The old adage says “like father, like son,” is certainly true in the case of these super famous athlete's who's kids stepped right into their shoes. It isn't easy to follow in your parent's footsteps, regardless of what they do for a living, but if one of your parents is a famous athlete, it's even harder. That may be because you are literally living in your parent's shadow no matter how great you are.
And if you are a child of one of the top athletes, you may never achieve what they have, which can make the challenge seem like a battle you'll never win. But that doesn't mean a ton of kids haven't tried, and some of them have done a bang up job. So much so that, some of those kids are better known than their famous parental figures.
Our editors got into the mix of things and researched which athletes stood up to the challenge. There are many kids that have tried to fall into their parent's steps, but our list below includes six of the most successful of those kids. There are a ton more that are on the rise in their respective college teams, but for now our list gives you a breakdown of six famous athletes and the kid's who followed in their footsteps.
Who Are The 6 Famous Athlete's Who's Kids Followed In Their Footsteps?
You might find a new surprises in our list below, especially if you've only ever heard of the kid, and not the famous parent. Let's get into it.
Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson, unfortunately, died recently. He was Dwayne Jonson’s dad and was a pro wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation – WWE, and the National Wrestling Alliance. His son Dwayne Johnson followed in the same footsteps and needless to say he became one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Not only did he dominate the WWE, but the younger Johnson has also become one of the biggest movie stars of all time. He clearly went far and beyond his father’s career.
Archie Manning
He was one of the best football players while in Ole Miss. He then went on to play for the Rebels as a quarterback. He played professionally for the NFL for 13 years. His son’s Eli and Peyton followed suit in their father’s career and played in the same position as him in the NFL. Both brothers managed to achieve one thing that their father never did achieve, and that is winning the Superbowl. Although Archie never enjoyed much success with the NFL, he sits back to enjoy the success of his sons, with Peyton being considered as one of the best players of all time.
Dell Curry
Dell Curry was a solid NBA player for the length of his career. However, his son Steph Curry who followed in his career has gone on to establish himself as the future of the league by winning back-to-back MVP awards in 2015, and 2016. Dell had previously won the sixth man of the year in 1994, but this is nothing compared to his son’s career achievements. He has had 73 career wins and is well on his way to becoming bigger than the legendary LeBron James.
Mychal Thompson
Mychal was a number one pick during the NBA draft of his time and played for the Portland Trail Blazers, the LA Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. He was a great NBA player, and although his son Klay’s achievements tend to be overshadowed by Steph Curry, he has turned out to be a great player with the Golden State Warriors in his own right.
He was selected for the All-star team in 2015 which was the same year the Warriors won the championship. Klay has certainly tried to overdo his dad and during the 2015-2016 season, he increased his scoring average from a rookie which showed that he could easily carry the warriors in case Steph Curry is not there.
Clay Mathews
There have definitely been quite a few Matthews in the NFL over the years, but it all started with the great Clay Mathews Sr. He may have had a short career as an offensive lineman when he played for the San Francisco 49ers, but he clearly set the stage for the next generations of Matthews and their sons. The next Clay Matthews Jr and Bruce followed in the Sr. Matthews's footsteps in the league with Clay Jr. going on to become a great linebacker, and Bruce developing into an offensive lineman.
This family has continued to do great in the NFL with clay Jr’s son Clay Mathews the third becoming a top-rated linebacker and winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. Bruce’s son, on the other hand, Jake got selected by the Falcons in their top 10 NFL draft. This is a family that has the NFL in their bones.
Joe Bryant
He was the father of the late Kobe Bryant and he played in the NBA for two decades before Kobe went on to have the NBA career of a lifetime. Joe was nicknamed the “Jellybean,” and he also spent time as the head coach of the Women’s Basketball – Los Angeles Sparks. Kobe’s nickname, just like that of his father was “The Black Mamba.” His achievements are too many to get into, but he won numerous championships while playing for the Lakers and he established himself as one of the best and most admired players of all time. His death was a sad one, as the whole world lost a legend.
Famous Athletes And The Kids Who Followed Them Conclusion
There is definitely no greater pride for a parent than their child following in their career footsteps and doing an even better job than they did. This is true if you're a laywer or a baker and of course if you're a famous athlete. The above list is full of some great names and we're sure to see some of these famous athletes have grandkids that follow in their footsteps too.
