Sure, some sports are back. But "sports" as we know them are largely still on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. Today is Day 94 without sports.
At 15 years old, Bronny James is starting to get the same type of media spotlight as his superstar father, LeBron James. In a recent ESPN story, Bronny was compared to his father's trajectory as "The Chosen One." That's no easy place to be considering the headlines a month earlier were debating his dad's merit as the greatest player of all-time vs. Michael Jordan. Being the son of someone in the mix as the G.O.A.T.? Not easy.
Jordan's sons, Marcus and Jeffrey, played Division I basketball but never reached the NBA. Their father's legacy was undoubtedly towering. Same story for newly signed Washington Redskins tight end Thaddeus Moss, the son of former NFL legend Randy Moss. Who else has dealt with similar pressures? With Father's Day on the horizon, here's a look at 8 sports offspring who followed in their parents' footsteps and shined despite those legacies.
1. Peyton Manning. Archie Manning played 11 years in the NFL and is in the College Football Hall of Fame. His son Peyton is in the conversation as one of the best players to ever throw a football, a five-time MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion.
2. Barry Bonds. Bobby Bonds hit 332 career home runs and drove in 1,024 runs as a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. Barry is Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader with 762 and won seven MVP awards. His 73 home runs in 2001 set the single-season record.
3. Laila Ali. Muhammad Ali proclaimed himself as the greatest of all time and few boxing experts would argue against that. Ali was also one of the most transcendent athletes ever, creating a towering legacy for his daughter Laila to grow up in. But she carved out her own path by winning multiple titles in her boxing career to give women's boxing a much-needed face. She finished her career undefeated with a 24-0-0 record, including 21 knockouts. The greatest male boxer and female boxer in one family? Not bad.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Sr. and Jr. were able to race together as one era stretched into the other before the elder's death in 2001. Dale Earnhardt Sr. became a NASCAR Hall of Famer by winning the Cup Series title seven times, tallying 76 wins and 428 top-10 finishes. Dale Jr. carried the familial torch by winning 26 Cup Series races, finishing in the top 10 260 times and winning the 2004 and 2014 Daytona 500.
5. Steph Curry. Dell Curry was one of the best shooters in the NBA during the 1980s and 1990s. Even after Steph wowed the college basketball world with an Elite Eight finish at Davidson, it was unclear if he'd overrun his dad's legacy based on his stature. Curry has easily surpassed his father's legacy with three NBA titles and two regular-season MVP awards.
6. Brett Hull. Like father, like son.The father-son tandem both made the Hockey Hall of Fame. Bobby Hull led the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup, led the league in goals scored seven times and appeared in 12 All-Star Games. Brett ranks fourth all-time in goals scored in the NHL behind legends Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr. Gordie and son Mark also made the Hall.
7. Ken Griffey Jr. The Griffeys became the first father and son duo to play in the same outfield and hit back-to-back home runs. Griffey Sr. won back-to-back World Series in 1975 and 1976 as the Cincinnati Reds right-fielder. Ken Griffey Jr. hit 630 home runs and was a 13-time All-Star with 10 Gold Gloves and an AL MVP award.
8. Joakim Noah. The 6-11 forward didn't follow his father into his profession of tennis but rather carved out his own path in basketball by leading the Florida Gators to two national titles and then becoming the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. Yannick Noah won the French Open in 1983.
Sports video of the day
Bronny James' mixtape shows flashes of his father but also a much different type of game. Here's a look:
What we're reading
'TELL US WHEN AND WHERE':Players' union done negotiating with MLB
J.J. WATT:Dismisses fan for suggesting his stance on taking a knee
DISPUTE: Proposal letter shows bitterness between MLB, players union
BUBBA WALLACE: NASCAR fan reaction to flag has more good than bad
MISSION: Ex-athlete commits to healing Minneapolis
SPEAKING UP: Why these NBA stars won't shut up and dribble
DR. FAUCI: NBA's restart plan gets stamp of approval
BAKER MAYFIELD:Browns QB says he 'absolutely' will kneel during national anthem
JA MORANT: NBA star asks judge to have Confederate monument removed
POP:The San Antonio Spurs coach slammed the NFL
Sports on TV
Golf (live!): Coverage of the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge is set to air from 1-3 p.m. ET on Golf Channel before switching to CBS from 3-6 p.m.
MLB (classic): Home run derby marathon: 1999 (3 p.m.), 1996 (5 p.m.), 2000 (6:45 p.m.) derbies, ESPN.
NBA (classic): Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors 2019 NBA Finals Game 6, 5 p.m., NBA TV
NFL (classic): New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints (2017), 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., NFL Network
Follow reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
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