mollyfamwatIn the modern era of the NBA, the process of replacing a star player is not easy. If the player is injured or traded, the team loses a crucial piece that impacts not only the team’s win-loss record, but also the makeup of the roster. LeBron James and Michael Jordan are two of the most influential players in NBA history, and both have their fair share of signature dunks over the years. Now, James and Jordan are the only players in NBA history to have scored a dunk and made a 3-pointer on the same play.*
LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet. He’s won the MVP award five times, he’s one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history and he’s an overall monster on the court.
LeBron James is one of the best basketball players on the planet. He is an unstoppable force on the basketball court. His combination of strength, agility and athleticism makes him one of the most dangerous players in the NBA. In the past, he has had to face off against Michael Jordan on a regular basis.. Read more about all-time starting 5 for every nba team and let us know what you think.
There has been a lot of discussion regarding all-time rankings and lists. Analysts have been debating for years who the best NBA player of all time is. We can all agree that the league has produced some of the most athletic athletes in the world. Today’s topic is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the “Greek Freak,” and the athleticism he showed in the NBA Finals on his way to earning Finals MVP.
Who are the most athletic athletes at each position throughout history? Would that club go 82-0 if we put those guys in the starting lineup? Who would be able to stop them? Let’s take a look at the NBA’s most athletic starting lineup and see whether this squad would have been defeated by the opponent.
Russell Westbrook, point guard
36.5 Inch Vertical Leap
Given how he is constantly throwing up insane flying dunks throughout a game, you would think Westbrook’s vertical jump would be greater. With a height of 6-foot-3, he isn’t the tallest player on the team. With his exceptional agility and speed, Westbrook is difficult to defend, which makes for a deadly combination.
Westbrook was one of the quickest players in the NBA when he was in his 20s. He is still one of the quickest players on the court, both with and without the ball, at the age of 32. Despite being classified as a smaller guard, he possesses a high vertical leaping ability and has often banged his head on the rim.
For the first time since Oscar Robertson in 1961, Westbrook averaged a triple-double in a season in 2016-2017. Westbrook has four seasons in which he has averaged a triple-double. He is the all-time leader in triple-doubles because of his hustling. That record was thought to be unbreakable. Instead, the very athletic guard pulled off the almost impossible.
Michael Jordan is the shooting guard.
46-Inch Vertical Leap
According to some reports, his vertical reached as high as 48 inches, although 46 is the most consistent of the lot. Jordan’s vertical was either the best or among the best in NBA history in each case. His moniker “Air Jordan” became a worldwide phenomenon due to his ability to soar so far above the room. His ability to dunk was only one of his numerous talents.
Jordan was believed to be quicker than the likes of LeBron James back in the day when it came to overall athleticism. He ran a 40-yard sprint in 4.3 seconds when he entered the draft. Jordan’s physique, as much as his eyes, possessed an electrifying speed. You can see how fast he could read the defense and execute amazing plays in footage from “The Last Dance.”
Jordan once completed a Slam Dunk Contest slam dunk from the free-throw line. If he had wanted to, he could have leapt out of the stadium. Jordan was so athletic outside of basketball that he retired from the sport and pursued a short professional baseball career. There aren’t many athletes that can compete in both while moving from one to the other.
Vince Carter, Small Forward
43-Inch Vertical Leap
Carter will be remembered for one play that didn’t happen in an NBA game, despite eight All-Star selections and more over 20,000 career points in the NBA. This drama is known in France as “le dunk de la death.” The translation is “death’s dunk.”
Frederic Weis, who is 7 feet 2 inches tall, was determined to help the French basketball team contend for a medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Weis may have won the gold medal in the end, but it would have been overshadowed by the fact that Carter had leapt over him. This was coming off one of the best Slam Dunk Contest performances in NBA history, in 2000.
For what he could do in his peak, Carter was dubbed “Half-Man, Half-Amazing.” Both Michael Jordan and Julius Erving have been compared to his jumping abilities. For the plays he made with the Raptors and the Nets, “Vinsanity” was as excellent as pop culture.
LeBron James, Power Forward
40-inch vertical leap
When LeBron led the Cavaliers to their first championship in 2016, there was a debate over who was the most athletic athlete in NBA history at the moment. Bill Russell, an eleven-time winner, poked fun at LeBron, and the discussion was immediately picked up by the media. The debate was eventually shifted to LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain, with LeBron having a strong case to win.
LeBron was an All-State football player up to his junior year. Before concentrating exclusively on basketball, he completed his junior season with 57 catches for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns. When it comes to his basketball career, we know what he has accomplished, but his athleticism has pushed him in certain ways.
At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, he has a unique mix of speed, size, strength, and jumping ability that the contemporary spectator has never seen before. LeBron James, who is 36 years old, has a vertical of approximately 40 inches. That is quite a sight to see.
Wilt Chamberlain (center)
48-Inch Vertical Leap
Chamberlain was one of the most bizarre track athletes we’ve ever seen in high school. He had a time of 10.9 seconds in the 100-yard sprint. He won the Big Eight high jump three years in a row after throwing the shot put over 56 feet and triple-jumping over 50 feet. Some media members think he should be crowned the greatest athletic player in NBA history because of his dominance on and off the court.
Chamberlain was a 7-footer who deserved to be in the record books. He already holds the record for most points scored in a game with 100. He wasn’t simply a dunker who nailed every shot. He had a step-back, one-legged jump shot, finger rolls, and dunks in his repertoire. Chamberlain’s scoring and rebounding statistics looked like they came from a computer game.
Chamberlain is the most athletic center we’ve ever seen in terms of sheer athleticism. He may perhaps be the most athletic athlete we’ve ever seen. Despite his exaggerated statistics, he would have performed at a high level in the contemporary age. Today, opponents would find it difficult to stop him with his abilities.
Sports Kingdom deserves credit for the concept.
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If ever there was a team built for the dunk contest, it’s the Heat. LeBron James and Michael Jordan have already ripped through the East’s best, including Dwyane Wade and the Pacers’ Paul George. But none of those All-Stars can touch the Heat’s resident dunkers. With LeBron and Michael both participating, who else is going to win it all?. Read more about best 5 man lineups nba all-time and let us know what you think.
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