Before LeBron and Bronny, These Fathers and Sons Made Sports History

Basketball|Before LeBron and Bronny, These Fathers and Sons Made Sports History

When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James, 19, successful the 2nd circular of the N.B.A. draught connected Thursday night, the squad acceptable up an intriguing communicative line. Next season, helium could play successful the aforesaid lineup arsenic his father, the 39-year-old superstar LeBron James.

While determination person been galore large parent-child combos successful sports past — Bobby and Barry Bonds successful baseball; Peter and Kasper Schmeichel successful soccer; Pamela, JaVale and Imani McGee successful hoops — seldom bash they play astatine the aforesaid time, overmuch little connected the aforesaid team.

But astatine slightest connected a fewer different occasions, the stars person aligned to marque it possible.

The Ageless Gordie Howe and Sons

Gordie Howe retired from hockey astatine property 43 aft an illustrious career. But erstwhile his sons Mark and Marty joined the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association 3 seasons later, helium could not resist.

“They knew my top privation has ever been to play pro hockey with my sons,” he said, “and erstwhile they asked me, ‘Would you beryllium interested?’ I said, ‘Hell, yes.’”

His instrumentality proved not to beryllium a little cameo. Astonishingly, helium played with his sons for 7 seasons, moving connected to the New England Whalers, who joined the N.H.L. for the 1979-80 play arsenic the Hartford Whalers. Howe Sr. was skating connected large league crystal astatine 51.

He played 80 games with the Whalers successful his last season, scoring 15 goals earlier yet hanging up his skates. “I deliberation I person different half-year successful me,” he declared astatine the announcement.