Editor’s note: In order to qualify for the list, both father and son had to meet a minimum career mark. This disqualified numerous pairs, including Patrick Ewing and Patrick Ewing, Jr., John and David Stockton, George and Larry Mikan, and Press and Pete Maravich.

26) Wes Matthews –> Wesley Matthews

Maybe it’s a coincidence or maybe there was something in the water at the Great Western Forum, but the ’87-’88 Lakers championship team had three players with sons who have also reached the NBA. Of that trio of second generation ballers, Wesley Matthews is the only one to also play for the Lakers in his career, signing with the team as a free agent in 2020. Though his paternal lineage is an obvious asset, Wesley actually credits his mother, Pam, for his athletic success. A former basketball and track star herself, Pam raised Wesley from an early age as a single mother when Wes left the family to play overseas. Drafted in the first round by the Bullets in 1980, Wes put up solid stats early in his career for mostly bad teams before later winning back-to-back titles with the Lakers as Magic Johnson’s lightly used backup. Rather than follow his father to Wisconsin, Wesley instead starred for in-state rival Marquette. He went un-drafted in 2009 but impressed in summer league play and was signed by the Jazz, kicking off a successful career that has now lasted over a decade. While Wesley has put up better stats overall than his father, averaging 12.2 points per game to Wes’ 7.9, he hasn’t won a title, as of yet.

25) Gerald Wilkins –> Damien Wilkins

You can add Dominique Wilkins to the list of former superstars with a teenaged son (Jacob) with NBA aspirations who’s thriving at the prep level. But Dominique’s younger brother Gerald has a son in Damien who has already retired himself after a full decade in the NBA. While Gerald was generally overshadowed by older bro Dominique, he still put up solid numbers for the Knicks and Cavaliers, averaging 14.4 points, 3.3 assists. and 3.2 rebounds per game in his first nine seasons before his career was slowed by an Achilles’ rupture. He still managed to last until 1999, teaming up with his brother on the Magic before retiring just five years before Damien reached the league as an un-drafted free agent signee of the SuperSonics (Gerald was just 16 years old when Damien was born). Damien had a similar size and skill set to Gerald but a slighter career, averaging just 6.2 points per game over 10 seasons.

24) Dell Curry –> Seth Curry

We know the other Curry brother is coming up later but Seth has also done just enough to make this list with dad. In fact, after a slow start in the NBA in brief stints with the Grizzlies, Cavaliers, Suns, and Kings, Seth has developed into one of the premier long range shooters in the NBA and a consistent offensive threat off the bench. Unlike his two-time MVP brother, this actually places Seth on a career path similar to dad, who never reached All-Star caliber but did average 10+ points per game for eight consecutive seasons with the Hornets, mostly off the bench. In addition to Seth and Steph, Dell also has a son-in-law in the NBA as his daughter Sydel is married to Damion Lee, who was part of the ’21-’22 Warriors title team.

23) Jim Paxson, Sr –> Jim Paxson

When the Paxson boys, Jim and John, were growing up just outside of Dayton, their epic driveway pick-up games often had a third combatant in Jim, Sr. A star shooting guard at Dayton University in the ’50s, where his time was bifurcated by service in the U.S. Army, Jim, Sr. was drafted third overall by the Lakers in 1956. He put up decent numbers for the Lakers in ’56-’57 and then for the Royals in ’57-’58, averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. But like so many of his NBA peers, Jim, Sr. found a more lucrative career path outside of basketball, retiring after just two seasons to take over his dad’s insurance business. Jim and John followed in dad’s footsteps into the NBA and had decidedly different careers. The taller (6’6″) Jim (who is not Jim, Jr., for the record) was a bucket getter for so-so Trail Blazers teams in the early ’80s, averaging 19.4 points per game in a five year prime and making two All-Star teams. John (who just missed out on making this list with Jim, Sr.) was more of a role player, averaging 10+ points per game just once his career but making a definitive impact in three championship runs with Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

22) Gerald Henderson, Sr. –> Gerald Henderson, Jr.

Born in New Jersey in 1986 while his dad was playing for the Knicks, Gerald, Jr. was a prep star at the prestigious Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia, played under Coach K at Duke, and then was selected as a lottery pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. It was a distinct path to the pros from his father, Gerald, Sr., who was raised in Richmond, Virginia, went largely unnoticed at VCU, fell to the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft, and was subsequently waived by the Spurs team that selected him. Gerald, Sr. eventually caught on with the Celtics in ’79-’80 as a fellow rookie with Larry Bird and developed into a crucial piece of the 1981 and 1984 Boston title teams. His shining moment came in game two of the 1984 NBA Finals, when Henderson stole a James Worthy pass and laid it in to force overtime. He hung around the NBA for 13 seasons, playing for seven franchises including the Pistons, with whom he earned a third championship ring in 1990. Gerald, Jr. put up better stats than his dad, peaking at 15.5 points per game in ’14-’15, but never played for a contender, spending most of his career with the lowly Bobcats. His career was sadly cut short by a troublesome hip, which eventually necessitated surgery and forced him to retire at age 29.

21) Ed Manning –> Danny Manning

It was a father-and-son affair when Kansas won the NCAA championship in 1988. While Danny Manning was the team’s leading scorer and earned every individual award imaginable that season, his father, Ed, was part of Larry Brown’s coaching staff (interesting familial side note: Rick Barry’s eldest son, Scooter, was also on that Kansas roster but did not reach the NBA). Prior to his coaching career, Ed had been a successful player himself. A steady small forward with a knack for rebounding, Ed spent four seasons in the NBA and then five in the ABA before retiring to transition into coaching and scouting positions. Danny is widely considered a disappointment due to his #1 pick status in the 1988 draft but his career was solid in a vacuum, averaging 16+ points and five-plus rebounds per game in each of his first seven seasons while making two All-Star Game appearances. After retiring as a player, Danny followed in his father’s footsteps as an assistant coach at Kansas, winning an NCAA title under Bill Self in 2008 before moving on to head coaching jobs at Tulsa, Wake Forest, and Maryland.

20) Mike Dunleavy –> Mike Dunleavy, Jr. 

Early in the ’76-’77 season, Butch van Breda Kolff became the first ever NBA coach to face off against his own progeny when his Jazz played against son Jan’s Nets. It didn’t happen again for over a quarter century, when Mike, Jr. suited up for the Warriors in 2003 in a game against his father’s team, the Clippers. It was the fourth and final NBA coaching job of Mike, Sr.’s career. Prior to taking over the Clippers, he had helmed the Trail Blazers for four seasons, during which time Mike, Jr. became a prep star, leading his high school team to the Oregon state title in 1999. After a star turn at Duke, Mike, Jr. was the third overall draft pick of the Warriors in 2002 and spent 15 seasons in the NBA, totaling over 11,000 points and 4,000 rebounds in his career. Long before his time coaching, Mike, Sr. was a solid point guard himself. Over a five year peak in the early ’80s with the Rockets, Spurs, and Bucks, Mike, Sr. averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 assists per game. He also played in two NBA Finals (1977 with the 76ers and 1981 with the Rockets) and led the league in three-point field goal percentage in ’82-’83.

19) Harvey Grant –> Jerami Grant

Similar to Gerald Wilkins above, Harvey Grant had a solid career but spent it largely in the shadow of his brother. In the same seasons identical twin bro Horace was winning his three championships with the Bulls (’90-’91 to ’92-’93), Harvey was peaking statistically with the Bullets, averaging 18.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He was traded to the Trail Blazers in 1993 and spent the remainder of his career as more of a role player. Three of Harvey’s sons have played pro basketball, with the oldest, Jerai, becoming a star player in Latvia, while the second son, Jerian, was a first round NBA Draft pick in 2015 and is now one of the top players in Greece. Jerami, the third son, has developed into a solid NBA player like his dad, averaging 20.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game over the last three seasons, while establishing himself as an elite defender for the Nuggets, Pistons, and Trail Blazers.

18) Mitchell Wiggins –> Andrew Wiggins

Mitchell Wiggins averaged 10.0 points per game in his NBA career, played in the 1986 NBA Finals, was named to the 1982 FIBA World Cup U.S. team, and dominated the Greek Basketball League for two years after leaving the NBA. But all of that ranks him as maybe the third most prominent athlete in his family. Arguably at the top of the list is his wife, Marita Payne, who was a world class sprinter in the ’80s, earning two Olympic silver medals. Marita and Mitchell met while both were attending Florida State and they eventually married and settled their family in Marita’s home country of Canada, where their youngest son Andrew was born. Slightly taller than Mitchell and possessing a superior scoring touch, Andrew was an All-American at Kansas and then the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Since then he’s been named Rookie of the Year in ’14-’15, an All-Star in 2022, averaged 18+ points per game in five different seasons, and won a championship with the Warriors in ’21-’22.

17) Doc Rivers –> Austin Rivers

In January of 2015, the Celtics, Clippers, and Suns engaged in a three-team trade involving bench players and second round picks. This typically wouldn’t be particularly notable but it set the stage for Austin Rivers to become the first player to be coached by his own dad. George and Coby Karl were technically the first father-son pair to reunite as coach-player with the Nuggets in 2010 but Coby was waived before playing a regular season game. Austin thus made NBA history when he first took the court for the Clippers. His dad, Doc, gave him light playing time in his debut but Austin did develop into a crucial backup point guard for Los Angeles that season, which ended with a disappointing playoff loss to the Rockets. Before becoming one of the greatest coaches in league history, Doc was one of the premier point guards of his era, averaging 13.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game in his first eight seasons with the Hawks, while making an All-Star appearance in 1988. Austin would eventually hit his peak playing under his dad on the Clippers in ’17-’18, when he averaged career highs in scoring (15.1 points per game) and assists (4.0 per game). By the way, Doc might hold some kind of record for most familial relationships to other NBA players. In addition to Austin, he also has a son-in-law in Seth Curry (who is married to his daughter Callie), an uncle Jim Brewer who was the second overall pick in the 1973 NBA Draft, and a cousin, Byron Irvin, who was part of the ’89-’90 Trail Blazers that reached the NBA Finals.

16) Arvydas Sabonis –> Domantas Sabonis

Arvydas Sabonis had an infamously circuitous route to the NBA, spending 14 years playing for European clubs and national teams (U.S.S.R. and Lithuania) before finally joining the Trail Blazers in 1994, almost a decade after they initially drafted him. Things went a little smoother for his youngest son, Domantas, who was born in Portland, played at Gonzaga, and joined the Thunder in 2016, immediately after they drafted him. There’s no doubt Arvydas in his prime was the superior talent but Domantas has made the most of his more uncomplicated opportunities and arguably has already surpassed his father’s NBA career output. Arvydas put up admirable numbers on a body frame ravaged by injuries and overuse, averaging 12.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in seven NBA seasons. Domantas started slow but has averaged 19.1 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in his last four seasons, while making three All-Star appearances. Interestingly enough, Domantas was the second Lithuanian to play in an NBA All-Star Game but the first was not Arvydas but Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Both father and son have represented Lithuania in international competition, with Arvydas playing in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics while Domantas participated in 2016. They are the first non-American father-son duo in NBA history.

15) Ernie Vandeweghe –> Kiki Vandeweghe

Disappointed that he was drafted in 1980 by an expansion team based in Dallas, Kiki Vandeweghe held out of Mavericks training camp and demanded a trade. His list of desired landing spots included all the teams in his native California but also notably the Knicks. Why New York? Because that’s where his father Ernie played. Born in Montreal in 1928, Ernie moved to New York as a child and was a star there at the high school (Oceanside in Long Island) and college (Colgate, upstate) levels. He was drafted by the Knicks in 1949 and spent four successful seasons with the team, averaging 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game off the bench and playing in three NBA Finals. But his real love was medicine and Vandeweghe quit basketball during the ’53-’54 season to finish medical school (he made a brief comeback with the Knicks in ’55-’56 before retiring for good), eventually becoming a longtime team doctor for the Lakers. Kiki wound up getting traded to the Nuggets and made the best of it, making two All-Star Games and averaging 20+ points per game for seven straight seasons. He did eventually wind up with the Knicks in 1989 via trade.

14) Henry Bibby –> Mike Bibby

When it came time to select a college program, Mike Bibby could have opted for USC to play under his father, Henry, a man with a similar size (6’1″, 190 pounds), position (point guard), style of play (floor general), and a legacy of NCAA success, with three championships won as a player at UCLA in the early ’70s. But their relationship was essentially non-existent due to Henry abandoning the family years back to pursue his coaching career. Not only did Mike not choose his father’s current team or alma mater, instead he stuck the knife in deeper by enrolling at Pac-10 rival Arizona and guiding them to the national title in 1997. While Mike went on to the more impressive pro career in terms of statistics and accolades, Henry played on more successful teams, winning a championship with the Knicks in 1973 and later reaching the NBA Finals with the 76ers in 1977 and 1980. In addition to Henry and Mike, the family also includes MLB All-Star Jim Bibby, NFL wide receiver Shaun McDonald, and U.S. Men’s National Team soccer player Robbie Findley.

“If you want to make an argument for nature over nurture, the Barry family is worth citing.”

13) Larry Nance –> Larry Nance, Jr.

34 years after Larry Nance won the inaugural contest, Larry Nance, Jr. became the first second-generation player to join their father in participating in the Slam Dunk Contest. Just a few days after that competition took place, Nance, Jr. was traded to Cleveland, where his dad is a franchise legend. Nance, Jr. fell short of matching dad’s dunk contest title (he finished second behind Donovan Mitchell) but soon after did something in Cleveland that Larry, Sr. could only dream of: reach an NBA Finals. He did so while donning dad’s #22 jersey, which had been previously retired by the franchise but was lowered from the rafters per Larry, Sr.’s request. A high-flying combo forward with preternatural rebounding skills, Nance, Sr. made three All-Star appearances in his career, while averaging 17.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game over 13 seasons. Nance, Jr. is also an accomplished rebounder (he averaged a career high 8.2 per game in ’18-’19) but not so much of a scorer, topping 10+ points per game just once in his career thus far.

12) Jimmy Walker –> Jalen Rose

Only 11 dyadic pairs on this list can claim a better combined career output than Walker and Rose but it’s a bittersweet accomplishment. Walker was the #1 overall pick in 1967 and was coming off his second All-Star appearance for the Pistons when he had an affair with Rose’s mother, got her pregnant, then cut off all ties. Rose was nonetheless named after his father (Jalen is a portmanteau of James, his father’s name, and Leonard, the name of the man who drove his mom to the hospital to give birth), learned his identity, then followed in his footsteps as a lottery pick in 1994. But the two never met and never will, as Walker passed away in 2007. Walker had the better career than Rose in terms of stats, averaging 16.7 points per game for his career. But Rose had the lengthier career (13 seasons, while Walker lasted only nine due to conditioning issues), played for better teams (most notably the Pacers, who reached the 2000 NBA Finals, while Walker made the playoffs just twice and never past the first round), and has further secured his basketball legacy with a successful analyst career on ESPN.

11) Stan Love –> Kevin Love

There’s numerous players on this list with a father enshrined in Springfield but only one with an uncle in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That would be Mike Love, founding member of the Beach Boys along with cousins Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson. The Love family was otherwise an athletic one, most notably Stan, who was a standout at Morningside High School in Inglewood, California and for the Oregon Ducks. Drafted ninth overall by the Bullets in 1971, Stan’s pro career was ultimately a disappointment, averaging 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game over just four seasons. He stepped away from the game in 1975 to become something of a caretaker for his notably mercurial and intractable cousin Brian. Kevin certainly inherited his dad’s basketball talent but patterned his game more on his middle namesake, Stan’s Bullets teammate, Wes Unseld, with preternatural rebounding skills and accurate outlet chest passes. While growing up in the Portland area, Kevin became close friends with another NBA progeny in Klay Thompson.

10) Bill Walton –> Luke Walton

In 2009 with the Lakers, Luke Walton won his first career NBA title, making him and Bill the third father-son duo to both claim championships. One year later the Lakers repeated as champs, which means that Bill and Luke were the first father and son to both win multiple titles (Bill’s came with the Trail Blazers in 1977 and the Celtics in 1986). This actually wasn’t the first sports history that the Walton family made, as Bill and his older brother Bruce are the only sibling pair to make an NBA Finals and a Super Bowl appearance respectively (Bruce played in Super Bowl X as an offensive lineman with the Cowboys). Aside from number of titles won, Bill and Luke had decidedly different careers. Whereas Bill was a superstar, winning Finals MVP in 1977, MVP in 1978, and Sixth Man of the Year in 1986, Luke (who was named after Bill’s close friend and Portland teammate Maurice Lucas) was more of a role player, finishing with career averages of 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. One more thing the duo did have in common unfortunately was being injury prone, with Luke dealing with ankle and foot issues his entire career, similar to Bill’s ordeal. In addition to Luke, Bill has three other sons who played NCAA basketball but didn’t reach the NBA: Adam (at LSU), Nate (at Princeton), and Chris (at San Diego State).

9) Tim Hardaway –> Tim Hardaway, Jr.

If you needed further evidence of Dirk Nowitzki’s longevity and franchise loyalty, consider that he was once teammates on the Mavericks with both Tim Hardaway (in ’01-’02) and Tim Hardaway, Jr. (in ’18-’19). Born in the Bay Area in 1992 at the height of his dad’s Run-TMC era with the Warriors, then raised in Miami after Tim, Sr. was traded to the Heat, Tim, Jr. was initially drawn to football but settled into basketball while in high school. He was lightly recruited despite his famous last name but developed into a star at Michigan and was drafted #24 overall in 2013. Whereas Tim, Sr. was better known for his patented cross-over dribble and play making, averaging 20.6 points and 9.7 assists per game in his first four seasons, Tim, Jr. is more of a pure long range shooter. One thing father and son do have unfortunately in common is being injury prone, with Tim, Jr. most recently missing Dallas’ entire 2022 playoff run due to foot surgery.

8) Dolph Schayes –> Danny Schayes

Arguably the second greatest player of the NBA’s first decade, trailing only George Mikan, Dolph Schayes was a stalwart force at power forward for the Syracuse Nationals for 15 seasons. He was an All-Star 12 times, 1st-Team All-NBA six times, finished in the top 10 in the NBA in both scoring and rebounding for nine straight seasons, and led the Nationals to their first title in 1955, as well as Finals appearances in 1950 and 1954. Those are big shoes to fill and though his son Danny was taller and arguably more athletic, he never had a real chance at matching his father’s reputation. Selected way too high in the 1981 draft, at #13 by the Jazz, Danny was a solid defender and a smart player who managed to last nearly two decades in the NBA despite averaging just 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for his career. Unlike Dolph, who was a model of consistency spending his entire career with one team, Danny played for seven franchises in 18 seasons, though never for his dad’s team, which moved to Philadelphia in 1963 and became the 76ers.

7) Mychal Thompson –> Klay Thompson

There are five father-son duos who have both won NBA championships and of that group, the Thompsons have the most combined with six. Two of those came courtesy of Mychal, who was dealt to the Lakers at the 1987 trade deadline and served as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s backup on the ’86-’87 and ’87-’88 title teams. Prior to that, Mychal had been a star player, the #1 overall pick in 1978 and the focal point of the Trail Blazers offense for several seasons, peaking in ’81-’82 when he averaged 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds (but was snubbed for the All-Star roster). He never quite reached his full potential due to leg injuries and an ACL tear has unfortunately become a large part of the narrative of his son Klay’s career. But Klay made an inspiring comeback to be a key component of the Warriors’ 2022 title run. It was the fourth championship of his career, to go along with five All-Star appearances and two times being named 3rd-Team All-NBA. As opposed to Mychal, who was a traditional, back-to-the-basket, 6’10” center, Klay is a dynamic shooting guard who has helped redefine the concept of three-point range. In addition to Klay, Mychal also has an older son in Mychel who played one fleeting season with the Cavaliers  

6) Gary Payton –> Gary Payton II

It may become a regular occurrence soon with players like Bronny James hitting the league but as of 2023, there are only five father-son duos who both won NBA titles. The Paytons are the latest to do so with Gary II earning his just a year ago with the Warriors. It was his sixth season in the NBA, which is a far cry from dad’s notable travails of playoff disappointments. The #2 overall pick of the SuperSonics in 1990, Payton spent over a decade with the team, establishing himself as the greatest player in the franchise’s history. But the Sonics reached the NBA Finals just once in those 13 seasons, a tough loss in 1996 to the Bulls. Payton spent the remainder of his career as a journeyman, chasing that elusive title with the Bucks, Lakers, and Celtics before finally succeeding with the Heat in 2006. While total number of championships is one thing Gary and Gary II have in common, their careers have been otherwise starkly disparate. While Gary was a nine-time All-NBA honoree, a Defensive Player of the Year winner, and undeniably one of the biggest stars of his era, while Gary II is more of a role player, averaging just 5.1 points per game for his career.

5) Rick Barry –> Drew Barry
4) Rick Barry –> Jon Barry
3) Rick Barry –> Brent Barry

If you want to make an argument for nature over nurture, the Barry family is worth citing. One of the greatest players in NBA history, Rick had four sons with his first wife, Pam but following their 1979 divorce, he reportedly maintained mostly facile relationships with his kids. In spite of this (or possibly out of spite due to it), all of them became solid basketball players, starting with the oldest, Scooter, who never reached the NBA but won an NCAA title with Kansas in 1988 and spent 17 years playing pro ball across Europe, Australia, and the CBA. Younger brothers Jon, Brent, and Drew all did reach the NBA, with varying levels of success. Brent had the best career, averaging as many as 14.4 points per game in his prime, earning the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest trophy, and winning championships with the Spurs in 2003 and 2005 (making Rick and Brent only the second ever father-son duo with NBA titles, following Matt Guokas, Sr. and Matt Guokas, Jr.). Rick later re-married and had a fifth son, Canyon, who played college ball at Charleston and Florida and is now one of the top 3×3 basketball players in the world, earning gold at the 2019 FIBA 3×3 World Cup. So in addition to their 3 NBA championship rings, one NCAA title, and one Slam Dunk Contest trophy, the Barry family could eventually add an Olympic gold medal to their collective trophy room.

2) Dell Curry –> Stephen Curry

Considered one of the premier long range shooters of his era, Dell Curry lasted 16 seasons in the NBA and retired in 2002 in 10th place on the all-time three-point field goal leaderboard, with 1,245. In a real sign of the changing nature of NBA offense, son Stephen eclipsed his dad’s career mark in just his seventh season in the league on his way to eventually becoming the all-time three-point king. Meanwhile in the last 20 years, Dell has fallen from 10th to now out of the top 80. But Dell is still regarded as a prototype for today’s three-point bombers and crafted a solid career as an innovator. His peak came in ’93-’94 with the Hornets, when he averaged a career high 16.3 points per game and earned Sixth Man of the Year honors. Of course, Steph has far surpassed his father’s career, with two MVP trophies, one Finals MVP, four championships, two scoring titles, and numerous three-point records, including most in a career and most in a single season.

1) Joe “Jellybean” Bryant –> Kobe Bryant

Though he was born in Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant’s youth basketball education sounds similar to many of his European and South American peers like Manu Ginobili or Dirk Nowitzki: watching NBA games on videotapes shipped overseas, choosing between basketball and soccer as a concentration, learning the sport’s key terms in multiple languages, etc. It was due to Kobe’s father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant extending his pro career for almost a decade playing for clubs in France and Italy. This came after eight seasons in the NBA with the 76ers and Rockets, when he averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Two major events happened during Joe’s time in Philly: he played in the NBA Finals in 1977 and Kobe was born in 1978. When Joe retired as a player and transitioned into coaching, the family moved back to the Philadelphia area and Kobe soon after became a prep superstar at Lower Merion High School. The rest, as they say, is history, as Kobe put together one of the greatest careers in NBA history, winning one league MVP, two Finals MVPs, five championships, and two scoring titles. Over the years, Kobe’s relationship with his parents reportedly became strained, with conflicts centered around his marriage at a young age plus incidents where Joe and his wife Pam were profiting off Kobe’s name without consent. It’s unclear where their relationship stood at the time of Kobe’s tragic passing in 2020 but Joe and Pam were present at the funeral.