Strong genes! Shaquille O’Neal’s son Sharif, Serena Williams’ daughter, Olympia, and more kids are proving to be just as athletic as their parents.
The retired professional basketball player’s son transferred to Louisiana State University from the University of California Los Angeles in 2020. He chose the university because people there “didn’t really talk about” his dad, he told 225 Magazine in January 2021.
“[They said] ‘We want you to be Shareef. People here love you,’” the Los Angeles native explained at the time. “The LSU family is just really supportive, so I felt like that was the best option for me.”
Shareef “just want[s] to have fun” playing, he added. “Even though I couldn’t really score [at UCLA], when I was in the game for those couple minutes, I was just happy to be able to put the jersey on and play. Even if I shot a shot and I missed it, I was just happy to be able to shoot a shot.”
In July 2018, Shaquille exclusively told Us Weekly that Shareef and his siblings — Taahirah, Myles, Amirah, Shaqir and Me’arah — “always” called Kobe Bryant and LeBron James their favorite NBA players of all time.
The Shaq Uncut author’s kids only saw him as a “paycheck,” he joked at the time, explaining, “All they really see are Toys ‘R’ Us, the Apple store, Best Buy and all of that stuff. … To them, I’m Dad.”
As for Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s daughter, Olympia, the little one may feel “a little dab of pressure” playing tennis, her mom told Stephen Colbert in January 2021.
“She’s a perfectionist on the court. I’m not quite sure where she got that from, but yeah, she loves it,” the Michigan native said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “I never thought I would let my daughter play tennis, but then during this [coronavirus] pandemic, it was the only thing that we could do safely so I’m like, ‘Well, tennis it is.’ … I wouldn’t naturally put her in it, but if that was something that she wanted to do, I would absolutely be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you should totally do that.’ And I’d be rooting for her and supporting her, but it wouldn’t be the first thing that I would do.”
The athlete went on to call tennis “all consuming,” “stressful” and “a huge commitment.”
Keep scrolling to see more celebrities’ kids playing their sport, from Dwyane Wade’s son Zaire to Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie.
Credit: Tom Dymond/Shutterstock
Celebrity Kids Following In Their Parents’ Athletic Footsteps: Serena Williams’ Daughter and More
Strong genes! Shaquille O’Neal’s son Sharif, Serena Williams’ daughter, Olympia, and more kids are proving to be just as athletic as their parents.
The retired professional basketball player’s son transferred to Louisiana State University from the University of California Los Angeles in 2020. He chose the university because people there “didn’t really talk about” his dad, he told 225 Magazine in January 2021.
“[They said] ‘We want you to be Shareef. People here love you,’” the Los Angeles native explained at the time. “The LSU family is just really supportive, so I felt like that was the best option for me.”
Shareef “just want[s] to have fun” playing, he added. “Even though I couldn’t really score [at UCLA], when I was in the game for those couple minutes, I was just happy to be able to put the jersey on and play. Even if I shot a shot and I missed it, I was just happy to be able to shoot a shot.”
In July 2018, Shaquille exclusively told Us Weekly that Shareef and his siblings — Taahirah, Myles, Amirah, Shaqir and Me’arah — “always” called Kobe Bryant and LeBron James their favorite NBA players of all time.
The Shaq Uncut author’s kids only saw him as a “paycheck,” he joked at the time, explaining, “All they really see are Toys ‘R’ Us, the Apple store, Best Buy and all of that stuff. … To them, I’m Dad.”
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As for Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s daughter, Olympia, the little one may feel “a little dab of pressure” playing tennis, her mom told Stephen Colbert in January 2021.
“She’s a perfectionist on the court. I’m not quite sure where she got that from, but yeah, she loves it,” the Michigan native said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. “I never thought I would let my daughter play tennis, but then during this [coronavirus] pandemic, it was the only thing that we could do safely so I’m like, ‘Well, tennis it is.’ … I wouldn’t naturally put her in it, but if that was something that she wanted to do, I would absolutely be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you should totally do that.’ And I’d be rooting for her and supporting her, but it wouldn’t be the first thing that I would do.”
The athlete went on to call tennis “all consuming,” “stressful” and “a huge commitment.”
Keep scrolling to see more celebrities’ kids playing their sport, from Dwyane Wade’s son Zaire to Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie.
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Credit: Tom Dymond/Shutterstock
Romeo Beckham
After playing with MLS NEXT’s Inter Miami CF II team, David Beckham’s son landed a deal with Premiere League Brentford’s B team in January 2023.
“I’m very proud and very happy to be here,” Romeo said in a statement at the time. “I came here at the start to keep fit during the off season. The chance then came to come on loan here and I’ve never been so excited.”
Credit: Courtesy of Lindsay Arnold/Instagram
Sage Cusick
Dancing With the Stars pro Lindsay Arnold brought her daughter, whom she shares with husband Sam Cusick, to her first-ever ballet class in September 2022. “Started off so good,” Arnold gushed via Instagram Story, sharing a snap of Sage at the barre wearing a pink tutu.
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Scotty Pippen Jr.
The Vanderbilt University player “trusts” his dad Scottie Pippen’s critiques, he told Chicago Sun Times in January 2021. “I’m mature enough to know that my dad had some success,” the Oregon native said at the time. “I know he wants the best for me. I know he knows a lot about the game. He’s been there, he’s done what I want to do.”
The eldest son of the six-time NBA champion and Larsa Pippen was drafted to the Los Angeles Lakers in June 2022. “Dreams come true,” Scotty Jr. gushed via Instagram.
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Shareef O’Neal
Shaquille’s son sat out his first season at UCLA after being diagnosed with a right anomalous coronary artery and undergoing open-heart surgery to correct the issue.
Shareef, the eldest son of the legendary athlete and Shaunie O’Neal, was also drafted to the Lakers — his father’s former team — in June 2022.
Credit: Courtesy of Jim Edmonds/Instagram
Jim Edmonds
The former professional baseball player showed his and Meghan King’s daughter, Aspen, playing T-ball in April 2022 Instagram Story uploads.
Credit: Courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo/Instagram
Cristiano Ronaldo
“I will never pressure [my son Cristiano Jr. to play soccer],” the pro player said in Netflix’s I Am Georgina documentary in January 2022, noting that his eldest child could be “great” if he “dedicated” himself to the sport. “He will do what he wants. Also, what I want the most for [Cristiano Jr.] and everyone else is that they’re happy and that they choose what they want. I will support in any way.”
Credit: Courtesy of Carlos Osorio/AP/Shutterstock
Arie Luyendyk Jr.
The former Bachelor joked in August 2021 that he was “in trouble” after his daughter Alessi insisted on taking photos behind the wheel of a go-kart.
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Bronny James
LeBron’s son played alongside Zaire at Sierra Canyon School. In September 2016, ESPN reported that the teen had scholarship offers from Duke University and the University of Kentucky.
Credit: Courtesy of Serena Williams/Instagram
Olympia Ohanian Jr.
“Turn, back, reach, head, follow through,” Williams captioned a January 2021 photo of her toddler on the tennis court.
Credit: Courtesy of David Beckham/Instagram
Harper Beckham
David Beckham told Graham Norton in May 2018 that his daughter is the only one of his four kids who play soccer despite their “talent,” which he finds “heartbreaking.”
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Caiden Lochte
“2036 Olympics here we come,” Ryan Lochte joked in October 2020. “You know he is going to be a good underwater kicker with those legs.”
Credit: Courtesy of Shawn Johnson/Instagram
Drew East
Shawn Johnson East was “really excited” to take her daughter to a gymnastics gym, she exclusively told Us in January 2021. “As soon as we got there, I got weirded out. I was like, ‘I’m a stage mom. I’m, like, forcing my 6-month-old daughter to do what I did,'” The Olympian said, referencing a photo of the toddler standing on a balance beam in a gold leotard. “We were there for maybe 10 minutes.”
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Mary Iglesias
“Wimbledon, here I come,” the former professional tennis player captioned a September 2020 Instagram upload of her and Enrique Iglesias’ daughter Mary in a tennis outfit.
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