How many combinations of father and son have won NBA championships?
Over the past 75 years, we’ve seen plenty of father-son duos in the NBA. There were Joe Bryant and Kobe Bryant. Melvin Booker and Devin Booker. Doc Rivers and Austin Rivers. Jimmy Walker and Jalen Rose though it’s more of a sad story as they never met. Della Curry had two boys who, along with Stephen Curry and Seth Curry, made it into the league. The list goes on and on and there are more than you think.
However, of all the fathers and sons who have played in the NBA over the years, there have only been five occasions when both have won an NBA title.
Matt Guokas Sr, Matt Guokas Jr
Matt Guokas Sr. and Matt Guokas Jr. are the least recognizable names on this list, but they became the first father-son duo to win NBA championships.
Guokas Sr. was part of the Philadelphia Warriors that won the first recognized championship in NBA history since the 1946-47 BAA season, averaging 1.7 points. Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he lost his right leg in a car accident a few months after the Warriors’ victory over the Chicago Harts.
Guokas Jr. played for five teams in his 10-year NBA career and won his only rookie title with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1966-67 season. He averaged three points per game for the Sixers under Wilt Chamberlain, who ended the Boston Celtics’ streak of eight consecutive NBA titles.
Rick Barry, Brent Barry
Hall of Famer and eight-time NBA All-Star Rick Barry won his only championship with the 1974–75 Golden State Warriors, averaging 29.5 points in a four-game Washington Bullets run.
Barry was lucky to have three sons playing in the NBA: John, Brent and Drew. While John and Drew followed in their famous father’s footsteps by donning Warriors uniforms, Brent joined his father as an NBA champion, winning titles with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005 and 2007.
Bill Walton, Luke Walton
Bill Walton won the first of his two NBA titles with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, averaging 18.5 points, 19.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.7 blocks against the Philadelphia 76ers in path to winning the NBA Finals. Hall of Famer won a second title as a role player with the Boston Celtics in 1986.
And speaking of role players, Luke Walton has, in fact, been one of them throughout his career. But he undoubtedly made a significant contribution to the Los Angeles Lakers and won two titles with Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010, making the Waltons the first team with multiple titles each.
Michael Thompson, Klay Thompson
Michael Thompson played for three teams in his 12-year NBA career (13 if you count the year he didn’t play due to a leg injury), the last being the Los Angeles Lakers. A prolific scorer early in his career, Thompson was a role player during the Lakers’ days and won back-to-back titles with the Showtime team in 1987 and 1988.
The man with the most NBA titles on this list, Klay Thompson, has been one of the most important elements of the current Golden State Warriors dynasty, helping the Dubs win four championships in eight seasons.
Gary Payton, Gary Payton II
Gary Payton and Gary Payton II are new members of the father-son NBA title club.
Payton Sr., a nine-time All-Star and by far one of the greatest defensemen in league history, appeared in the NBA Finals with the Seattle SuperSonics and Los Angeles Lakers, losing both series. But he eventually won the championship with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal with the Miami Heat in 2006.
And the Young Gauntlet placed the Paytons in that exclusive club, helping the Warriors win the 2022 championship by averaging seven points in their NBA Finals win over the Celtics. The 16-year gap between father and son titles is the shortest on this list.
Statistics provided Basketball Handbook
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