Watch: Al Horford's son Ean puts Jayson Tatum's son Deuce on skates in 1v1

Jayson Tatum and Al Horford have battled together on numerous occasions with the Boston Celtics, and it appears their competitive spirit has been inherited by their offspring — the next generation of talented basketball players.

In a video posted by the NBA's official X account shortly before the Celtics' Dec. 27 game against the Indiana Pacers, Horford's eldest child, Ean, is seen putting Tatum's son Deuce on skates:

In the video, Ean handles the ball on the left wing as Deuce looks to play some D. Ean then turns the corner, drives down the middle of the lane and easily evades Deuce to lay the ball in.

The clip, however, doesn't show Deuce getting the bucket back. Getting the possession after Ean's converted shot, Deuce tries to back down his opponent, but to no avail.

The size advantage is clear in this brief 1-on-1 encounter, as is the age difference. After all, Ean — who was born in 2015 — is nearly three years older than Deuce. Though there's no guarantee that their fathers will continue to play together for several more seasons, the "rivalry" between these two prodigies will perhaps endure.

Jayson Tatum continues to inspire his son's love for basketball

Though Deuce didn't get the better of Ean in this exchange, he did get the time of his life when he celebrated his seventh birthday with his dad.

Back on Dec. 6, a Tweet showing Jayson's gifts for Deuce was posted. The sports influence was very much apparent in this snapshot:

Among the gifts visible in the picture are a punching bag and a wall-mounted basketball hoop. Clearly, the elder Tatum — whose dedication to his craft paid off when the Celtics won the 2024 NBA Championship — wants his son to keep thinking about basketball even during playtime.

The basketball bond between the Tatums has gone beyond just the hardcourt. In early September, Tatum released "Baby-Dunks-A-Lot," a children's book containing illustrations that Deuce helped pick out.

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In an interview with NBA.com, Tatum reflected on adding "book author" to his impressive resume:

"It’s something I never thought about growing up," Tatum said in November. "My co-author Sam Apple and his team reached out to my team about two years ago with the idea. With the relationship I have with (my son) Deuce, I wanted to acknowledge that and create the children’s book."

As Deuce continues to grow, he will have numerous opportunities to learn basketball and life lessons from his accomplished father. One day, those lessons might enable him to achieve a defensive stop or even a signature dunk against Ean Horford.