Every day is Father’s Day when you’re a pro athlete who can take the field, court, ice, or track with your own equally sports-adept offspring.

The Ripkens

After nine years as a coach with the Baltimore Orioles, Cal Ripken Sr. was promoted to team manager in 1985. At the time, the team’s best player was multiple-year all-star and Most Valuable Player Cal Ripken Sr. After stepping down to coach and then returning to manager for the 1987 and 1988 seasons, father and son welcomed another member of the family: Cal Sr.’s son and Carl Jr’s younger brother, Billy Ripken. It’s the first time a Major League Baseball manager ever coached two sons at the same time.

The Griffeys

Ken Griffey Sr. was a solid hitter and member of the Cincinnati Reds’ World Series-winning teams in the 1970s. By 1990, his career was winding down, and he signed with the Seattle Mariners — the home of his son, and young superstar in the making Ken Griffey Jr. They became the first father-son duo to play alongside each other — literally, as they both played in the outfield. In a September 1990 game, Griffey Sr. hit a home run… and then Griffey Jr. came to the plate and hit one, too.

The Jameses

LeBron James played for such a historically, record-breaking period in the NBA that he was the first to ever be active and not only the same time as his son, but on the same team, and in the same games.  When James was entrenched on the Los Angeles Lakers, the team drafted his son, USC standout LeBron “Bronny” James, in 2024. They shared the court for the first time that October, and in March 2026, James Sr. passed to James Jr., who scored, marking the first ever father-to-son assist in the history of the NBA.

The Howes

Gordie Howe played hockey at the professional level for an unreal amount of time, maintaining a continuous career for five decades, entering the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings at age 18 in 1946, and retiring in 1980 at 52. Howe had spent most of the ‘70s with the World Hockey Association, an upstart NHL competitor. Howe and his son Mark, an all-star defenseman, both played for the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers for several seasons. They were joined by Gordie’s other son and Mark’s brother, defenseman Marty Howe.

The Earnhardts

Two of the most accomplished and acclaimed drivers in NASCAR history: Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The elder racer’s career began in 1975, and the younger’s started in 1999, creating an overlap of three seasons. They often ran the same races, notably the 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo 400. Dale Earnhardt Sr. came in first, and Dale Earnhard Jr. came in second.

The Brunsons

In 2026, the New York Knicks won its first NBA title since 1973, clinching the decisive fifth game with a 45-point performance from star guard Jalen Brunson. After shaking hands with opposing San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, Brunson embraced his father, Rick Brunson — a former New York Knicks player and current assistant coach of the team.