It’s always hard being born into the public eye. The cameras, media frenzies, and overall extra attention shown to the children of beloved athletes is a tricky road to navigate.
Replicating a parents’ success in sports is easier said than done, even if all the genetics and a road map to success are already laid out.
Some athletes have an easier time adjusting to the spotlight, like Brett Hull, Barry Bonds, and Charlotte Flair.
Others aren’t as fortunate.
Here, DailyMail.com breaks down a few athletes with famous parents to see how they’re carving out their own path….
Colorado State’s Mya Lesnar is the only daughter of former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar
Mya Lesnar
Lesnar’s only daughter recently went viral for breaking the shot put record at Colorado State.
Mya is a twin and her hockey-playing brother Luke were born in 2002, while Lesnar was in a relationship with his former fiancée Nicole Bjerke.
This upcoming season looks to be the younger Lesnar’s best chance at NCAA success.
She finished 17th nationally in the shot put last season.
As for her possible interest in joining the WWE like her father, Mya has never expressed a public interest. However, she checks plenty of the boxes if she ever wanted to enter the squared circle.
Brock Lesnar’s daughter, Mya Lynn, went viral after smashing her college’s shot put record
Asjia O’Neal
Ranked as the No. 2 volleyball prospect in the country in the Class of 2018, O’Neal has been a stud for Texas for the last five seasons.
No, she’s not the daughter of Shaquille O’Neal, but former NBA star Jermaine O’Neal.
Plenty of the skill used in basketball can be transformed into volleyball success such as spatial awareness and timing. Look at the O’Neal’s blocking around the net and rim respectively and tell me there’s not a dominant resemblance.
O’Neal has used all of her eligibility, but was recently the No. 1 pick in the Pro Volleyball Federation’s draft by the Columbus Fury.
Texas’ Asjia O’Neal has been one of the country’s best volleyball players for the last few years
Jermaine O’Neal’s daughter will now play in a new American professional volleyball league
Antonio Gates Jr.
It’s not hard to connect the dots to the family connection here.
They have the same name and the elder Gates originally enrolled at Michigan State, trying to play football and basketball under the combination of Nick Saban and Tom Izzo.
When he learned Saban only wanted him to play football, he left East Lansing and now his soon has a chance to make a Spartan legacy.
Gates Jr. only had 82 receiving yards and one touchdown this season after redshirting in 2022, but the high potential is there.
Antonio Gates Jr. finished his redshirt freshman season as a wide receiver at Michigan State
Gates Jr. is hoping to follow in his fathers’ very successful footsteps with a long football career
Brenden Rice
The greatest wide receiver of all-time has a son that’s entering the NFL Draft.
After a college career at USC and Colorado, Jerry Rice’s son, Brenden Rice, announced he was forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility and entering the NFL Draft.
Playing the same position at your GOAT father, with one heck of an athletic family around you is quite the task to pull off.
This season at USC, Rice was seventh in the FBS with 12 receiving touchdowns.
Brenden Rice could be the next one in his family to make it to the National Football League
The son of Jerry Rice also plays the same position as his legendary football dad, wide receiver
Bryce James
LeBron James is arguably the greatest high school prospect ever. His hype was unmatched at a time when recruiting wasn’t so mainstream.
Bronny James already had a media circus surrounding his career. Now there’s another member of the James crew getting Division-I offers.
Bryce James also plays for Los Angeles-area high-school basketball powerhouse Sierra Canyon.
According to 247Sports, James has offers from Ohio State and Duquesne. Bronny’s school, USC, has reportedly also shown interest in the 6-foot-4 shooting guard.
Bryce James has yet to receive as much attention as his father or brother, but that may change
The high-school basketball son of one of the greatest high school basketball players of all-time
Simone Johnson (Ava)
Maybe call her ‘The Pebble’ as Simone Johnson is the daughter of legendary professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Johnson debuted on NXT last year under the name Ava Raine, which was shortened later to just Ava.
She’s part of one of the most prestigious wrestling families of all-time, and her career is only beginning.
Johnson’s current role is as an authoritative assistant to Shawn Michaels.
Simone Johnson is the daughter of one of the most famous people on Earth, Dwayne Johnson
Johnson made her WWE debut last October and is part of WWE’s developmental brand
