June 22, 2011

Father’s Day Special: Top 7 Father/Son Combos in NBA History

7) George and Coby Karl: Okay, this one is a stretch, but hear me out. This is the only combo where I will be looking past the stats and on court accolades, but will instead be examining the will and strength of both of these individuals. Not only did both George and Coby play in the league (yes, I realize that they both experienced short and somewhat unremarkable careers), but they both have survived cancer. Their resolve and determination is inspiring, as both battled cancer during the midst of their careers. George has had prostate and throat cancer, but, through treatment and with a drive to survive, he has kept himself from succumbing to the disease. George said that “cancer is a vicious opponent. Even the ones that are treatable, you never get a 100-percent guaranteed contract.” Coby had thyroid cancer while playing for Boise St. He was a redshirt junior at the time and had to undergo an extensive and invasive 7-hour surgery to remove the growth. Despite his battle with cancer during his collegiate career, he still managed to play for several NBA teams. He hasn’t had much success on the NBA level, but did manage to average 18.6pts, 5.3rebs, 4.9assts in 65 D-League Games. He currently plays overseas in Spain for CB Granada.

The fight and will within these two individuals earns them the 7 Spot.


6) Bill and Luke Walton & Dolph and Danny Schayes:
I combined these first two tandems because of their similarities: phenomenal fathers and subpar sons. Bill and Dolph were voted as 2 of the 50 Greatest Players of All time, while Luke and Danny are only recognized because of their father’s success. Bill averaged over 13pts and 10rebs, while earning multiple All-NBA and All-Defensive selections, and winning 2 Championships. He also got one MVP and one Finals MVP award. Dolph averaged over 18pts and 12rebs, while receiving 12 All NBA selections and playing in 12 All-Star games. He also won one NBA championship with the Syracuse Nationals in ‘55.

The dads carry these two duos into the 6 Spot.

5) Dell and Stephen Curry: Okay, I understand that Stephen Curry has only played 2 seasons in the league, but the baby-faced kid is a stud and has a long, successful career ahead of him. He has put up 18pts, 4rebs, and nearly 6assts a game for the Warriors (not to mention he’s doing this while competing for touches with Monte Ellis). He earned All-Rookie honors his first year in the league, and is closing in on All-NBA honors. Steph has one of the best strokes in the league exemplified by his league best 93% free throws this year, as well as his astounding 44% career average from 3, which ranks him 4th all time. It’s obvious where Steph got his shot from when looking at the career of his dad. Dell Curry averaged 11pts a game on 40% 3s and 84% free throws. Dell also won the 6th Man of the Year award for his solid play during the 93-94 season.

The Curry's silky-smooth shooting earns them the 5 Spot.  

4) Ernie and Kiki Vandeweghe: Ernie Vandeweghe played 6 years with the Knicks during the 50’s. He managed to average 9.5pts and over 4.6rebs. His most notable achievement though, was producing one of the greatest white players to ever grace the hardwood: Kiki Vandeweghe. Kiki put up 19.7pts and 3.4rebs during his 13 year career. During his prime (81-88 seasons), he averaged over 24pts and 4rebs a game. His exploits on the court earned him 2 All-Star appearances.

The Vandeweghe’s production earns them the 4 Spot.

3) Jimmy Walker and Jalen Rose: Jimmy Walker, Jalen Rose’s dad, averaged 16.7pts and 3.5assts during his 9 year career. He was selected to 2 NBA All-Star games during the 70’s. Jalen Rose put up similar numbers during the course of his career with over 14.3pts, 3.8assts, and 3.5rebs. Rose is an overlooked player though, considering the fact that during his “prime” (what I would consider his 99-03 seasons) he averaged about 20pts, 4assts, and 4rebs. Rose was also given the Most Improved Player award for the 2000 season (this is a debate for another time, but this is easily the worst award in all of sports … by receiving this you’re pretty much being told that you sucked the previous year and managed to improve your game just enough to where you received recognition for it—hardly award-worthy… by the way, this isn’t hating on Jalen Rose—I have a lot of respect for him as an athlete and a human being … it’s just an observation).

This father-son duo gets the nod for the 3 Spot because of their collective, but also individual, success.

2) Joe “Jelly Bean” and Kobe Bryant: We all know why this combo is on the Top 5 so I’m going to make the write-up on “Jelly Bean” quick. He put up 8.7pts and 4rebs a game during his 8 year career. Joe is more known for his nickname and superstar son than for his own accomplishments on the court. Kobe needs no introduction and it would take another article to list his achievements so I’ll try to sum it up in as few sentences as possible. He has career averages of 25.3pts, 4.7assts, and 5.3rebs. He has managed to be selected to an All-NBA team an astounding 13 times and an All-Defensive team 11 times. He has played in 13 all-star games resulting in 4 All-Star MVPs. He has 1 MVP award, 2 Finals MVP awards, and 5 NBA Championships. All of this puts Kobe in the argument for being the 2nd Greatest Shooting Guard of all time, as well as for being one of the top 10 greatest ever.  

If Mark Madsen was the other half of the Bryant family they would still be in the Top 7. Kobe’s success alone places them at the 2 Spot.


1) Rick and Jon, Brent, Drew Barry: Rick Barry, the father of this basketball family, averaged over 23pts, 6rebs, and 5assts in his 10 NBA seasons (Rick also played 4 seasons in the ABA in which he averaged over 30pts, 7rebs, and 4assts). He was by far the most accomplished of the group, with 8 NBA All-Star appearances, 5 All NBA 1st team selections, and 1 NBA Championship/Finals MVP.  He is also 3rd all time with 90% free throws during his NBA career. Jon Barry averaged 5.7pts, 2.2assts, and 39% 3s a game during his 14 year stint in the league. Brent Barry, arguably the best Barry behind his father, averaged over 9pts, 3rebs, and 3assts a game during his 14yr career. Drew Barry had the shortest and most unsuccessful career of the family characterized by his 3 NBA seasons with averages of 2.2pts and 38% 3s a game.

The Barry family comes in at the 1 Spot. Yes, only Rick was a GREAT player, but the fact that 4 of them played in the league, and for a combined 41 NBA seasons, is remarkable and unrivaled.

Interesting Facts:
Bruce Hale, the grandfather of the Barry brothers, played 3 seasons in the BAA and 2 seasons in the NBA (‘50 and ’51 seasons).
Rick Barry was selected to the All-NBA 1st team during the 65-66 season—his Rookie year.

Other Notable Father/Son Combos: George/Larry Mikan, Stan/Kevin Love, Mike/Mike Dunleavy, Wes/Wesley Mathews, Patrick/Patrick Ewing, and Henry/Mike Bibby

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