Top 5 Father-Son Sports Duos

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While watching the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday, every son should take some time to hang out with his father and reminisce on all the good times you’ve had together as a duo. You and your pops probably had some quality moments building a shed, playing some golf and hiding from the rest of your family on more than one Thanksgiving. But that’s nothing compared to what the men and their sons on this list have accomplished. Behold, the best father-son sports duos of all time.

 Top 5 Father Son Sports Duos

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5. Father: Ken Griffey, Sr. & Son: Ken Griffey, Jr.

Ken Griffey, Sr., may now be most famous for being the father of Ken Griffey, Jr., but the elder had an accomplished major league career of his own, spanning from 1973 to 1991. Griffey, Senior played for five different teams, spending the most time with his first team, the Cincinnati Reds. Griffey, Sr., was a three-time MLB All-Star and twice captured the glory that eluded his son, a World Series ring.

Though eventually marred by constant injuries, Ken Griffey, Jr., retired from Major League Baseball as one of the game’s most accomplished players. Though he never won a World Series, Junior was a 13-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, three-time Home Run Derby winner, was named the 1997 American League MVP and was selected to the MLB’s All-Century Team.


 Top 5 Father Son Sports Duos

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4. Father: Mario Andretti & Son: Michael & Grandson: Marco

Mario Andretti raced from the late ‘60s into the mid-‘80s. He is one of just two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR, and is the only driver to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship. Mario is also the only person to be named United States Driver of the Year in three different decades, having been honored with that title in 1967, 1978 and 1984.

Mario’s son Michael raced from the mid-‘80s into the early 2000s. He mainly raced in the CART IndyCar World Series, but delved into Formula One for a year. In his first year racing, Michael shared CART’s Rookie of the Year award in 1984 with another driver. The height of Michael’s career came in 1991 when he won eight races and was the year’s series champion.

Michael’s son Marco continues the family legacy, having started racing on the IndyCar Series in 2006, when he became the third Andretti to finish in the top five in his first Indianapolis 500 appearance.


 Top 5 Father Son Sports Duos

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3. Father: Rick Barry & Sons: Scooter, Jon, Brent and Drew

Named one of the 50 greatest players in history by the NBA, Rick Barry was an ABA and NBA stud. The only player to lead the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring for an individual season, Barry also won an NBA title in 1975 – when he was MVP of the Finals – an ABA championship in 1969, was an eight-time NBA All-Star, four-time ABA All-Star, consensus NCAA First Team All-American, and had his No. 24 jersey retired by the Golden State Warriors. At 6-7, Barry averaged 24.8 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 4.9 assists per game over his NBA and ABA careers.

Barry has four sons. His first, Scooter, is the only one not to have played in the NBA. But Scooter won the 1988 NCAA title with the University of Kansas, and went on to play professionally overseas.

After playing college ball at Georgia Tech, Jon was selected in the first round of the 1992 by the Boston Celtics. He went on to play for eight different teams in his 15-year career in the NBA.

Brent had the most successful basketball career of the four Barry boys. After being drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft, Brent played in the NBA from 1995 to 2009, won titles as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and 2007, and won the NBA’s 1996 slam dunk contest.

The youngest of the four, Drew, left Georgia Tech as the school’s all-time assists leader. He went on to play sporadically in the NBA, with stints as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, Seattle SuperSonics and Golden State Warriors.


 Top 5 Father Son Sports Duos

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2. Father: Bobby Hull & Son: Brett

Bobby Hull played professional hockey from 1957 until 1980. Known for his speedy skating and his wicked slapshot, Bobby is not only considered one of the best left wingers to have played the game, but one of the best of any position in the sport’s history. In 1961, Hull led the Chicago Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 23 years. In 1983, Bobby was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Bobby’s son Brett had an NHL career that spanned from 1986 to 2005, during which time he played for five different franchises. He finished third all-time for most career goals in the NHL with 741 in the regular season, and was a member of two Stanley Cup teams, the 1999 Dallas Stars and the 2002 Detroit Red Wings. Bobby was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.


 Top 5 Father Son Sports Duos

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1. Father: Archie Manning & Sons: Peyton and Eli Manning

Born in Mississippi, Archie Manning chose to go to Ole Miss for college, where he started at quarterback for three years. In 1969, Archie threw for 436 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 104 yards in a 33-32 loss to Alabama in the first national primetime broadcast of a college football game. The New Orleans Saints selected Archie second overall in the 1971 NFL draft. Though the Saints could never put together a good team in Archie’s 10 years there, he was selected to two Pro Bowls (1978 and 1979) and was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Year in 1978. Archie ended his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 1984.

As successful as Archie was, two of his three sons surpassed him on the football field. Peyton, Archie’s second son, played four years at University of Tennessee, where he established his mark by becoming the school’s all-time leading passer with 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns. The Indianapolis Colts selected Peyton first overall in the 1998 draft, and he’s spent his whole career there to date. Peyton has been to 11 Pro Bowls, has been named the AP NFL MVP four times, has won a Super Bowl and has set numerous franchise and NFL records while doing all of that.

Eli, Archie’s youngest son, played quarterback at Ole Miss just like his father. Like his brother, Eli was Heisman Trophy candidate and set all kinds of records at Ole Miss. The San Diego Chargers drafted Eli with the first overall pick in the 2004 draft, then traded his draft rights to the New York Giants that same day. Eli was selected to the Pro Bowl once in 2008, but is best known for his Super Bowl XLII win over the then-undefeated New England Patriots. Eli was chosen as the Super Bowl MVP following the Giants’ win.

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