It’s a dream for most sportspeople, sharing the stage with their children – Cristiano Ronaldo has already hinted that he doesn’t want to retire until doing so with his own son.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James, son of legendary basketball icon and Lakers star LeBron James earlier this month in the NBA draft creating the first father-son duo on the same team in the league’s history.
Rarely do the professional sporting careers of parents and their children align like this but there have been several notable cases in the past.
Some have even shared the same pitch – with Iceland heroes Eidur and Arnor Gudjohnsen both featuring in the same friendly against Estonia.
From football to boxing, here are some notable famous parent-child athletes across sports.
Bronny James became the first NBA star to be picked up by the same franchise as their parent
James Snr (right) could line up alongside his son this season at the Los Angeles Lakers
Bronny has made a number of appearances for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League
Peter and Kasper Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel spent much of his illustrious career with Manchester United, appearing in 388 matches for the Red Devils. He was formerly the most capped international player for Denmark, having recently been overtaken by Christian Eriksen and Simon Kjaer.
His son, Kasper, has won 104 caps for Denmark since his debut in 2013. After playing over 400 matches over 11 years at Leicester City, Schmeichel moved to Nice in Ligue 1, before joining Belgian side Anderlecht, leaving this summer.
The father-son duo has played more matches than any other family football pairing, with a combined 1508 appearances between the two – including 226 caps for their country.
Ian Wright and Shaun Wright-Phillips
Former Arsenal star turned pundit Ian Wright scored the second most goals in club history with 179 strikes for the Gunners, and earned himself 33 England caps throughout his career.
His son, Shaun Wright-Phillips also had s a successful football career, spending majority of his playing days as a winger for Manchester City and Chelsea.
He scored for England six times in 36 caps and was part of the squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Shaun Wright-Phillips (left) and Ian Wright (right) both played for England as forwards
David and Romeo Beckham
England captain, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and AC Milan superstar, national hero; David Beckham’s career needs no re-telling. He is simply one of the biggest names in not just sport, but the entire world.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Romeo Beckham had dreams of becoming a football star. After playing for Arsenal’s academy, Romeo quit football and pursued a career in tennis, training alongside Andy Murray.
However, in 2020 Romeo announced that he was sensationally returning to football and signed for his father’s club, Inter Miami.
He then went on to play 26 games for Inter Miami II, scoring two goals since debuting for the team in 2021, before joining Brentford B in 2023.
Alf-Inge and Erling Haaland
Record-breaking sensation from Norway Erling is the son of Alf-Inge Haaland, a former Premier League footballer in his own right.
Haaland senior spent nine seasons from 1994 to 2003 in England, playing for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City. He also won 34 caps for Norway in that time.
His son is now one of the best footballers in the world, scoring a record-breaking 36 goals in his debut season with Manchester City and leading his team to the continental treble.
Erling (left) and Alf-Inge Haaland both enjoyed success in England with Manchester City and Leeds respectively
Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning
Archie Manning spent over a decade in the National Football League, having his best success with the New Orleans Saints. Two of Manning’s son, Peyton and Eli, were drafted first overall in the NFL draft and went on to have successful careers in their own right.
Often considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, Peyton won a record five Most Valuable Player awards and two Super Bowl championships with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.
While Eli did not garner the same reputation as his older brother, he is best known for twice besting Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
He famously led the New York Giants to an enormous underdog victory over the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Dell and Steph Curry
Regarded as one of the greatest shooters in basketball history, Steph Curry was heavily influence by his father, Dell.
Dell played in the NBA for 16 seasons, winning the league’s Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1994. He found most of his success with the Charlotte Hornets, spending 10 seasons with the team welcoming Steph into the world in that time.
Steph has forged one of the greatest careers in sports since his debut in 2009. He is widely understood to be the player who had the biggest impact on the league’s overall style of play in the 21st century.
Curry Jnr is a two-time NBA MVP and a four-time NBA champion, holding the records for most three-point baskets in a single season and in a career.
Steph Curry (left) is the star of the Golden State Warriors while father Dell Curry found success with the Charlotte Hornets
Rocky and Dwayne Johnson
Before pursuing a career in acting, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was best known for a hugely successful wresting career which saw him win eight WWE championships.
Alongside his wrestling career, Johnson has starred in over 60 films, grossing over $12.5 billion worldwide and is one of the most recognisable faces in Hollywood.
His father, Rocky Johnson, paved the way for his son’s career, training him and eventually fighting in the ring with him. In 1993, Rocky Johnson and his wrestling partner Tony Atlas, became the first black champions in WWE history.
Michael, Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan
In the great debate between James and Michael Jordan, the latter has now achieved something that the Chicago Bulls legend did not. Despite being widely recognised as the greatest basketball player of all time, the same level of success failed to reach Jordan’s sons.
His oldest son, Jeffrey, did not reach the NBA and instead retired from a career in basketball after college.
Marcus, his second son, briefly played alongside his brother at the University of Central Florida but left basketball for a career in fashion.
Michael Jordan (right) is the greatest basketballer of all time and won the NBA championship three times in a row at the Bulls twice in a row
Muhammad and Laila Ali
After retiring with an undefeated career record of 24-0-0, Laila Ali has been called one of if not the greatest female boxers of all time. During her career, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female super middleweight titles.
Her father is simply known as ‘The Greatest’. Muhammad Ali changed the face of boxing both inside and outside the ring.
The undisputed heavyweight champion from 1974 to 1978 and an Olympic gold medallist, he was named the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Century, beating the likes of George Best, Pele and Jesse Owens.
Ken Griffey Snr and Jnr
While Ken Griffey Jnr is widely lauded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, it was his father Ken Griffey Snr, who first made waves in the sport.
A three-time all-star, Griffey Snr signed with the Seattle Mariners after his son debuted for the team in 1989.
Ken Griffeys Snr (left) and Jnr (right) became the first father and son duo to play in the same game
After becoming the first father and son to play in the same game, they also became first father-son duo to each hit a home run in the same game.
Griffey Jnr, was a thirteen-time all-star and an MVP winner in his dazzling career and hit 630 home runs, the seventh most in Major League Baseball history.