Like dad and son. The trend in professional sports is that. There are more than a few players in the NBA, NHL, NHL and MLB who have followed in their fathers' footsteps. There has been an increase in the number of second generation players in three of the four sports. The NHL has seen a rise in the number of players who have a father who played in the league. The NBA and the NFL were both at 3.4% last season. In 2001, MLB had the most second- generation players, but fell to 1.9% in 2021. What was it like to be raised by a father who was a professional sports player? They may have pushed their sons to carry on their legacies. The kids want to become professional players. We got an idea of what it was when we checked in with the Bookers in the NBA and Tie and Max in the NHL. It's a good idea to jump to:
NBA's Bookers | NHL's Domis | MLB's Bryans | NFL's PittmansLeague 1981 2001 2021 NFL 1.0% 1.8% 3.4% NHL 1.9% 1.5% 6.1% MLB 1.9% 2.9% 1.9% NBA 1.3% 1.6% 4.9% *Minimum one game played
The journey to the Phoenix Suns began long before he or his father, who played in the NBA and overseas, knew it.
The father and son would go to the gym and watch him work out. In the heat of the Delta, the basketball foundation was laid.
"I was with him all the time," he said.
When he was a young boy, Melvin sat him down and asked him if he wanted to play basketball or if he wanted to play because his dad wanted him to.
"Dad, I want to play," said the boy.
His love for it was all he had. My duty as a father was to show him how to get there.
When he played in the NBA for two seasons, Melvin knew that he could follow in his footsteps and go to the NBA. All of the players who went on to play in the NBA went on to play in the college game.
That's when he took his game to the next level as a dad.
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His father was able to train him because he moved to Mississippi from Michigan. He was more than a father for the next few years. He was a mentor.
Melvin said they were like best friends. I was overseas for a long time, and that made it hard for me to spend time with my son. It was like we were catching up.
It wasn't very common for peers in Mississippi to receive NBA-level coaching from their fathers. He taught his son how to put in time after practice with one-on-one drills.
Whether it was an assistant on his high school team or a head coach on his high school team, Melvin was always one of his coaches. He would give him in-game adjustments and give him information. It was soaked in by the man.
He was the definition of a basketball player. Being an NBA player was what he wanted to be, and he used his career as a example for his son, who went on to be an NBA All-Star. He made sure that he didn't push him too hard.
There is a thin line. I am also aware of that.
There were never any bumps in the road.
There was a bus going from the hotel to the NBA draft. He sat by himself as the bus traveled along in traffic.
Melvin said that her son's dream was about to come true.
The man began to cry.
He still sees the little boy who would dribble around the house and talk about making it big whenever he watches him.
It's a strange feeling. It's difficult to explain.
It worked out for him because he is a professional basketball player.
Future NHL Hall of Famers were his best friends when he was a kid.
Or so he thought, right?
His father's Maple Leafs teammates were the only ones he knew. The locker room was a place where people could hang out.
Max did not have the normal childhood. I was around a lot of guys that I thought were my friends. I looked back and thought, "What the hell?" I thought that was normal to think that I had a best friend.
Max was born in 1995 and his father Tie spent the last 11 seasons of his career as a bruiser for Toronto. No one knew that Max would follow in his father's footsteps when he was drafted by Phoenix in the 12th round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
During Tie's time with the Leafs, some of Max's earliest years took place. He taught Max to respect the game.
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It's possible that it's necessary.
Max said that he would act as a sponge after shutting up and watching. I learned most of what I know through this method. He showed me how much work goes into becoming a professional player. People don't learn that until they play hockey. When you have a dad that holds you accountable at the age of 8, you have to make certain compromises that your friends don't. You have to because he's your dad. It was a big advantage.
Max's skills were not like his father's. While Tie built a reputation of burying guys into the boards, Max was the top-end talent that he would likely target.
Tie wanted to make sure his son was taken care of. He gave Max everything he needed to be a success.
It was my strength. Tie wrote in his book that the work was completely different from Max. He wanted to be the best and I took care of the best players in the world. I like the fact that he hasn't taken a shift off since he was a kid, and he knows how to win.
Max gave his dad a lot of credit. Tie doesn't think a teachable moment will help his son.
Max said that his brain is very sharp. He looks at everything. He'll watch these guys. He will send me clips and ask if I saw it. Was that what you saw? Even when it's not very complex. Over the years, I've learned a lot from him, but we joke about it now. I really like it.
He tripped rounding first base when he hit a home run in T-ball.
His dad laughs at those moments.
It's the perfect example of Charlie's son's early years as a baseball player because he played in the major leagues for 14 seasons and won the 1996 World Series with the New York Yankees. Ke'Bryan was the least athletic of the three children, but he is also the one carrying on his father's legacy as a third baseman.
Ke'Bryan said that he used to back peddle and shuffle. It's amusing to see how far I've come since I was 5 years old. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my family.
With an eight-year, $70 million contract signed earlier this season, Ke'Bryan is more than capable of staying on his feet when he hits a home run, like his father did when he was with the Pirates in 1996.
Ke'Bryan doesn't remember much about his father's career.
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"I used to watch his VCR tapes that he had at the house, highlights and all that, but it probably didn't register until I was 10, 11, 12 years old," Ke'Bryan said. I am more reserved. My brothers are going to tell everyone that he was a player. He's just dad to us, like my mom.
Charlie instilled a major league work ethic in his son to help him make it as a professional.
Charlie said that he understood that from playing baseball. That is what I try to instill in them. I did not force them to play ball. If we were going to do it, we were going to try to do it the right way.
Sometimes Ke'Bryan didn't want to take coaching from his dad even though he had a road map to follow. He might need a different messenger.
Charlie's oldest son is eight years older than Ke'Bryan.
Ke'Bryan is able to catch the ball because ofTyree. He showed his brother. I told Tyree what he needed to be doing and he was able to do it because they were better friends than me and them. They were able to understand each other better. I could tell him the same thing, but he wouldn't listen.
Charlie continued to work with Ke'Bryan as he got older.
Ke'Bryan said, "Doing all the travel ball circuit and all that, definitely having a father that played already, that's going to get you extra looks and more chances." It's in his genes, but he has to put in the work.
Growing up, the Indianapolis Colts receiver was a big fan of football. His father spent 11 of his son's 12 years in the NFL with two teams.
"I always thought it was what I would do, because football was normal to me," he said. I didn't think my dad was special because he was a football player. Since I was born, it was there. My dad played in the league for 11 years and I didn't really appreciate it until I was in my late teens.
He thought he would follow in his father's footsteps and play running back. Junior's thought was all that mattered. He was supported by his father instead of being pushed.
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He said that he was the dad who didn't force anything on his kids. I had to be a good person and get good grades. Football is what Michael Jr wanted to do. I was not hard on him at his age. I wanted to teach him. He was the kind of son who was always listening.
When it was time to tell his son he didn't have a future in football, Pittman stepped in. His father told him that receiver was his best chance for success.
Junior was stuck on playing running back because he was what I was. He was good at running back, but I told him he would be a receiver because he was tall.
After his freshman season at Oaks Christian High School, Mike Sherrard was on the school's offensive staff, which led to the transfer of his son from Valencia High School to Oaks Christian.
He wanted to be around guys who played in the league. I wanted to make sure my son knew what it took to get there and what it took for him to go where he wanted to go.
The younger Pittman grew to 6 feet 4 by the time he started his college career.
He was learning how to play receiver while he was learning how to play receiver. His father's relationships with players who played in the NFL came into play.
"I've always had access to the best players in the world." I had instant contact with all of them. They gave me an understanding of football because of the ups and downs of the sport. They taught me how to deal with it.
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