The next generation of NBA stars is always something that fans look forward to, and luckily, many young athletes want to follow in the footsteps of their father’s before them who were or still are in the sport.
Despite having familiar surnames, these rising talents in high school and collegiate basketball are trying to carve out their unique place in basketball history.
We look at ten NBA players in this piece whose sons are likely to play in the league in the future.
LeBron James: Bronny and Bryce James
Although LeBron James is one of the most well-known basketball players in the world, Bronny, his oldest son, may not be far behind in this regard.
Bronny, a 6-foot-4-inch guard out of Sierra Canyon High School, was a highly sought-after four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
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At Sierra Canyon, 16-year-old Bryce, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, is a junior. He is likely be selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Drafts.
Carmelo Anthony: Kiyan Anthony
Kiyan Anthony, the son of former NBA player Carmelo Anthony, is making waves on the high school basketball scene and has received many Division I offers from colleges such as Syracuse University and Seton Hall University.
As of right now, the 17-year-old is a four-star prospect who is rated No. 41 overall in 247Sports’ ranking of boys basketball players for the class of 2025.
Carlos Boozer: Cameron Boozer
One of the top players in high school basketball is Cameron Boozer, the son of former Bulls power forward, Carlos Boozer.
Boozer, who is 16 years old, won the title of Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2023 and is the best recruit overall in the class of 2025.
Cayden, Cameron’s younger brother, is also displaying promise in the sport.
Dennis Rodman: DJ Rodman
The legendary Bulls Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is the father of 22-year-old DJ Rodman.
Before moving to USC for the 2023–24 season, the 6’6” small forward played for the Washington State Cougars for four years.
For his final college season, DJ is presently playing opposite Bronny James for the Trojans.
Gilbert Arenas: Alijah Arenas
Alijah Arenas, son of three-time All-Star Gilbert, is a true record-breaker on both ends of the court.
Recently, at the CIF State championship, sophomore Arenas smashed two single-game records with 44 points against Monterey.
The five-star recruit is rated as the No. 3 overall prospect in the class of 2026 by 247Sports.
Dikembe Mutombo: Ryan Mutombo
The NBA’s most dominant rim protector and defender in history, Dikembe, is the father of Ryan Mutombo.
Ryan, a 7′ 2″ center prospect, “is a swiftly growing center prospect who does some of the same things as his old man, including guarding the rim and blocking a lot of shots,” according to the NBA Draft Room.
He began playing at Georgetown in 2022, and in 2025 he will be eligible for the NBA Draft.
Shaquille O’Neal: Shareef O’Neal
Shareef O’Neal, one of Shaq’s kids, has already shown interest in playing in the NBA.
Before being undrafted in 2022 and joining the Lakers in the NBA Summer League, Shareef played at UCLA and LSU.
Shareef, who is 20 years old, is a current member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Texas Southern Tigers (SWAC).
Juwan Howard: Jace Howard
Jace and Jett Howard are the sons of former University of Michigan Fab 5 player and current head coach of the Wolverines, Juwan Howard.
Jace, a 6′ 8″ wing, is in his fourth year with the Wolverines program. Jett, on the other hand, was chosen by Magic with the No. 11 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Penny Hardaway: Ashton Hardaway
Legendary Magic player Penny Hardaway and Shaq had a strong alliance in the middle of the 1990s.
Ashton, his son, plays for the Memphis Tigers men’s team in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), where he currently serves as head coach.
Ashton, a 6’4″ power forward, is ranked by On3 as the 124th-best player in the county and a four-star recruit.
In addition, he is ranked as the 23rd-best prospect out of California and the 27th-best power forward in the United States.
Scottie Pippen: Justin Pippen
Justin Pippen is a four-star prospect who is ranked No. 60 in the nation, No. 9 as a combo guard, and No. 8 in California, according to 247Sports.
Playing at Sierra Canyon, he recently earned offers to attend Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Stanford, and other universities.
Like his legendary father, Scotty Pippen of the Bulls, and his older brother, Scotty Pippen Jr., of the Memphis Grizzlies, he is a member of the class of 2024 and has a good chance of making it to the NBA.
