LeBron James and Gordie Howe: Fathers and sons on the same team
The global brand 1xBet tells the story of legendary athletes who, thanks to their long professional careers, managed to play on the same team as their children.
LeBron James and Bronny James Jr.
Bronny James has been holding a ball since his early school years. His father, widely regarded as the best basketball player of the modern era, banned his eldest son from playing American football and hockey as a child, considering them too dangerous. The boy had little choice but to follow in his famous father’s footsteps.
At just 14 years old, Bronny was already training almost around the clock. “Seeing my boys outside hooping at 5 am literally made me cry. That’s a proud dad moment that you wouldn’t understand from my perspective unless you never had a dad around your whole life or have kids of your own,” LeBron once said. Bronny played for Sierra Canyon School alongside the son of Dwyane Wade, his father’s former teammate at the Miami Heat, where LeBron won his first championship ring.
In the summer of 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James Jr. with the 55th overall pick in the NBA draft. Just a few days later, he signed his first professional contract. On October 22 of the same year, an unprecedented event occurred: in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, both Jameses stepped onto the court at the same time. It marked the first father-son duo in NBA history.
On the floor, the roles within the James family are different. The elder, LeBron James, remains an irreplaceable starter who drives the team’s performance alongside Luka Dončić, Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Ayton, and Jake LaRavia. Meanwhile, the younger James’ task is to come off the bench for a few minutes and, at least, not disrupt the flow of the game.
There is also a significant gap in their scoring output. According to 1xBet online, 41-year-old LeBron averages nearly 21 points per game, while 21-year-old Bronny averages just over 2 points.
The Howe family: Father Gordie, sons Mark and Marty
It’s hard to imagine a father and son taking the ice together at the professional level. In theory, this might happen in a charity game, where the older family member appears symbolically while the younger plays full minutes. However, that wasn’t the case for Gordie Howe and his sons.
Gordie Howe, one of the heroes of the 1xBet review, remained an active hockey player until the age of 52. Even in his fifties, he continued to score, keeping up with much younger teammates.
At the end of the 1970/71 season, the legendary No. 9 announced his retirement. By 1973, his sons, Mark Howe and Marty Howe, had already become professional players, and that’s when Mr. Hockey decided to return to the sport.
Gordie Howe was inspired by the idea of playing alongside his sons. In the 1973/74 season, the family trio came together to represent the Houston Aeros. The leadership role belonged to the 45-year-old father, who recorded exactly 100 points (31 goals + 69 assists) in 70 games.
In 1974, Gordie, Mark, and Marty joined the WHA All-Star team and took part in the legendary Summit Series. In 1979, the NHL absorbed the WHA, and the Houston Aeros eventually ceased to exist. However, the Howe family phenomenon became an integral part of world hockey history.
Although Gordie Howe set multiple NHL records, he always considered playing on the same line as his own sons the greatest and most emotional achievement of his career.
