Like father like son – How former execs helped their sons make it within the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB

Like father, like son.

That is actually the development in skilled sports activities.

Various gamers within the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB have adopted within the footsteps of their dads. In actual fact, in three of these 4 sports activities, the variety of second-generation gamers has elevated notably this century.

The NHL tops the checklist as 6.1% of gamers who took half in at the least one sport final season have a father who performed within the league, up from 1.5% in 2001. The NBA is subsequent with 4.9% (up from 1.6%) and the NFL was at 3.4% final season (up from 1.8%). MLB had essentially the most second-generation gamers in 2001 (2.9%) however dropped to 1.9% in 2021.

What was it wish to develop up with a father who performed sports activities professionally? Did they push their sons to hold on their legacy? Did the youngsters have any benefits of their purpose to develop into skilled gamers?

Heading into Father’s Day, we checked in with second-generation combos Melvin and Devin Booker within the NBA, Tie and Max Domi within the NHL, Charlie and Ke’Bryan Hayes of MLB and Michael Pittman and Michael Pittman Jr. within the NFL to get an concept of what it is wish to have a father who’s performed on the highest stage and the way it would possibly assist.

Leap to:
NBA’s Bookers | NHL’s Domis | MLB’s Bryans | NFL’s Pittmans

Devin Booker’s journey to the Phoenix Suns began lengthy earlier than he or his father, who performed within the NBA and abroad, knew it had begun.

Throughout Melvin’s offseasons in Mississippi, Devin would accompany his father to the health club, watching him shoot, work out and play pickup. Whereas Melvin fine-tuned his sport within the sweltering warmth of the Delta, Devin’s basketball basis was laid.

“I simply spent each second with him,” Melvin stated.

When Devin was round 12 or 13, Melvin sat him down and requested a query that formed the remaining Devin’s life: Did he need to play basketball or was he enjoying as a result of he thought his dad needed him to play?

Devin settled any doubt: “Dad, I need to play.”

“It was all his ardour, his love for it,” Melvin stated. “It was my responsibility as a father, a former participant, to point out him the best way.”

Melvin, who performed in 32 NBA video games in two seasons from 1995 to 1997, began to have an inkling Devin may comply with his footsteps to the NBA in the course of the summer time AAU circuits early in highschool. Devin was having success towards the likes of Julius Randle, Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, Jahlil Okafor and Jabari Parker — all of whom went on to NBA careers.

That is when Melvin stepped up his sport as a father.

Devin moved to Mississippi from Michigan to attend highschool — and so his dad may practice him. For the subsequent few years, Melvin was greater than a dad. He was a coach, coach and mentor.

“We have been like greatest buddies, collectively daily,” Melvin stated. “I missed numerous Devin’s life as a result of I used to be abroad, and people seasons are like 10 months lengthy over there. So, every time we have been collectively, it was like catching up.”

Melvin was sharing NBA-level teaching together with his son — one thing not many, if any, of Devin’s friends in Mississippi have been receiving. Melvin taught his son easy methods to raise weights, easy methods to eat proper, easy methods to put in time after observe with one-on-one drills.

It helped that Melvin was all the time one in every of Devin’s coaches, whether or not it was a head coach or an assistant on his highschool or AAU groups. He’d give Devin in-game changes, dissecting the sport and data at a professional stage. And Devin soaked all of it in.

Devin was the definition of a “Basketball Jones.” Being an NBA participant was all he needed to be, and Melvin used his profession as a blueprint for Devin, who has gone on to be an NBA All-Star. He additionally made certain to not push Devin too onerous.

“There is a skinny line,” Melvin stated. “I perceive that as nicely.

“We by no means had one bump within the highway alongside the best way.”

All of it hit Melvin on the bus from the lodge to the 2015 NBA draft on the Barclays Heart in Brooklyn. He sat by himself because the bus inched alongside in visitors, giving Melvin time to mirror on the second.

“I am like, ‘My son’s dream is about to return true,'” Melvin remembered.

He began to tear up.

Now, every time Melvin watches Devin in individual or on TV, he nonetheless sees the little boy who’d dribble round the home and speak about making it massive.

“It is a surreal feeling,” Melvin stated. “It is onerous to even clarify it in phrases.

“He is an expert basketball participant, so it labored out for him.” — Josh Weinfuss

Carolina Hurricanes heart Max Domi’s greatest buddies rising up have been future NHL Corridor of Famers.

Or so he thought.

They have been actually simply his father’s Toronto Maple Leafs teammates. However to Max, the locker room was a playground, and the individuals inside it have been buddies.

“I did not actually have the conventional childhood rising up,” Max stated. “I used to be round guys like Mats Sundin, Brian McCabe, Tomas Kaberle and Ed Belfour regularly, considering they’re my buddies. I look again and chortle, like, ‘What the hell?’ I believed that was completely regular to consider Mats Sundin was my greatest buddy.”

His father Tie spent the ultimate 11 seasons of his 17-year professional profession as a bruising enforcer for Toronto, beginning proper round when Max was born in 1995. Nobody knew then Max would comply with his father into the league as a extremely touted winger drafted No. 12 total by Phoenix in 2013 and having appeared in 501 video games, with 314 factors, up to now.

A few of Max’s most youth took place throughout Tie’s time with the Leafs. It is when he taught Max to not solely love the sport however respect it.

“He’d go, ‘Shut up and watch and hear and act as a sponge,'” Max stated. “It is how I discovered most of what I do know now. He confirmed me what the sacrifices are to develop into an expert [player]. Most individuals do not be taught that till they’re in junior [hockey]. However once you’ve bought a dad that holds you accountable on the age of 8, you are ensuring sacrifices that your buddies do not should. It is robust, however you get compelled to as a result of he is your dad. It was simply an enormous benefit in each approach attainable.”

Max’s talent set was nothing like his father’s, although. Tie may acknowledge that whereas he constructed a status out of burying guys into the boards, Max was the precise top-end expertise that he would possible goal.

Like every father, Tie needed to guard his son. He gave Max the instruments to be successful, trusting he’d deal with the remaining.

“For me, it was my toughness. Completely reverse of Max,” Tie wrote in his e-book, “Shift Work.” “I took care of the perfect gamers on this planet, and he is all the time needed to be the perfect. As an ex-player and his father, the factor I like essentially the most is that I have never seen him take a shift off, and he is recognized easy methods to win since he is been a child.”

Max offers his dad credit score for being a relentless teacher. Even now, Tie does not go on a teachable second he thinks will give his son an edge.

“His mind is fairly sharp on the subject of the sport,” Max stated. “And finally, he watches [everything]. So, like, he’ll watch Sidney Crosby or Patrick Kane or these elite guys. After which he’ll ship me clips and be like, ‘Did you see that? Did you see that?’ Even when it is one thing so primary. We joke about it now, however it’s been one thing that I’ve discovered rather a lot from through the years from him. I actually recognize it.” — Kristen Shilton

One of many first instances Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a house run in T-ball, he tripped rounding first base.

His dad seems to be again at these moments now and laughs.

To Charlie, who performed within the main leagues for 14 seasons and gained the 1996 World Sequence with the New York Yankees, it is the right illustration of his son’s early years as a baseball participant. Charlie stated Ke’Bryan, the youngest of three, was his “least athletic” son, however he’s additionally the one carrying on his dad’s legacy as a 3rd baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I used to journey and fall, like, again peddling and shuffling,” Ke’Bryan stated. “Trying again, it is humorous to see how far I’ve come from the time I used to be 5, 6, 7 all the best way to now. With out [my family], I would not be right here at present.”

Now in his third season as a serious leaguer, with an eight-year, $70 million contract signed earlier this season, Ke’Bryan is greater than able to staying on his ft when he hits a house run for Pittsburgh identical to his dad did when he was with the Pirates in 1996.

As a result of Charlie retired when Ke’Bryan was 4, Ke’Bryan does not bear in mind a lot about his dad’s skilled profession.

“I used to observe his VCR tapes that he had on the home, highlights and all that, however it in all probability did not actually register till I used to be like 10, 11, 12 — round that age,” Ke’Bryan stated. “… I am extra quiet and reserved. My older brothers, they’re gonna inform everybody that he performed and all that kind of stuff. However I am like my mother, he is simply dad to us.”

To assist get Ke’Bryan right here, Charlie instilled a serious league work ethic in his son and burdened abilities Ke’Bryan would wish to make it as an expert.

“We have been into the method, not the outcomes, as a result of I understood that from me enjoying baseball,” Charlie stated. “So that is what I all the time attempt to instill in them. It wasn’t like I compelled them to play ball. They needed to play, but when we have been gonna do it, we have been gonna attempt to do it the right approach each single time.”

Although he had Charlie’s highway map to comply with, generally Ke’Bryan did not need to take teaching from his dad. Typically he wanted a distinct messenger.

Charlie turned to his center son, Tyree — who’s eight years older than Ke’Bryan.

“Tyree is the explanation why Ke’Bryan can catch the ball like that,” Charlie stated. “I confirmed him after which he confirmed his brother. … I mainly advised Tyree what he wanted to be doing, and Tyree may get him to do it as a result of they have been higher buddies than me and them have been, as a result of I needed to be the disciplinarian man. They understood one another rather a lot higher. I may inform him the identical factor Tyree would inform him, however he would take it in another way.”

As Ke’Bryan bought older, Charlie continued to work with him, emphasizing versatility and good observe habits.

“Doing all of the journey ball circuit and all that, undoubtedly having a father that performed already, that is gonna get you additional seems to be and extra possibilities,” Ke’Bryan stated. “… Folks would say it is in his genes, however he is gotta put on’ em, like, you continue to gotta put within the work.” — Brooke Pryor

Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was immersed in soccer rising up. That is as a result of his father spent 11 of his son’s first 12 years enjoying within the NFL, primarily with the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I all the time thought it was what I used to be going to do as a result of to me soccer was regular,” Pittman Jr. stated. “I did not suppose my dad was particular as a result of he performed within the NFL. It was simply there since I used to be born. I did not actually recognize it till I bought round 14 or 15, after which it sunk in that my dad actually performed within the league for 11 years.”

Pittman Jr. even thought he was going to comply with in his father’s footsteps by carrying his No. 32 and enjoying operating again. This was all junior’s considering. His father supported him, moderately than pushing his son all through his Pop Warner days.

“I used to be that dad who did not pressure something on my youngsters when it got here to sports activities,” Pittman stated. “I all the time compelled being an excellent individual and getting good grades. When it got here right down to it, soccer is what Michael Jr. actually needed to do. I wasn’t actually onerous on him, particularly at a extremely younger age. I used to be extra about educating him. He was the kind of son who all the time listened, by no means thought he knew every part.”

Pittman did not actually step in till it was time to inform his son he did not have a future as an NFL operating again. Pittman Jr.’s greatest likelihood for fulfillment can be at receiver, his father advised him.

“Junior was caught on enjoying operating again as a result of that is what I performed,” Pittman stated. “He was superb at operating again, however seeing your youngster and the place the sport was going, he was going to be tall, in order that’s why I advised him he was going to be a receiver.”

Pittman transferred his son in California from Valencia Excessive College to Oaks Christian Excessive College after his freshman season as a result of his good friend and former NFL receiver Mike Sherrard was on the varsity’s offensive employees.

“I needed him to be round guys who performed professionally within the NFL,” Pittman stated. “I could not coach my son, so I needed to verify he bought round those that had been there and executed it, knew what it took to make it and what it took for my son to go the place he needed to do.”

Father knew greatest as a result of the youthful Pittman sprouted to 6-foot-Four by the point he began his faculty profession at USC.

Whereas Pittman Jr. had the scale to play receiver, he was studying easy methods to play the place. That is the place his father’s relationships with others who performed receiver within the NFL — like Keyshawn Johnson, Curtis Conway, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and others — got here into play.

“I’ve all the time had entry to elite gamers,” Pittman Jr. stated. “I had, and nonetheless have, on the spot contact with all these guys. They actually gave me an understanding of soccer in a soccer life as a result of in soccer there’s all the time ups and downs. They taught me easy methods to handle it.” — Mike Wells