All In The Family: The Most Connected Power Players in the Sneaker World

Sneakers is a game for the young. The 24-hour news cycle of sneaker leaks and drops requires a certain energy and dedication that only those who don’t have a worry in the world yet can dedicate to. However, sneaker culture is also in the era where those who were there and aware of the launch of the Air Jordan 1 are now parents with children who have grown up with sneakers their entire lives. The sneakers that the parents wore are now either being worn by their kids through pairs they inherited or they’re buying retros of the OGs the parents had. It’s no different than cars or trading cards or jewelry that get passed down through generations.

However, sneakers have also been around long enough that stars of the past and present are now in positions of power and are able to provide for their family beyond just the financial. The only limit to how these kids can benefit is the imagination. A son or daughter might get the call to design a player exclusive for a sneaker they want. Siblings get sweetheart sneaker deals because their star brother or sister is a signature athlete. Connections might be established that lead to business opportunities that otherwise would not be available. If it sounds like nepotism, that’s because it is.

Generally, people don’t actually care about nepotism. It’s accepted that children or siblings of highly successful figures will be granted opportunities and access to resources that are out of reach to normal citizens. If the intentions are good, it’s really not that big of a deal. And there’s no denying talent, regardless of nepotism. The problem comes when the beneficiaries of nepotism display a level of arrogance or a lack of self-awareness that they are in a fortunate position. For this list of beneficiaries of sneaker nepotism, we’re breaking down the most famous families in sneakers and how their children have used the advantages they have been given.

Marcus Jordan

Progenitor: Michael Jordan

[deep sigh]

The first time most people came to know Marcus Jordan was not through Trophy Room’s various controversies or his relationship with Scottie Pippen’s ex-wife Larsa, but rather via “Space Jam.” Actor Eric Gordon played Marcus and helped Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck retrieve his Dad’s Air Jordan 9s and lucky North Carolina gym shorts in MJ’s battle against the Monstars. The next time we would hear from Marcus - the real one - was in 2009 when he wore a pair of the Air Jordan 12 Rising Sun for the University of Central Florida in his freshman year. UCF was an adidas school at the time. You can see where the disconnect might come from.

Part of Marcus’ decision to go to UCF was because the school told him he could wear Air Jordans instead of adidas. This did not sit well with adidas HQ in Germany and the brand subsequently dropped the school. Nike would take over the program shortly thereafter and Marcus would continue wearing his father’s brand. According to Marcus, this was not some Machiavellian plot for Nike to bring UCF into the fold but a wild chain of events that led to UCF ditching Stripes for the Swoosh.

After his playing days were over in college, Marcus went into the family business of sneakers, opening the Trophy Room boutique in Orlando. Trophy Room has partnered with Jordan Brand several times over the years, producing some of the most sought-after collabs in the game. One has to imagine the approval process is simpler for Marcus compared to other entities that might want to work with Jordan Brand, but it’s also possible that Michael has seen countless pitches from Marcus and has only given the ok on a handful, like the Air Jordan 17 Trophy Room. Through the store, Marcus is doing what he can to continue his father’s legacy and sneakerheads will be watching closely to see what’s next.

Shareef O’Neal

Progenitor: Shaquille O’Neal

Health issues and an ever-evolving plan to follow in his father’s footsteps prevented Shareef O’Neal from playing in the NBA, but he is now playing a crucial role in the Big Shaqnosis’ attempts to bring Reebok back to prominence. The not-always sunny relationship between the two played out during Shaq’s Netflix reality show Power Moves as Shaq was trying to nudge Shareef to put his hoop dreams on hold to take on the family business. Today, Shareef is currently working on recruiting high school and college prospects to NIL deals for Reebok. At the same time, he has also taken on the role of creative strategist at his father’s budget-conscious Shaq Brand, highlighted by the newly revealed Shaq Dunkman 1.0.

Steph Curry

Progenitor: Dell Curry

Sneakerhead is not really top-of-mind when it comes to Dell Curry, one of the greatest 3-point shooters of all time and father of Steph Curry, THE greatest shooter of all-time. Dell wore Reebok, Converse, and Nike throughout his career and was even represented by former Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison at Nike. That relationship likely played a role in Steph being with Nike early in his career, although things would change dramatically when the time came for Steph to re-sign with the brand. A botched meeting, a mispronounced name, and a misplaced Powerpoint later, and Steph is with Under Armour for over a decade. Spoiler alert, it didn’t end up being a lifetime deal, as was announced in 2023. Should a Nike reunion take place, was this all part of Nico’s master plan all along? Stay tuned…

Seth Curry

Sibling: Steph Curry

Lost in the conversation about Steph Curry’s separation with Under Armour is what happens to Seth, the better shooting Curry sibling (by percentage and percentage only). For most of Steph’s time with Under Armour, Seth has worn both the signature Currys and the takedown models. Recently, Seth made his regular season debut with the Golden State Warriors wearing Curry Splash 25s, a takedown model found at big box sporting goods stores and Amazon. It will be interesting to see how long Seth’s contract with Under Armour runs now that Steph is no longer wearing the Curry Brand and doesn’t seem interested in promoting the recently revealed Curry 13.

Bronny James, Bryce James

Progenitor: LeBron James

Unlike Marcus Jordan, Bronny and Bryce James don’t have a father who outwardly takes offense to his kids wearing sneakers that don’t bear his name. What that means is something we’ll leave to the collective internet psychologists who don’t have kids but have to say something. Throughout their respective journeys to the NBA, both Bronny and Bryce have worn Kobes, Jordans, Ja’s and A’ja Wilson’s signature shoes on and off the court. When the brothers do wear LeBrons, they have been the recipient of player exclusives from the entire LeBron line that includes signature and takedown models. Currently, Bronny alternates between flagship LeBrons and the PE colorways of the takedown NXXT Gen while Bryce made his debut for the University of Arizona in the Nike Kobe 6 Protro All-Star 2.0.

Kiyan Anthony

Progenitor: Carmelo Anthony

Unlike father Carmelo Anthony, it looks like Michael Jordan doesn’t take too much offense to Kiyan wearing Kobes at Syracuse. Despite the “betrayal,” Kiyan has had the opportunity to work on Air Jordan player exclusives like the Air Jordan 6 Low and the Air Jordan 35. The multicolor and multi-textured kicks are inspired by his favorite colors, which cover the full spectrum and could easily pass for a “What The” pair.

Zaire Wade

Progenitor: Dwyane Wade

Completing the list of kids of 2003 NBA Draftees with ties to the sneaker world (for now), Zaire Wade has a signature shoe with Li-Ning called the Son of Flash that was released back in 2023 and is still available online. The sneaker’s highlight feature is a reflective lightning bolt that runs across the lateral side of the shoe. Unlike Bronny, Bryce, and Kiyan, Zaire has taken a different route to make the NBA, opting to turn pro and play in the G-League for a spell before going overseas to play in Africa and Asia. Current news on Zaire’s journey is scarce at the moment, but we’ll let you know if that changes or if Li-Ning drops a Son of Flash 2.

Gary Payton II

Progenitor: Gary Payton

Whether it’s playing for Oregon State or representing for the Bay Area and playing a critical role in winning an NBA Championship, Gary Payton II has done an amazing job in carving his own path in the league independent of his Hall of Fame dad. Even still, he manages to honor him on every step of the journey. Where he has not followed the elder GP is in the sneaker world, as GP II consistently rocks Kobes, in particular the divisive Nike Kobe 7. No Gloves for GP II apparently, might be too on the nose.

After nailing a sneaker trifecta with the Kobe 4, 5, and 6, the consensus is that Nike hit a wall with the 7, although it did give us the memorable KOBESYSTEM commercials. Eventually, the day will come that Nike brings back the Kobe 7 in Protro form, and when that time comes to pass, the person who should get the best exclusives is GP II.

Halo Epps

Progenitor: 2 Chainz

In the latest episode of MJ: Insights To Excellence, Michael Jordan’s much hyped return to the NBA on NBC, he spoke about today’s athletes putting the logo and brand before the game of basketball. In his mind, the game took precedence above all things, and that the logo and the brand was the result of his game. Mike Tirico, MJ’s interviewer for Insights To Excellence, is quick to point out that Jordan is actually complicit in this rush to build a logo and a brand. Once upon a time, the Winged Air Jordan logo was on the Air Jordan 1 during his rookie campaign in the NBA, and the iconic Jumpman first appeared on the Air Jordan 3, years before he would win his first championship. Tirico’s mild critique was not meant to be a gotcha moment, but it does point out that no matter how much the greatest of all-time put the game of basketball and pursuit of greatness above everything else, the business side has their own timeline.

In totally unrelated news, 2 Chainz’s son Halo Epps made history as the youngest athlete ever to get a “signature” shoe, the HALO 1 3D-printed slip-on made in partnership with Zellerfeld. Hey, in the race to build awareness for a kid with hoop dreams, sometimes it pays to have a world-famous father who also happened to play D1 basketball and work with LeBron to invent Deluxe Edition albums. Inevitably, it will be Halo’s skills that will actually determine his basketball future, but for now, there’s a bit of a novelty in watching a kid become the face of a sneaker. It’s no different than kid YouTubers hawking toys and blind boxes at Target or Wal-Mart, I guess.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Sibling: Giannis Antetokounmpo

People will have their jokes about Thansis’ position with the Milwaukee Bucks as being nothing more than an emotional support brother for Giannis. It’s par for the course when a sibling is around to provide comfort and stability for a star in any profession, but let’s not forget that Thanasis is a serviceable NBA player in the glue guy mold and would probably have a roster spot elsewhere with or without Giannis. To show his appreciation for Thanasis, Giannis has hooked up his brother PE variations of his Zoom Freak line over the years. The highlight of the PEs were the All-Star edition of the Nike Zoom Freak 5 that included a hand-written note to Thanasis from Giannis thanking him for those times when they were younger for sharing their shoes. It’s a nice reminder that in a world that can be cynical and quick to bring you down, having family who had your back then and has your back now is more valuable than any troll.

Joe Hebert (aka West Coast Joe)

Progenitor: Ann Freeman

One of the biggest sneaker reselling controversies of the 2020s involved the son of a now-former Nike executive. Joe Hebert, proprietor of West Coast Streetwear, used his mother’s credit card to fund his business. Normally that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows, but when a sneaker reseller’s mother also happens to be the Vice President and General Manager of Nike North America, the story becomes infinitely more intriguing. While Nike’s investigation into the matter revealed no evidence that Joe used Ann’s position to help boost West Coast Streetwear beyond borrowing a credit card, the optics of a Nike higher-up even being tangentially involved in a sneaker reselling business was too hot to handle. Ann resigned from Nike in 2021 and went on to become CEO at Foot Locker while West Coast Streetwear has ceased operations.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com