Perhaps America’s most well-known sporting family are the Manning’s, with father Archie and sons Peyton and Eli all playing at the prestigious position of Quarterback in the NFLGage Skidmore via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Archie\_%26\_Peyton\_Manning\_(31372898664).jpg/resized
Born in 2005, it’s not often that I’m made to feel my age. Yet when I discovered that Everton footballer Ashley Young might be playing against his son in the FA Cup third round this festive season, I experienced a mini-crisis. It was enough seeing wonderkids younger than I am, like Lamine Yamal and Arda Güler, tearing up the European Championships this summer - but now my childhood favourites are playing against their children on the biggest stages? It all seems very surreal.
Similarly, as a basketball fan, LeBron (Bronny) James Jr’s ascension to the National Basketball Association this summer was one of the most extraordinary sporting stories in recent memory. In what were completely unprecedented circumstances, Bronny’s superstar father, LeBron James, proclaimed in 2022 that his last year in the league would be played with his son; “wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be”. Suddenly, the 2024 draft had a new dimension to it: if a team was willing to draft Bronny James Jr. at a position higher than his individual value, they might reap the rewards of convincing one of the greatest basketball players in history, Bronny’s father, to join their ranks.
“The absurdity of seeing father and son interact on the court will likely not be repeated”
Eventually, Bronny James Jr. was selected with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by, you guessed it, the Los Angeles Lakers. Many argued that Bronny was by no means ready for the physical demands of the NBA, lacking sufficient size and even skill to compete at the ultimate level. However, the Lakers wanted to keep their star man happy. When Bronny James debuted alongside his 39-year-old father against the Minnesota Timberwolves, seeing parent and child compete for the same side in the NBA for the first time felt exceptionally bizarre. Bronny is now strutting his stuff in the NBA’s development league as he hones his craft, yet the absurdity of seeing father and son interact on the court will likely not be repeated.
The prevalence of second-generation athletes is clear to observe across the modern sporting landscape. Daniel Maldini’s recent debut for Italy’s national football team was particularly noteworthy, as not only is he the son of the peerless Paolo Maldini, former captain of the Azzurri, but Daniel is also the grandson of Cesare Maldini, Paolo’s father, who similarly captained the national side more than 60 years ago. Returning to basketball, it certainly makes sense why such a significant proportion of professional players are part of a sporting family lineage: when height is so essential, inherited genes play a colossal advantage. Take Manute Bol, the tallest player in NBA history, who stood at a cartoonish height of 7’7”. When his son, Bol Bol, reached a ridiculous 6’5” in seventh grade, it was clear that following his father’s (gigantic) footsteps could be a very real possibility. Bol now plies his trade for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA.
When looking at any sport, it doesn’t take long to observe family connections. Distance runner Eilish McColgan, who represented Team GB at this summer’s Olympics, is the daughter of Liz, a 1988 Olympic medallist in the same event in which her daughter now competes. In rugby union, Owen Farrell famously replaced his injured father, Andy, during their time as Saracens players, and nowadays competes against his old man, with Andy coaching the Irish national side. The list goes on. Boxing? Muhammad is not the only Ali considered the greatest of all time: his daughter Laila is one of the most successful female boxers in professional history. In Major League Baseball, the Bonds, Griffey, and Alomar dynasties have all produced spectacularly successful father-and-son combinations.
Muhammad is not the only Ali considered the greatest of all time: his daughter Laila is one of the most successful female boxers in professional history
Perhaps America’s most well-known sporting family are the Manning’s, with father Archie and sons Peyton and Eli all playing at the prestigious position of Quarterback in the NFL for more than a decade each. Even young Arch Manning, grandson to Archie, is currently strutting his stuff at QB for the University of Texas and is tipped for as bright a future as any in his famed family. Two more transcendent talents are the Rodman’s; Dennis Rodman was an infamously invaluable part of Michael Jordan’s great Chicago Bulls sides of the late 1990s, and daughter Trinity Rodman is an exceptional US women’s national team footballer who clinched gold at the Paris Olympics this summer. Just this week, Trinity has candidly spoken about her relationship (or lack of) with her notorious father, explaining that “he’s not a dad” due to his absence during her childhood.
Observing the success of so many of these second-generation athletes raises the question - why aren’t all children of athletes just as exceptional as their parents? One must remember that for some children of superstar sportspeople, their life is already made. It’s understandable to presume that for some athletes’ children, it would be difficult to have the same motivation as their parents once did, with money abundant and other opportunities plentiful.
However, if an athlete’s child is interested in their parent’s sport, the head start they have is unparalleled. Given the genes they are privy to - whether it be athleticism, hand-eye coordination or strength - they will immediately be blessed with fantastic potential. Even simpler is a surname - would Romeo Beckham have been afforded the same opportunities in football had he not shared a surname with his father, David? Teams will always take a risk on the child of a successful athlete in case they can emulate a parent’s production. Furthermore, second-generation athletes will have unrivalled access to the best facilities, coaching, and training regimes possible if they so desire, which can all contribute to a successful career in the cutthroat world of professional sports. Watch out for Serena Williams’ daughter, Olympia, who first took to the courts aged 3 under the tutelage of her legendary mother.
Nepotism and privilege play a major role in creating sporting family dynasties. Whilst it would be naive to ignore the grind that second-generation athletes endure in the effort to replicate their family’s success, you’d be just as oblivious to not appreciate the major advantage these sports people can enjoy throughout their careers. I wish players like Tyler Young and LeBron James Jr. great success in their future endeavours as they aim to make their own names in the sporting world. Watching them, however, makes this student feel exceptionally old.
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