Austin Rivers was as cool as the other side of the pillow last night when he drained a 35 footer to beat North Carolina 85-84. I give him extra props for doing it in front of his father (Celtics coach Doc Rivers) on such a big stage as a freshman. It can be difficult to step out of the shadow of your family's greatness and legacy. Most players fall miserably short of everyone's expectations and find themselves frustrated over their perceived failure. Others rise to the occasion and embrace the challenge of taking the family name to the next level. Here is a list of the 5 greatest sons of former players.
Baseball:
5. Prince Fielder. Signing a contract worth $214,000,000 instantly puts you in this category.
4. Cal Ripken Jr. A true ambassador for the game of baseball with a record that may never be broken (2,632 consecutive games played).
3. Roberto Alomar. Quite possibly the greatest 2nd baseman ever.
2. Ken Griffey Jr. 600+ home runs, league MVP, and 10 gold gloves without taking any PED's.
1. Barry Bonds. Hands down the the greatest outfielder that ever lived. The only reason I won't call him the greatest player ever is because he never won a World Series ring.
Basketball:
5. Seth Curry. This may be a bit premature, but if he can stay healthy and improve his point guard skills he has a chance to be one of the great ones.
4. Mike Bibby. Had a marvelous career with the Sacramento Kings and almost won a ring with the Miami Heat last year.
3. Brent Barry. He's probably more famous for his wife cheating on him with Tony Parker, but Brent won a slam dunk contest and two rings.
2. Jalen Rose. An original member of the Fab 5 in addition to his 16 years in the NBA.
1. Kobe Bryant. The name says it all.
Football:
5. Kellen Winslow II. Although his career got off to a rocky start with injuries and run-ins with management K2 has managed to stick around for 8 productive years.
4. Brian Griese. He didn't win any playoff games, but he managed to stay relevant in Denver and Chicago for almost a decade.
3. Clay Mathews. The name Clay Mathews means bad ass football player in Portuguese.
2. Eli Manning. Winning two Super Bowls in New York is enough to get a school named after you.
1. Peyton Manning. 4 time league MVP and Super Bowl champion. Even with the uncertainty about the rest of his career he tops the list.
You forgot lebron...I thought delonte west was his dad?
ReplyDeleteCold blooded my man.
DeleteAlso, how can you justify Seth Curry but not Stephen? That's an odd decision
ReplyDeleteThanks for catching that. I meant Steph. Dell Curry is messing with my head giving his sons such similar names.
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