Children of NBA Legends in the League Ranked

Over the years, children of multiple NBA legends have played in the league. The kids of former stars have an advantage because their fathers are familiar with the path and can guide them. On the other hand, it also comes with its share of pressure. Star kids are always under the microscope with fans often expecting them to emulate their fathers’ careers or exceed them.

Despite this, multiple children of former players have risen to dominance. So let’s look at some of the best players in the league who are the kids of NBA veterans. For the list, only the players with fathers who have played a considerable number of years in the league are considered.

#5 Tim Hardaway Jr. – Tim Hardaway

Tim Hardaway, the father of Tim Hardaway Jr., is arguably the best former player on this list. Hardaway, who was the 14th overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft, played 14 years in the league. The 6-foot star was a complete point guard who could score at will, thread the needle with his passes, and pick anyone’s pocket. He had a killer crossover as well. Hardaway averaged 17.7 points, 8.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game as per Basketball Reference. He averaged a double-double with points and assists in two seasons and was close to it in a few more years.

With his impressive performances, he made the All-Star Team five times with one All-NBA First Team, three All-NBA Second Team, and one All-NBA Third Team selection. His #10 jersey was retired by the Miami Heat for his contribution to the team. Notably, he helped the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals during the 1996-97 season.

After three years of college basketball, Hardaway’s son Hardaway Jr. entered the NBA. The New York Knicks selected him as the 24th pick in 2013. Similar to his father, Hardaway Jr. is a good scorer who is averaging 14 points per game. The 6’5″ forward struggled to find his feet early in his career.

In recent years, Hardaway Jr. has found a home in the Dallas Mavericks after two different stints in New York and one for the Atlanta Hawks. Hardaway Jr. has not lived up to his father’s reputation, though he now starts more than half of his games. However, he is still a reliable and crucial player who the Mavericks trust to make huge buckets.

#4 Jerami Grant – Harvey Grant?

Jerami Grant is the son of former NBA player Harvey Grant. Notably, Jerami is also the nephew of 4x champion Horace Grant who is the twin brother of Harvey. Horace entered the league in 1987 and Harvey followed suit in the next year.

The Washington Bullets selected Harvey as the 12th pick in 1988. He averaged over 18 points per game for three straight seasons with the Bullets. After five years, the power forward joined the Portland Trail Blazers in 1993. After three seasons in Portland, he returned to Washington and played for two more years.

Harvey then played for the Philadelphia 76ers for one year before being traded to the Orlando Magic in 1999. After he was subsequently waived by the Magic, Harvey announced his retirement. Despite his father and uncle’s time in the league, there was not much hype around Jerami when he declared for the draft in 2014 after two years in college.

Grant slipped into the second round and the 76ers selected him as the 39th pick in 2014. The 6’7″ forward had to bide his time in the league. In his first four seasons, Grant struggled to get game time with the Sixers and the OKC Thunder and averaged below 10 points.

In his final year with the Thunder though, he showcased his potential by starting 77 of 80 games played and averaged 13.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.

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He then played for the Denver Nuggets for one year before joining the Detroit Pistons in 2019. Jerami Grant erupted for 22.3 points in his first season for the Pistons. He continued his good run in the next year as well.

Furthermore, Jerami was also part of the Team USA that won the Gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Last year, he joined his father’s former team, the Blazers, and once again averaged over 20 points as a starter. In the off-season, Grant signed a massive 5 year, $160 million deal. He has looked lively so far in the current season as well.

#3 Domantas Sabonis – Arvydas Sabonis

Next on the list is Domantas Sabonis who is the son of basketball legend Arvydas Sabonis.? After dominating European basketball, Arvydas declared for the NBA draft in 1995 and the Trail Blazers selected him as the 24th overall pick. However, Arvydas was 31 at the time. Atlanta had previously selected him in the 1985 NBA draft. But unfortunately, the league voided the selection due to age restrictions.

After the Iron Curtain was lifted in 1989, players from the USSR could finally look to join the league. The 7’3″ Arvydas was a dominant center who has won almost everything there is in European basketball. He has amassed accolades left, right, and center wherever he played. The same continued in Portland. He was a starter for the team and averaged 12 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game during his 7-year career. He only played for the Blazers.

Notably, Arvydas represented both the Soviet Union and Lithuania in international basketball. He won Olympic Gold in 1988 playing for the Soviet Union and two straight Bronze medals with Lithuania in 1992 and 1996. For his legendary career, FIBA named Arvydas in their 50 Greatest Players list in 1991.

Despite being shorter at 6’10”, Domantas is also a center like his father. He had the opportunity to play college basketball in the USA, something which his father did not get. During his two years with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the Lithuanian caught the eyes of many. In 2016, the Thunder drafted him as the 11th pick. The center struggled in his rookie season and was traded to the Indiana Pacers after one year.

In his first two years with the Pacers, Domantas came off the bench and averaged 12.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. With this, he earned a starting spot on the team the next season and also became an All-Star. He continued his upward trajectory in the next season and averaged over 20 points and 12 rebounds per game. He once again made the All-Star team. However, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings in the next season.

Domantas instantly became a crucial player for the Kings where he became one of the best point forwards in the league. He played a major role in leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons, ending the biggest playoff drought ever. The center and the Kings will hope to make a deeper playoff run this year.

#2 Jaren Jackson Jr. – Jaren Jackson

Jaren Jackson Jr.’s father Jaren Jackson went undrafted in 1989. However, the New Jersey Nets signed him as a free agent and he played in the NBA for 12 long years. Even though he was a journeyman, the shooting guard carved out a career in the league as a role player. Notably, in his first seven years in the NBA, he played for seven different teams. He was traded to a different team every single season until he found a home in the San Antonio Spurs in 1997.

In his first season with the Spurs, Jackson played 82 games and started 45. In his seven previous seasons, he had only started once. With improved minutes, his numbers increased slightly. He continued his support role for the Spurs for four seasons where he was part of the 1999 title-winning team. He joined the Magic in 2001 where he played just a handful of games before announcing his retirement.?

Unlike his father, Jackson Jr. had massive hype around him when he entered the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies selected him as the 4th overall pick in 2019. The power forward had a decent start to life in the league and made the All-Rookie First Team averaging 13.8 points. He continued his rise in his sophomore year. However, he played only 15 games in the next year because of an injury.

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Jackson Jr. came back strong the next year and particularly impressed everyone with his defense. Last season, he averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game to earn his first All-Star call-up. With his incredible rim protection, he won the Defensive Player of the Year award as well.

#1 Stephen Curry – Dell Curry

We’ve saved the best for the last with Stephen Curry, the son of Dell Curry. The Utah Jazz selected Dell as the 15th pick in the 1986 NBA draft. After one season each with the Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the guard joined the Charlotte Hornets where he became an important player. With his impressive shooting, Dell was arguably playing in the wrong era of the NBA when most 3-point attempts were considered poor looks.

Despite this, the sharpshooter impressed everyone with his efficiency from the 3-point arc. He played ten seasons for the Hornets and won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1994 averaging 16.3 points per game. He then joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 1998 and played one season before moving to the Toronto Raptors. Dell played for the Raptors for three years before announcing his retirement.??

Stephen Curry practically grew up in the NBA and soon developed a love for the game. Like his father, Steph also had a soft touch from an early stage. Even though he was a superstar in high school, Curry did not receive much attention from major schools. There was a huge skepticism about his size. However, Davidson’s head coach Bob McKillop believed in him. Curry soon became a college star with his incredible shooting performances. So, there was a huge anticipation about his entrance into the league.

The Golden State Warriors selected Curry as the 7th overall pick in 2009. The guard had a good start to his NBA career. However, he struggled with injuries initially. In his fourth year, Curry averaged over 20 points for the first time in his career. The next year, he became an All-Star. From there on, there was no stopping him. Stephen Curry has become one of the best players ever and is undoubtedly the best shooter ever.

Editorial Disclaimer:?The?views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.