemble a prolific career, they did a majority of their damage for the same franchise.
Bobby debuted in 1968 on the San Francisco Giants and earned two of his three All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves there.
Although the Pittsburgh Pirates showcased Barry for his first seven seasons—which included two NL MVPs—he then spent 15 years in San Francisco. Bonds won five MVPs on the Giants and ultimately stacked his crowded trophy case with 12 Silver Sluggers and eight Gold Gloves.
Yes, there's the asterisk.
We have to mention the steroid allegations around Barry's time in the majors. Still, the reality is Barry was already an absolute force before that era.
Clay Matthews Jr. and Clay Matthews III
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I am pretty confident the Matthews families have a Type NFL blood.
For the purposes of this exercise, we're highlighting the duo of Clay Matthews Jr. and Clay Matthews III, but let's take a look at the family tree.
Clay Matthews Sr. played briefly in the pros—and perhaps only because he served in the military during the Korean War.
The lineage continued with Clay Jr., a linebacker with nearly 1,600 career tackles and a spot in the Cleveland Browns' Ring of Honor. His son, Clay III, became a standout pass-rusher and earned a spot in the Green Bay Packers' Hall of Fame.
Bruce Matthews, the brother of Clay Jr., was a sensational blocker for the Oilers/Titans and is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His son, Jake, has been a mainstay on the Atlanta Falcons' offensive line since 2014.
For good measure, Clay Jr.'s son Casey and Bruce's son Kevin also played five seasons apiece in the NFL.
Gordie and Mark Howe
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The Ironman of all Ironmen, the legendary Gordie Howe played an utterly absurd 32 professional seasons—26 in the NHL and six in the WHA.
Known for his complete skill set, Howe played a physical but productive game. Along with 1,685 penalty minutes in 1,767 games, he racked up 1,850 points (801 goals and 1,049 assists) in the NHL.
Howe's six years in the WHA came alongside his sons Mark and Marty.
Marty had a brief stay in the NHL, but Mark is remembered for being an elite two-way defenseman. He amassed 742 points in 929 games, finishing as the Norris Trophy runner-up in three seasons.
Gordie and Mark are both in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bobby and Brett Hull
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Like the Howes, the Hulls share a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bobby Hull dominated with the Chicago Blackhawks for 15 years, tallying 1,153 points in 1,036 games. He spent the next seven seasons in the WHA before the merger shifted Hull back to the NHL during his final year.
Within a decade of Bobby's retirement, Brett Hull had become a menace. Brett played most of his career on the St. Louis Blues but won a Stanley Cup on both the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings. Along the way, he registered 1,391 points—which remains a top-25 total in NHL history.
Brett is one of two players ever, alongside Wayne Gretzky, to record 70 goals in three or more seasons, too.
Archie and Peyton Manning
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Looking at numbers alone, Archie Manning's NFL career doesn't look fantastic. However, he was a highly respected player who is enshrined in the New Orleans Saints' Ring of Honor.
And then, you probably know two of his sons.
Peyton Manning is a top-tier QB in league history, boasting five MVPs, two Super Bowl rings and 10 AP All-Pro selections. He set (since-broken) career records in both passing yards and touchdowns.
As preemptive revenge for Tom Brady breaking his brother's records, perhaps, Eli Manning twice defeated Brady and the New England Patriots to win Super Bowls. Eli retired with top-10 marks in each major passing category.
Peyton was a more accomplished player, but Eli certainly had a great career too.
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