LeBron James and the father-son duos he has faced in the NBA
LeBron James has faced nine father-son duos since he began his NBA career during the 2003-04 season.
LeBron James faced the Houston Rockets during the NBA’s Martin Luther King Day celebration and the legendary Lakers forward was approached by rookie Jabari Smith Jr during the game.
The rookie spoke to the 20-year veteran and told James that he played with his father, Jabari Smith Sr. in his first professional NBA game. James faced the Sacramento Kings in his debut and squared off against the Smith patriarch.
But how many father-son duos has LeBron James faced in the NBA? In addition to the Smiths, LeBron has faced eight other parent-offspring duos in his career.
The list consists of Gary Payton and Gary Payton II; Rick Brunson and Jalen Brunson; Kenyon Martin and Kenyon Martin Jr.; Gary Trent and Gary Trent Jr..; Glen Robinson and Glen Robinson III. Adrian Griffin and Adrian Griffin Jr.; and Samaki Walker and Jabari Walker.
The careers of 'The Glove' and LBJ coincided for four years, between 2003 and 2007, while 'The Mitten' had to wait until the tip-off of the 2021-22 season to face James .
Another case is that of the Brunsons. According to the NBA website, Rick played 'The Chosen One' six times and Jalen has played against him nine times so far.
The Martins have also had spectacular duels against LeBron. Kenyon came to the NBA years before him as the first player selected in the Draft and his son did so in 2020 as a second-round pick.
Gary Trent and Glenn Robinson said goodbye to NBA basketball in the 2003-04 season, James' first. Years later, their sons faced LBJ in the playoffs: Robinson III in the first-round series round of the Eastern Conference of the 2016-17 campaign and Trent Jr. in the same stage, but of the Western Conference in 2020-21.
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The rookies
In addition to Smith, Griffin and Walker are two rookies whose parents faced James more than 15 years ago. AJ, as the younger Griffin is known, played in both games the Hawks lost against the Lakers this year and his father faced James six times. While Walker Sr. faced LeBron five times and his son has only done so once.