When I was growing up, I immediately had natural teammates to play with: my younger siblings Jacob and Emily. While Jacob and I were close enough in age to play with (and more often against) each other, neither of us expected much out of little Emily.
This all changed when, as a five-year-old, Emily walked outside, picked up a basketball, and scored on our 10-foot high net, shocking us both. That one instance has made the past eight years much more fun, because my brother and I were able to share our love of sports with someone we never expected to play with.
Sports have the ability to bring families together. Whether you’re watching the game on TV or, in our case, playing on the driveway until Mom called us in, quality family time is always enhanced by sports. Some families are better at sports than others, so here are ten sets of siblings that have made waves in the pros.
Honourable mention: The Hanson brothers– Notwithstanding the fact that they’re characters in a movie, these shaggy, bespectacled brothers brought a not-so-subtle approach to hockey enforcing every time you pop *Slap Shot* into the VCR.
10. Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko- These two heavyweight champions and PhDs have promised not to fight each other. Mothers worldwide have used this fact to guilt their quarrelling kids into making peace and staying in school.
9. Mark and Marty Howe- The 1979-80 NHL season was just like playing road hockey with your dad, except Mark and Marty played for the Hartford Whalers, and their teammate/father was Gordie “Mr. Hockey” Howe.
8. Cheryl and Reggie Miller- Two Hall of Fame basketball stars in one family? That must have made siblings Darrell and Tammy insecure, since they only played in the MLB and college volleyball respectively.
7. Tony and Tony Esposito- I’d pay good money to see a shootout between the NHL Hall of Fame duo, with Phil shooting on Tony. Just for good measure, let’s include Bobby Orr as an “honorary brother”.
6. Joe, Dom and Vince Dimaggio- Everyone knows “Joltin’ Joe,” but diehard Red Sox fans remember “The Little Professor” Dom and only trivia buffs know “Insert Nickname Here” Vince.
5. Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared Staal- This Thunder Bay brood have all had success in the NHL, but it must have been an awkward family dinner after Eric’s hit on Marc resulted in a concussion.
4. Marc and Pau Gasol- In 2008, the Lakers and Grizzlies traded one hermano for the other, with both brothers excelling on their new teams. Pau’s two championships, however, prove that the older brother is always better at everything, ever.
3. Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich and Ron Sutter- Quality and quantity abound in this family, with seven Stanley Cups between the six brothers.
2. Serena and Venus Williams- The ultimate juxtaposition of fierce competition and sisterly love. When describing the Williams sisters, “intense” doesn’t even begin to do them justice.
1. Peyton and Eli Manning- These second-generation NFL quarterback brothers (father Archie was a QB too) have been the pinnacle of fraternal achievement for years. Much to my chagrin, Eli’s two Super Bowl rings top Peyton’s one, evening out the scales of the older versus younger sibling debate.
This one’s for Emily. Mazel tov on your bat mitzvah. I’m so proud of you.
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