Father’s Day is right around the corner (Don’t worry, it’s not too late to get a gift!). So we thought we would take a little time to honor some of our favorite dads who also just happen to be amazing athletes. These dads always have their little ones in their hearts and by their side for a little inspiration and a lot of love.
Golf great Tiger Woods has two kids with his ex-wife Elin Nordegren. Daughter Sam is 14, and son Charlie is 13. Charlie seems to have inherited his father’s golf game and drew lots of comparisons to his famous dad when the two played together at the 2021 PNC Championship, Although Tiger’s kids tend to stay out of the spotlight, they showed up to support their dad during his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March of 2022. Sam even made a touching speech before Tiger accepted his honor.
Derek Jeter has three daughters with his wife Hannah, Bella Raine, 4, Story Grey, 3, and River Rose, 6 months. Although he’s outnumbered in his household, the former baseball star says he loves being a girl dad. “Every day there’s something new, and they learn something new every single day. It’s been wonderful. It’s been more than I ever could’ve imagined,” he told People in an interview.
Shaq is a father of six children. He has sons Shareef and Shaqir and daughters Amirah and Me’arah with ex-wife Shaunie, a stepson, Myles, from Shaunie’s previous relationship, as well as a daughter, Taahirah, with ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh. Although the 7-foot All-Star seems like a big softie, he will be the first to let you know that he doesn’t take it easy on his offspring. In an interview with People, he laughed about how serious he is about education. “I expect them to do their best,” he said. “My son got a D on a paper one time, and he said he couldn’t find the information. I went off,” he laughed. “I said, ‘Let me tell you something, buddy. You’ve got Google. You got Bing. What do you mean you can’t find it? When I was your age, I had to go to a neighbor’s house and buy an encyclopedia.’ ”
LeBron James has three kids with his wife Savannah, sons LeBron Jr. (Bronny) and Bryce and daughter, Zhuri. Although his oldest son, Bronny, was featured on a 2021 Sports Illustrated cover, it was for his skills in a different sport. As LeBron Sr. told Jimmy Kimmel, his son is all about that gaming life. “Bronny plays video games all day,” LeBron told Hall. “I mean, he loves basketball, he plays basketball, loves being a big brother to his little brother and sister. But video games is his thing.”
NBA star, Russell Westbrook, is a proud father of the three children, 4-year-old Noah and twin 3-year-old daughters, Jordyn and Skye, whom he shares with his wife, Nina. Westbrook knows his job comes with criticism from die-hard Laker fans who give him the business when their team can’t pull out a win. But the loving husband and father has let fans know that his wife and children are off-limits. After Nina shared her frustration with the death threats and other harassment she and the kids have received on Twitter, Westbrook quickly backed her up. “I 100 percent stand behind my wife and how she’s feeling,” he said in a post-game press conference. “This is just a game. When it comes to basketball, I don’t mind the criticism of missing and making shots. But the moment it becomes where my name is getting shamed, it becomes an issue.”