One of the trends in the NBA is the fact that NBA superstar’s sons want to follow in their father’s footsteps.
With how popular the sport is, that may always be the case but the results show that the son will not be able to follow the footsteps that the father has put forth.
Countless of NBA sons have tried but to no avail. Even Michael Jordan’s two sons have tried and only made it to the ranks of college.
It is not like they needed the fame and money of the NBA but the allure of achieving what your father has done and doing more is just something a young man can’t shake.
Jeffery and Marcus Jordan are Michael Jordan’s sons. Jefferey Jordan is the oldest and Marcus is the younger brother. Jefferey played at the University of Illinois for three years after transferring to UCF to play with his brother Marcus who was a big time scorer at UCF.
UCF was looking to do big things with the Jordan brothers and other players that they recruited and had transferred but that was stalled when Jefferey had to sit out that year. After having his best college year he left unexpectedly and that ended his basketball career. Marcus Jordan was not able to make it to the NBA either.
Being the son to the greatest basketball player ever is something every kid would likely wish happened to them but the story of Jefferey and Marcus Jordan is a lesson that not everything is what it seems.
Another trend is that it goes in reverse. When the legend is average the son will become a superstar.
This is the case of three players: Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Lonzo Ball. Ball’s two brothers can be added in also.
Steph Curry and Klay Thompson’s dads were both average players in the NBA and their sons have turned out to be superstars that play on the same team.
Dell Curry played 16 seasons in the NBA. He played 10 with the Charlotte Hornets three with Toronto and one each for Cleveland, Utah and Milwaukee. He averaged 11.7 points and was known for his three point shooting just like Steph is now. Dell shot 40 percent from the field from three for his career.
Mychal Thompson averaged 13.7 points and seven rebounds and played 13 seasons in the NBA with the Portland Trailblazers, Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. Klay Thompson is known for his three-pointers but his father only made two threes for his whole career.
LaVar Ball only played one season with Washington state in college and that was it for his basketball career. It was during the 1987-88 season. It made news when it came out that he only averaged 2.2 points per game during his career.
His son’s are making a name for themselves though. Lonzo is looking like a top two pick in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft. LiAngelo is preparing for his freshman year in college at UCLA, where he will be playing for the bruins and the younger brother, LeMelo dropped 92 points in a high school game this past season.
It seems like the worst the dad’s career the better the son will be.
Glenn Robinson was a player that averaged 20 points in his career. He was known for his long socks and mid-range game. He helped teams like Milwaukee and Philadelphia during his career and also played for Atlanta and San Antonio.
His son Glenn Robinson III won the dunk contest and is building his way up in the league. Winning the dunk contest is helping to pave his own way and he’s found a roster spot on the Indiana Pacers but he is only averaging 4.4 points a game. His father averaged 21 points in his rookie year and made all rookie first team.
Gary Payton’s son, is a D-League player. That is a far cry from his father’s hall of fame career. Payton was known for his suffocating defense and finally won a championship in 2006.
Payton the first was a nine time all star, a nine time all NBA player, a defensive player of the year in 1996, and a nine time all defensive player.
Payton II has a long way to go.
Shaquille O’ Neal’s son, Shareef O’Neal is a five-star player that has just committed to play basketball at Arizona. He is making his own way by not playing at LSU and is looking to start a hall of fame career.
He is a 6’8 2018 power forward out of Santa Monica, California and his highlights are the talk of high school basketball blogs across the country. He will be a player to watch that can break the curve.
LeBron James and Dwayne Wade’s sons are getting media attention. Zaire Wade is 15 and known to trash talk with Jimmy Butler during one on one sessions. He has started up a buzz for himself playing on AAU circuits and his highlights have made him one of the most talked about young ballers coming up. He will graduate in 2020.
LeBron James Jr. is a one of the best sixth grade players in the country. His father has said that he shoots and handles the ball better at 12 better than he did and he has that passing ability that his father has. His favorite player is Russell Westbrook. “Bronny” as they call him will try and be better than his dad which will be a tall task.
Being an NBA star is meant to take you out of a life that you didn’t want to be in before and make your dreams come true. That opens the door for your kids to take other avenues and not follow in your footsteps. While being an NBA superstar is glamorous it all boils down to a Jay-Z lyric on Izzo when it comes down to an NBA’s star’s kid being a superstar in his own right, “Hov did that so hopefully you don’t have to go through that.”
~Albert Dadson