The NBA has some of the greatest athletes in the world. Their play on the hardwood is inspiring, especially when you consider how players juggle the demands of a grueling season with their personal lives.
Many of the NBA’s biggest stars have taken on the ultimate challenge off the court: fatherhood. A few players don’t just have one or two children but enough kids to start their own basketball teams!
From legends like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal to Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy, these athletes have scored big in the game of life. Join us as we explore which NBA players have the most children.
*This list includes only biological children*
1. Calvin Murphy: 14 Children With 9 Women
– With Phyllis Davidson: 3 Children (Names Unknown)
– With Vernetta Murphy: 3 Children (Names Unknown)
– 7 Baby Mothers: 8 Children (Names Unknown)
According to ESPN, Calvin Murphy has 14 kids to nine women. Most of these children were born out of wedlock, as he was married for sure to just one woman–Vernetta Murphy.
Vernetta had three children with Murphy, and so did Phyllis Davidson. According to Murphy, he was married to Davidson, and this came to light after Davidson passed away in a car accident in 1996.
Murphy’s other eight children were born to women who were not in a serious relationship with the NBA star. In 2004, five of Murphy’s daughters accused him of sexually abusing them when they were younger.
Murphy denied the claims, saying his kids were trying to get money out of him. Ultimately, Murphy was acquitted of all charges, and today, Murphy works as an analyst for the Houston Rockets broadcasts on AT&T SportsNet.
2. Jason Caffey: 10 Children With 8 Women
– With Bebe Caffey: 2 Children (Names Unknown)
– With LoRunda Brown: At Least 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– With Nicole Carter: At Least 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– 5 Baby Mothers: 6 Children (Names Unknown)
Jason Caffey, who is 50 years old, is most known for his supporting role on the Chicago Bulls championship teams in 1996 and 1997. Caffey played eight years in the NBA, with his last season coming in the 2002-03 season.
Off the court, Caffey has reportedly fathered 10 children to eight different women. This includes having two children with ex-wife, Bebe Caffey, who filed for divorce from Caffey in 2016.
It’s been reported that Caffey has fathered at least one child with LoRunda Brown and one with Nicole Carter. The remaining women who have given birth to Caffey’s children are unknown.
3. Willie Anderson: 9 Children With 7 Women
– With Timber Harris: At Least 1 Child (Alex)
– With Cynthia Anderson: At Least 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– With Marshae Richardson: At Least 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– With Sonji Austin: At Least 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– 3 Baby Mothers: At Least 5 Children (Names Unknown)
Before David Robinson landed in San Antonio, Willie Anderson was supposed to be the Spurs’ next great player. As a rookie, Anderson appeared to be just that.
Anderson was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team after averaging 18.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. After his rookie season, Anderson’s play would fall off, never quite reaching the level it was during his first NBA season.
Anderson retired after nine seasons, which would surprisingly equal the number of children Anderson would have. Yes, Anderson is the father of nine children, and this is to seven different mothers.
Anderson was married to Cynthia Anderson for an unknown amount of years before getting divorced. They had at least one child together. However, not much more is known about their marriage.
Anderson also had children with former girlfriends Marshae Richardson and Sonji Austin, the names of whom are unknown. Four other women, three of whose names are unknown, have been reported to have had children with Anderson.
As for Anderson’s children, the only child’s name that is known is that of former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Lady Mocs basketball player Alex Anderson. Anderson had Alex to a woman named Timber Harris.
There is no information available about Anderson’s relationship with Harris or whether Anderson has played any role in Alex’s life.
4. Julius Erving: 8 Children With 3 Women
– With Turquoise Erving: 4 Children (Jazmin, Julius III, Cory and Cheo)
– With Samantha Stevenson: 1 Child (Alexandra)
– With Dorys Madden: 3 Children (Jules, Justin, and Julietta)
What can be said about Julius Dr. J. Erving that hasn’t been said? His professional basketball career was legendary, as he first became the ABA’s biggest star while winning two championships.
In the NBA, Erving won the 1983 NBA title with the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s safe to say Erving’s basketball career was blissful.
This hasn’t always been the case with Erving’s personal life. Erving married Turquoise Brown in 1972, and they divorced in 2003 after it came to light that Erving had a son, Jules, outside the marriage with a woman named Dorys Madden.
Erving eventually married Madden and had two more children, Justin and Julietta. With his first wife, Erving had four children: Jazmin, Julius III, Cory, and Cheo.
Tragedy struck the Erving family in the summer of 2000 when their son Cory passed away in an accidental drowning. Cory inadvertently crashed his car in a retention pond after leaving a family cookout to buy a loaf of bread.
While married to Turquoise in 1980, Erving had an affair with a sportswriter named Samantha Stevenson. They had a daughter, Alexandra Stevenson, who became a professional tennis player.
Erving had only paid child support and stayed out of Alexandra’s life until 2008 when they began to develop a real father-daughter relationship.
5. Shawn Kemp: 7 Children With 6 Women
– With Marvena Thomas: 2 Children (Jamon and Tiera)
– 5 Baby Mothers (Names Unknown): 5 Children (Shawn Jr., LaTanja, The Other 3 Children’s Names Unknown)
“The Reign Man”, also known as Shawn Kemp, excited crowds in the NBA with his high-flying, powerful slam dunks. Kemp famously helped lead the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA Finals in 1996, where they fell to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in six games.
Off the court, Kemp has developed a big family. The rumors are Kemp has seven children with six women. His first child, son Shawn Kemp Jr., was born in 1991 to an unknown woman.
Kemp Jr. played college basketball at the University of Washington. His other son, Jamon, was born in 2000, and he played basketball at Southeastern Louisiana and even tried out for the Portland Trail Blazers’ G League team, Rip City Remix, in 2023.
The only woman known to have had children with Kemp is his ex-wife, Marvena Thomas. The couple had two children, Jamon and Tiera. The other mothers of Kemp’s children are unknown, and the only known child from these other women is a son named LaTanja.
6. Kenny Anderson: 7 Children With 5 Women
– With Dee Dee Roper: 1 Child (Christy)
– With Tami Roman: 2 Children (Lyric and Jazz)
– With Tamiyka R. Lockhart: 1 Child (Kenneth Jr.)
– With Suany Castro: 2 Children (Kenneth Jr. and Devin)
– Baby Mother (Name Unknown): 1 Child (Danielle)
Kenny Anderson played 14 years in the NBA, most notably with the New Jersey Nets. Anderson made the All-Star Team in 1994 when he averaged 18.8 points and 9.6 assists per game.
Off the court, Anderson has fathered seven children with five women. In 1991, Anderson dated Dee Dee Roper, who was also known as Spinderella.
Roper was a member of the female hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa. They had a daughter together named Christy.
Anderson married Tami Roman in 1994 and had two children together; their names are Lyric and Jazz. The couple divorced in 2001, but Anderson quickly found a new love, marrying Tamiyka Lockhart in 2002. The couple had one child, Kenneth Jr., before divorcing in 2004.
While the 2004 NBA playoffs were going on, Anderson met his current wife, Natasha, with whom he has a stepdaughter. As for his biological children, Anderson has three more children, including a daughter named Danielle, to an unknown woman.
Anderson also has two children with a woman named Suany Castro. The children’s names are Devin and Kenneth Jr. (Yes, that’s Anderson’s second Kenneth Jr.).
7. Scottie Pippen: 7 Children With 4 Women
– With Karen McCollum: 1 Child (Antron)
– With Yvette Deleone: 1 Child (Sierra)
– With Sonya Roby: 1 Child (Taylor)
– With Larsa Younan Pippen: 4 Children (Justin, Preston, Scotty Jr., and Sophia)
Scottie Pippen is arguably the greatest number two option the NBA has ever seen. His set of skills meshed perfectly alongside Michael Jordan. This is why Pippen and his Chicago Bulls won six championships in eight years.
Pippen was also a champion off the court. He’s the father of seven children to four women, and his first child, Antron, was born in 1987 to his then wife, Karen McCollum. Sadly, Antron Pippen passed away on April 19, 2021, due to an asthma attack. He was just 33 years old…
Pippen had a daughter with girlfriend Sonya Roby, named Taylor, in 1994. Taylor played volleyball for Southern Illinois University and even played professionally in Spain in 2016.
In 1995, Pippen had a daughter, Sierra, with a woman named Yvette Deleone. Pippen also has a daughter named Taylor to a woman named Sonya Roby.
The most famous relationship Pippen had was his marriage to Larsa Younan. The two were married from 1997 to 2021 and had four children together. Their children are Justin, Preston, Scotty Jr., and Sophia.
Scotty Jr. has followed his father to the NBA, although his career has not been as successful so far. In 2022, Scotty Jr. signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played for both the Lakers and their G-League team, the South Bay Lakers.
In 2024, Scotty Jr. signed a two-way contract to join the Memphis Grizzlies. Only time will tell if Scotty Jr. can duplicate the success his father has seen in the NBA.
8. Karl Malone: 7 Children With 3 Women
– With Kay Kinsey: 4 Children (Kadee, Kylee, Karl Jr., and Karlee)
– With Gloria Bell: 1 Child (Demetrius)
– With Bonita Ford: 2 Children (Daryl and Cheryl)
Karl Malone is a great basketball player. He’s a two-time MVP, and he’s third all-time in career points with 36,928 points.
Malone, who was nicknamed the Mailman, helped the Utah Jazz reach the NBA Finals twice in the late 1990s. He also made it to a third Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004. However, he lost all three times.
Malone may have been a good basketball player, but the same can’t be said about his personal life. The Utah Jazz legend had a child with 13-year-old Gloria Bell when he was 20 years old. The two had a son, Demetress Bell, who ended up becoming an NFL player.
Malone wasn’t in Demetress’ life. In fact, Demetress claimed his father once said, “It was too late for him to be an involved parent.”
Malone had twins, Daryl and Cheryl), to a woman named Bonita Ford. Once again, Malone would not be in Daryl and Cheryl’s life, at least until his children became older.
Daughter Cheryl became a professional basketball player like her father. She played eight seasons in the WNBA.
Malone’s final four children are with his wife, Kay Kinsey, whom he married in 1990. Their children are Kadee, Kylee, Karl Jr., and Karlee.
9. Shawn Bradley: 6 Children With 1 Woman
– With Annette Everson: 6 Children (Ciera, Chase, Cheyenne, Chelsea, Charity, and Chance)
Shawn Bradley is one of the tallest players to ever play in the NBA. Bradley stood 7’6″, and this is one of the reasons why he led the league in blocks during the 1996-97 season.
Off the court, Bradley found love with Annette Evertson, and the two married in 1993. The couple had a total of six children. Their names are Ciera, Chase, Cheyenne, Chelsea, Charity, and Chance.
Bradley and his wife would divorce, and shortly after, in 2017, Bradley married Carrie Cannon. The two adopted three children together. However, this list only accounts for their biological children, so they won’t be counted here.
On January 20, 2021, Bradley was riding his bike when he was struck by a car. This has led to Bradley becoming paralyzed.
10. Danny Ainge: 6 Children With 1 Woman
– With Michelle Ainge: 6 Children (Ashlee, Austin, Tanner, Taylor, Copper, and Crew)
Danny Ainge was a tri-star athlete in high school, playing basketball, baseball, and football. This carries over to the professional level, as Ainge played for the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB and for multiple teams in the NBA.
Ainge’s most notable stint in the NBA came when he played for the Boston Celtics. The former tri-star high school athlete won two championships with Boston in the 1980s.
Off the court, Ainge has kept his personal life private. He married Michelle Ainge in 1979 and has six children: Ashlee, Austin, Tanner, Taylor, Copper, and Crew.
11. Scott Skiles: 6 Children With 4 Women
– 4 Baby Mothers (Names Unknown): 6 Children (Shelby, Sean, Scott Jr., The Other 3 Children’s Names Unknown)
When you think of the NBA’s all-time single-game assists record, you’d automatically think that record belongs to either Magic Johnson, John Stockton, or even Oscar Robertson. None of these great players hold the record. Instead, the record belongs to Scott Skiles.
Skiles recorded 30 assists in a game against the Denver Nuggets. This record performance occurred during the 1990–91 season, where Skiles was named as the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
Off the court, there’s not much information about Skiles’ children and the mothers of his children. What we know is that three of his children’s names are Shelby, Sean, and Scott Jr.
12. Juwan Howard: 6 Children With 4 Women
– With Markita Blyden: 1 Child (Juwan Jr.)
– With Tabatha Johnson: 1 Child (Joshua)
– With Jenine Wardally: 2 Children (Jace and Jett)
– With Kristy Wilmot: 1 Child (Starr)
– Baby Mother (Name Unknown): 1 Child (Sky)
Juwan Howard was part of “The Fab Five” at the University of Michigan alongside Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. After college, Howard spent 19 years in the NBA, winning two titles with the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.
Howard might be a champion on the court, but he’s also one off of it. The former Fab Five member is the proud father of six children to four women.
Howard had two sons: Juwan Jr. with Markita Blyden and Joshua with Tabatha Johnson. The two-time NBA champion also had two daughters: Starr (with Kristy Wilmot) and Sky (with an unknown mother).
In 2002, Howard married Jenine Wardally, and they had two more kids: Jace and Jett. Out of Howard’s children, his sons have all played college basketball. In fact, Howard has coached two of his sons at Michigan: Jett and Jace.
Juwan Jr. played college basketball at Western Michigan University, while Joshua played at Brown University. It’s safe to say basketball runs in the family.
13. Dominique Wilkins: 6 Children With 2 Women
– With Nicole Berry: 4 Children (Alysandra, Aiysha, Chloe, and Danielle)
– With Robin Campbell Wilkins: 2 Children (Jacob and Jolie)
Dominique Wilkins, also known as “The Human Highlight Film”, was one of the most exciting and powerful dunkers the NBA has ever seen. Wilkins won two NBA Slam Dunk Contests, and his battles with Michael Jordan will live on forever.
Wilkins has fathered six children with two women. He married Nicole Berry in 1992, and they had four children together: Alysandra, Aiysha, Chloe, and Danielle.
After divorcing in 2003, Wilkins found love again with Robin Campbell Wilkins, whom he married in 2006. The couple had one son, Jacob, and one daughter, Jolie, before eventually divorcing.
Wilkins’ daughter, Jolie, also known as JoJo, was born with spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair. Despite this, JoJo has made great strides, something Wilkins was proud to share with a lovely caption on Instagram.
“When most people see my daughter JoJo, they see a wheelchair,” Wilkins wrote in the caption. “When I see her, I see POTENTIAL, STRENGTH and BEAUTY! She’s just like (everyone) else. We all have challenges. They just come in different forms.”
Despite being a great basketball player, Wilkins never won an NBA title. However, he holds a more meaningful title: being an excellent father. This makes him a true champion.
14. Shaquille O’Neal: 5 Children With 2 Women
– With Arnetta Yardbourgh: 1 Child (Taahirah)
– With Shaunie Nelson: 4 Children (Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’arah)
Shaquille O’Neal is possibly the most dominant big man the NBA has ever seen. His powerful dunks, along with his high frame, made him a force to be reckoned with.
During his 19-year career, Shaq won four NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, two scoring titles, and was named the 1999-00 MVP. Along the way, Shaq has also famously been given and even given himself many nicknames. These include “The Diesel,” “The Big Aristotle,” and even “Wilt Chamberneezy.”
Still, the best name you can call Shaq is “Father”. Yes, Shaq is the proud dad of five children. He had a daughter, Taahirah, with his girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh in 1996.
Shaunie Nelson is Shaq’s more famous baby mother. The couple married in 2002 and divorced in 2009. They have four children together: sons Shareef and Shaqir and daughters Amirah and Me’arah.
Shareef signed with his father’s former NBA team, the Los Angeles Lakers, for the 2022 Summer League. Shaq’s son did make the Lakers final roster, but he did play in the G League for the NBA G League Ignite.
15. Royce White: 5 Children With 4 Women
– With Fatima Jaed: 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– With Jasmine Mattison: 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– With Deuane Ning Keomanivanh: 1 Child (Name Unknown)
– Baby Mother (Name Unknown): 2 Children (Names Unknown)
Royce White played in only three NBA games for the Sacramento Kings and failed to score a point, making him an unfamiliar name among basketball fans. Today, White is planning on making a run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican.
White may not have scored a point in the NBA, but he has fathered many children. White has five kids with four women. However, there’s no information on White’s children or the mothers of his kids.
16. Larry Johnson: 5 Children With 4 Women
– With Dronda Gilliam-Muhammad: 1 Child (Larry Jr.)
– With Celeste Wingfield: 2 Children (Lance and Lasani)
– With Laura Tate: 1 Child (Taylor)
– 1 Baby Mother (Name Unknown): 1 Child (Name Unknown)
Larry Johnson became a household name in the 1990s. One major reason was because of a series of commercials for Converse, where he dressed up as an old lady named “Grandmama”.
Of course, Johnson was also popular thanks to his play on the basketball court. He played 10 seasons, most notably with the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks. Johnson won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1992 and played in the 1999 NBA Finals with the Knicks.
Off the court, Johnson is the father of five children to four women. Information about Johnson’s children to his baby mothers is a little sporadic. It appears Johnson has had two children with ex-wife Celeste Wingfield: Lance and Lasani.
Some reports claimed the couple had three children, but that wouldn’t support the claim that Johnson has five children to four women, as the math doesn’t add up. Some reports claim Celeste Wingfield is also the mother of Johnson’s other son, Larry Jr.
This doesn’t appear to be correct, as other sources clearly state that Larry Jr.’s mother is Dronda Gilliam-Muhammad. Both Larry Jr. and Lasani have played college basketball. Larry Jr. has played at Youngstown State, while Lasani played at Grambling State University.
The only other child’s name we know of is a daughter named Taylor. Johnson had Taylor with Laura Tate back in 1997, but he wasn’t in her life at all. This led to Tate suing Johnson for missed child support payments, and she eventually won his $800,000 house.
17. Dwight Howard: 5 Children With 5 Women
– With Royce Reed: 1 Child (Braylon)
– With Christine Vest: 1 Child (Dwight III)
– With Hope Alexa: 1 Child (Jayde)
– With Tiffany Render: 1 Child (Layla)
– With Melissa Rios: 1 Child (David)
Dwight Howard has had an interesting professional basketball career. Howard played eight seasons with the Orlando Magic, where he won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, as well as leading his team to the 2009 NBA Finals.
After leaving the Magic, Howard bounced around to a few teams, where he didn’t find much personal or team success. Howard eventually ended up on the Los Angeles Lakers alongside LeBron James and won a championship in 2020.
Today, Howard is off of an NBA roster, as no team has given him a chance. He now plays basketball for the Taiyuan Leopards in Taiwan.
There are rumors that Howard has fathered eight children, but he claims to only have five children. Howard’s son Braylon’s mother is Royce Reed, who was an Orlando Magic cheerleader and appeared on the reality show Basketball Wives.
Howard’s four other children have different mothers: Dwight III (Christine Vest), Jayde (Hope Alexa), Layla (Tiffany Render), and David (Melissa Rios). Sadly, Melissa Rios passed away from an epileptic seizure in 2020.
18. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 5 Children With 3 Women
– With Habiba Abdul-Jabbar: 3 Children (Habiba, Kareem Jr., and Sultana)
– With Cheryl Pistono: 1 Child (Amir)
– With Julie Ods: 1 Child (Adam)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer until LeBron James passed him in 2023. Still, his 38,387 career points, to go along with his six NBA titles and six MVPs, make Kareem one of the greatest players to ever live.
On top of being a prolific scorer, Kareem is also prolific at having children. The big man has fathered five children with three women.
Kareem married Habiba Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, and the couple had three children: Habiba, Kareem Jr., and Sultan. Kareem Jr. pursued basketball like his father but transitioned to acting. He appeared in an episode on The Sarah Silverman Program.
Kareem and Habiba divorced in 1978, and the Lakers legend had two more children from his next two marriages. Kareem had a son, Amir, with Cheryl Pistono and a son, Adam, with Julie Ods.
19. Allen Iverson: 5 Children With 1 Woman
– With Tawanna Turner: 5 Children (Tiaura, Allen II, Isaiah, Messiah, and Dream)
Allen Iverson changed the culture in the NBA during the early 2000s. “The Answer”, as Iverson was widely known, almost single-handedly ushered in the hip-hop movement to the NBA.
Iverson never won an NBA title, but he did win an MVP in the 2000-01 season, as well as four scoring titles and three steals titles.
Iverson has five children with Tawanna Turner, his high school sweetheart. The couple’s kids are Tiaura, Allen II, Isaiah, Messiah, and Dream.
Iverson and Turner married in 2001 and divorced in 2013. In 2002, Iverson reportedly threw Turner out of their house naked. He was later charged with four felonies and 10 misdemeanors.
After throwing his wife out of the house, Iverson and his uncle entered an apartment that wasn’t his and threatened two men. Iverson was looking for his wife, who was hiding at a motel.
20. Michael Jordan: 5 Children With 2 Women
– With Juanita Vanoy: 3 Children (Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine)
– With Yvette Prieto: 2 Children (Victoria and Ysabel)
Michael Jordan is often considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. There’s a good reason for this. Jordan won six titles, going a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals.
On top of winning championships, Jordan won six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, 10 scoring titles, three steals titles, and was named the 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year. Yes, Jordan’s resume speaks for itself.
As for Jordan’s personal life, he has five children from two different women. Jordan wed Juanita Vanoy in 1989, and they have three children together: Jeffrey, Marcus, and Jasmine.
Jordan’s children were famously at his games while Jordan was leading the Chicago Bulls to championships in the 1990s.
The couple divorced in 2006, and Vanoy received a then-record $168 million payout from the divorce. In 2013, Jordan got married for the second time to model Yvette Prieto.
Jordan and Prieto welcomed twin girls, Victoria and Ysabel, in 2014. Since retiring, the couple has prioritized their children’s privacy and kept them out of the public eye.
There you have it: 20 NBA players who have the most children. This article highlights their roles as fathers, reminding us that they are real people with families behind their fame and stats.
