(Instagram/sacurry22)
Sonya Curry is in rarefied air.
Not only is her husband, Dell, a 16-year NBA veteran, but her son, Steph, is the 2015 NBA MVP and closing in on Golden State’s first championship in 40 years. Her two other children, Seth and Sydel, are also impressive athletic specimens.
So, what other matriarchs in sports history have had a husband and a son as successful as the Currys? Let’s take a look.
Olivia Manning
(Getty)
Olivia met Archie Manning at Ole Miss, where he was a superstar quarterback and she was a cheerleader and homecoming queen. Archie was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and made it to a pair of Pro Bowls during his 13-year NFL career.
The couple has three children. Cooper, the oldest, had his football career cut short by a spinal condition, while Peyton and Eli have fared decently well in the NFL. Peyton has made 14 Pro Bowls, won a record five MVP trophies and was a Super Bowl champion in 2007. Eli hasn’t been as proficient individually, but he has a pair of Super Bowl rings.
Patricia Bonds
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Formerly Pat Howard, she married Bobby Bonds, who made it to three All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves and to this day is one of just eight players in the 300/300 (332 home runs, 461 stolen bases) club. He passed away in 2003 after a bought with lung cancer.
Together, the couple had three children, Barry, Rick and Bobby Jr. Barry, of course, was the most successful, winning seven MVPs and setting the MLB record for home runs in a season (73) and a career (762).
Birdie Griffey
(Instagram/therealkengriffeyjr)
Alberta “Birdie” Griffey is now divorced from Ken, Sr., but she still deserves mention here. Ken, Sr. and Ken, Jr. combined for an astounding 41 major league seasons. With Senior playing for so long and Junior being a phenom who made it to the Show at age 19, their careers overlapped and they provided one of the all-time moments in history when they hit back-to-back home runs in 1990:
Birdie also has the rare distinction of being the wife, mother and grandmother of successful athletes. Ken, Jr.’s son, Trey, is a wide receiver for the University of Arizona.
Leslie Matthews
Seven individuals from the Matthews family tree have played professional football.
Leslie Matthews’ husband, Clay, Jr, made four Pro Bowls as a linebacker. Her oldest son, Clay III, is a star for the Green Bay Packers. Her youngest son, Casey, plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Football is in my DNA,” said Leslie. “I love everything about it. It’s a game of strategy. It’s exciting. The atmosphere in the stadiums … there’s no better sport.”
Joanne Hull
(Getty)
Bobby Hull, who has 1,170 points in the NHL and 638 in the WHL, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. Son Brett, who racked up 1,391 career points, joined him in 2009.
Joanne Hull, who was a professional ice skater, divorced from Bobby in 1980 amid nasty allegations of adultery and abuse. Still, as the ex-wife and mother of two Hall of Famers, she certainly has earned recognition on this list.
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