3 players who can't live up to their famous fathers
Blood runs deep in the Association, but that doesn't help every second-generation talent on the hardwood.
While stars like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins have overtaken their fathers (Dell, Mychal, and Mitchell, respectively) as the most recognizable basketball players of their lineage, not every son lives up to the standards set by their former All-Star dad.
Gary Payton II (Gary Payton)
When you share the same name as your father, you already know it will be difficult to avoid his shadow.
Currently without a team after being waived recently by the Milwaukee Bucks, 25-year-old point guard Gary Payton II has struggled to find his footing in the NBA. In 18 games over two seasons since going undrafted in 2016, he has contributed just 2.8 points and 1.2 assists per game, well behind "the Glove" and his career averages of 16.3 points and 6.7 assists. Payton II can take some solace in his father's career trajectory, though, as he went two full seasons in the league before averaging double digits in points.
Glenn Robinson III (Glenn Robinson)
Glenn Robinson III hasn't featured this season after undergoing ankle surgery in October, but even when he's been healthy, he hasn't shown convincing similarities to "the Big Dog."
Glenn Robinson Jr. averaged 30.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in his sophomore season at Purdue, winning the John R. Wooden Award before being selected first overall in the 1994 draft. He became an immediate presence in his rookie year, averaging 21.9 points and 6.4 rebounds with the Milwaukee Bucks. Glenn Robinson III, meanwhile, went 40th overall in 2014 and scored a shade over two points per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves before being waived the following March.
Robinson III has found increasing success since joining his home-state Indiana Pacers, though. He shot a career-high 39.2 percent from 3-point range last season and won the 2017 Slam Dunk Contest.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (Tim Hardaway Sr.)
Make no mistake: Tim Hardaway Jr. is a fine player at the NBA level. The New York Knicks guard is averaging a career-best 17.8 points this season to complement his 3.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds, though those numbers are still lightyears away from his father's production in his prime with the Golden State Warriors.
A key member of an infamous Warriors trio dubbed "Run TMC," alongside Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin, Hardaway Sr. led Golden State with 20.6 points, 9.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds through his first four years in the league before tearing his ACL in 1993.
He seemed to take his performance to another level in the playoffs. In 1990-91, the five-time All-Star averaged 25.2 points, 11.2 assists, and a league-high 3.1 steals in the postseason, helping the Warriors upset the San Antonio Spurs in the first round before bowing out to Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Hardaway Jr. does still stand a chance at besting his father in one way. The retired star never won an NBA title over his 15-year career with the Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Indiana Pacers.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)