Dell and Steph Just One of Four Father-Son NBA Duos for the Warriors
The Warriors currently lead the NBA in wins with 23.
And with much attention on Stephen Curry’s record-breaking Tuesday and the celebration with family patriarch Dell Curry, it seems notable that Golden State likely leads the league in another metric – NBA father-son duos.
Dell and Stephen Curry, Klay and Mychal Thompson, Gary Payton and Gary Payton II and Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins round out the Dubs’ formidable father-son foursome, with all eight playing in the NBA.
With a range of accomplishments under each duo’s belt, let’s break down what each familial pair has gotten done on the professional hardwood, and examine the success of the sons with the foundations laid down by the fathers.
Dell and Stephen Curry
When your son is a three-time champion, two-time MVP, seven-time All-Star, member of the NBA 75 team, all-time leader in three-point makes and the consensus greatest shooter to ever grace the planet, your own accomplishments might get a little toned-down.
But Dell Curry was no slouch, and his raising of fantastic athletes Stephen, Seth and Sydel goes to show his modest NBA accomplishments were just the tip of the iceberg.
Entering the league with the Utah Jazz in 1986 after playing at Virginia Tech, Dell holds the distinction as a sharpshooter in a career mostly with the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors that could hold muster in today’s NBA. Dell is a career 40.2% 3-pt shooter, hitting the mark from distance in seasons averaging more than five such attempts per game.
Having Steph and Seth around him as he played in the NBA, allowing his older son to mingle with legends like Vince Carter, exposed Stephen to the game and allowed him to grow within it.
Still, within this strong foundation laid by Dell, the league’s all-time leading three-point shooter had to work from mid-major Davidson to become arguably the greatest point guard in league history. But, as Tuesday’s embraces showed, Dell was a major figure in his success.
Klay and Mychal Thompson
Klay has records for scoring in a quarter and three-pointers in a game, but father Mychal has the bragging rights when it comes to draft selection. Taken as the No. 1 overall pick by
the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1978 NBA Draft, the Bahamas native went on to have a very successful career as a role player.
Mychal took home a spot on the All-Rookie team in his debut season, and after starting his career with Portland, he found his way to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1986.
Those were good times to be a Laker, and Mychal capitalized accordingly, taking home back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988. Playing power forward and center, he averaged double-digit scoring and over 20 minutes of play per game in the championship runs.
After his playing days, he has worked as a radio host in Los Angeles and a color commentator for Lakers radio. He has recently been a notable supporter of his son Klay’s injury comebacks, providing updates for the media as the NBA community urgently awaits Klay’s return.
Gary Payton and Gary Payton II
If you want to talk about “The Mitten”, you have to talk about “The Glove”. Gary Payton, of course, is an NBA legend, a Hall of Famer, a nine-time All-Star and nine-time selection to the NBA All-Defensive team, and a member of the NBA 75 team regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.
From Skyline High School in Oakland, Payton went from Oregon State to the Seattle Supersonics with the 2nd overall pick in 1990, with his Sonics falling to the 72-win Chicago Bulls in the 1996 NBA Finals.
Gary Payton II’s path to the Warriors’ rotation was less-clear cut than his father’s NBA journey. Payton II followed his father’s footsteps to Oregon State, but went undrafted despite channeling his dad to win a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. Spending time in the G League and with multiple NBA franchises, Payton II got a chance with the 15th roster spot this season and has run away with it.
Payton II has the defensive tenacity of his father, along with an explosive leaping ability that stands out with his (generous) 6-foot-3 frame. The paths between father and son were different, but the parallels between the two are noticeable.
Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins
A first round pick of the Pacers in 1983, Mitchell Wiggins had just six seasons in the NBA and ended his career averaging exactly 10 points per game with 3.2 rebounds a contest.
Mitchell spent most of his career with the Houston Rockets, and finished playing with the 76ers in 1992 after missing a pair of seasons because of suspension.
According to an article from Fox Sports North in 2014, Mitchell was open with his children about his substance abuse that led to his suspensions, but he no longer struggles with that as his son Andrew went from teenage sensation to No. 1 overall pick to key piece on the league’s best team.
(Photo credit: NBAE / Getty Images)