6 Current NBA STARS Compared To NBA Legends

here are six current NBA stars or soon to be stars compared to their predecessors NBA legends you will see some examples of players in this video where the player is not nearly as good as his counterpart but it's based off what I see when I watch that player this video is based off play styles more so than actual talent for example Kawhi Leonard in terms of talent is not on the level of Michael Jordan but his playstyle is awfully similar they are definitely comparable that is how I'm basing this video there will be some takes in here that I'm sure you will disagree with and that is completely fine the NBA and the basketball world in the end is really just one big discourse of people agreeing with a statement disagreeing with the statement and then validating their point so if you do have a different opinion let me know in the comment section down below and let me know why but if you ever watch the NBA and you have a moment where you watch a current NBA player and it just reminds you of a moment or a certain player a past player even if they're not nearly as good as their counterpart that is what this video is don't get it confused with that said if you enjoy these types of videos it takes me a while to edit them and piece all these clips together so I'd greatly appreciate it if you guys could drop a like to show your support let's aim for two thousand likes and if you're new around here and you enjoy mba content every single week be sure to hit that subscribe button I know that there are a ton of you watching that are not subscribed it takes one second and you get NBA content like this every single week with that said let's get onto the video number one Kawhi Leonard and Michael Jordan and what we really love doc is that he plays both ends of the court and he makes there are always the right wheels the most like Jordan that we've seen big hands post game can finish great leaper great defender in between game if you beat him to the spot bump bump you off and then you add his three-point shoot before I get into this my latest video on the channel was a full breakdown on the Jordan and Kawhi Leonard comparison at age 28 so if you were looking to watch a more in-depth video with a whole breakdown be sure to check out that video but basically if I could compare anybody to Kawhi Leonard that would actually be three players Scottie Pippen Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan's the reasons why Kawhi Leonard to me the closest to Jordan is because over the years choirs improved on his offensive game that has translated and elevated his overall game to be better than Pippen ever was offensively defensively though they are most alike in terms of their body and stature and of course the offensive ability Kawhi is probably the most similar to Pippen but the moves that he has on the offensive end definitely reminds me more of Kobe Bryant and of course Michael Jordan but obviously we all know that Kobe replicated Mike just like in the Kawhi and Pippen argument the Kawhi and Kobe argument can be made but for the defensive end Kawhi is already a two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and whilst Kobe was a great player defensively as Kobe Bryant was selected 12 times for an all-nba defensive team I think we can all agree that his forte was definitely on the offensive end and kawaiii is an elite defender that to me is a step ahead of what Kobe Bryant was that's why when you really break it down Kawhi really just reminds me more of Jordan he's got those big hands which helps him defensively but he's also improved on his offensive game to where he can be compared to Jordan which wasn't always the case when he first entered the league but no Hawaii isn't the version of Jordan that transcended the game if I could compare Kawhi Leonard to any version of Jordan I'd say the Kawhi he's more of a version that we saw similar to the number 45 Michael Jordan who returned in the 1994 1995 NBA season where he was still MJ who was still amazing and could light teams up for 30 points 40 points and even 50 points but he wasn't the Jordan that was feared by all he also lost in the playoffs that season to Shaq in the Orlando Magic which showed that he could be defeated and that's how I look at Kawhi Leonard a guy that is obviously extremely talented one of the best defensive players in the league and a guy that can drop 30 on you any night but also can be defeated and in terms of playstyle co-wives resemblance to Jordan is just uncanny number two Lou Williams and Allen Iverson first guy you hug was Lou Williams right are you wearing a loose shirt yeah I mean that's my little man you know he came in as an 18 year old rookie and you took him under your under your wing that's right and and he's come a long way you know he's come a long way he's a household name now and you know Lulu can play you can play with the best of this right here is a clear example of how I'm talking about how it plays play style can be comparable to another legend rather than how great they are because obviously without a question allen iverson is a far greater player than sweet Lou Iverson was a far greater scorer and could lead his team to the NBA Finals off his own back Lou Williams wouldn't be able to do that but Lou Williams is a star in his own role he's owned and dominated The Sixth Man of the Year award he has accepted his role and established himself as one of the best role players in NBA history especially after winning his third six Man of the Year award and Allen Iverson could never do that so whilst Lou Williams can do what Allen Iverson couldn't and Allen Iverson could do what Lou will could have it just shows how they're different but in terms of their play style and their moves it's clear they are very similar they're both able to get to their spot on the floor using elite handles and can make it from anywhere Lou Williams frame was six foot one which is similar to Allen Iverson's height of six foot it really all makes sense when he started his career with the 76ers back in 2005 Lou Williams was honored to play alongside his longtime idol Allen Iverson he replicated a a growing up copied his moves learnt his tricks and then he got mentored by him Lou billions who was hosted on an interview done for the slant magazine said that his game was very similar to Iverson style because of their ability to score the ball easily they are telling me how to take contact and finish plays and just learn how to throw your body around and get and once that's knowing how to play heard the whistle and immediately got the ball up great recognition he led by example just by watching him and and watch the way that he attack in games and watch the waited did he approach they regain unfortunately their time together with the 76ers didn't last too long after Iverson got traded but Lou Williams did say and I quote AI is like a big brother to me and even before that he was an idol of mine I had never met him previously but I pad in my game after him my tattoos were influenced by him just what he represented to the game and who he was then obviously I met him I got mentored by him and that's why today Louie will still possesses a little bit of AI in him each and every night number three Ziya Williamson and Larry Johnson a junior college transfer with unlimited potential it's one of the singular and greatest Scouse basketball players that we've ever had which is incredible explosion he seemed like a man among boys he was so big and so strong and yet get such great puss just like the Kawhi Leonard and Jordan comparison I've also made a full breakdown of the Zion and LJ comparison on this channel a little bit after Zion Williamson got drafted in the league it breaks it down all very in-depth but the NBA quite simply has never seen anything like Zion Williamson he's a unicorn in the true form of the definition a six foot seven 285 pound closer to 300 pound player ultra athletic forward it is just unheard of when one tries to compare him to another player it's hard to see who he's similar to most I mean Charles Barkley gets mentioned Larry Johnson gets mentioned Shawn Kemp but I would give a comparison to Larry Johnson before the back injuries derailed his athleticism because before he had those injuries LJ could jump out the gym in the same way that desire Williamson can't today and that is not a lie in terms of their size Zion could be compared to Charles Barkley who first entered the league a little overweight but still he was only six four to six six whereas LJ is quite muscly and buff and he was six six 67 which is close to the Zion you would assure him that after this season when Zion Williamson has a full preseason to get healthy and he's able to lose some weight that the comparison will seem even more real Larry Johnson was built like Zion and he had unbelievable athleticism for his size but most importantly they have very similar playing styles and LJ was an All NBA player at just 23 years old but he also flamed out within ten years LJ coasted off his athleticism early in his career and averaged 20 points nine rebounds and four assists through his first five seasons unfortunately injuries led to a declining athleticism which reduced him to a role player status with Zion Williamson he has the size and more potential to last longer in the league but also injuries will definitely be a question for his longevity in the league throughout his entire career the league has never seen a 285 player to be able to do the things that Zion Williamson can do on the court but Larry Johnson comes closest in my opinion Zion who probably just exceed anything that LJ ever did throughout his career number 4 Donovan Mitchell and Dwyane Wade at the end of the game we saw you with a moment with Donovan Mitchell I mean seeing the way that he plays is it like looking in the mirror and seeing a piece of yourself from the past well I mean I wish I was that good you know they're young that kid has he's special Donovan Mitchell who has led the Utah Jets of scoring in each of his first two campaigns and in both years has made the postseason in a very tough lesson conference just shows how great he is already his stats throughout his first three seasons are comparable to Dwyane Wade but once again it's their play styles that are awfully similar whilst it's hard to believe that Donovan Mitchell can lead his team to an NBA championship within his first three seasons like Dwyane Wade did Mitchell is still young and keeps improving each and every year and hopefully one day he can make the NBA Finals and leave the Utah Jazz to that point in the season in terms of their play style though due to their similar height at 63 and 64 and their positions at shooting guard with point guard tendencies and their weight of 215 pounds and 220 pounds respectively these physical similarities have led to a similar playing style what's this be like he looks like to me every time I watch them play both guys can attack the rim with purpose but also with finesse they can dunk over you or they can acrobatically finish around you they have multiple ways of attacking their defender and they can score from anywhere on the floor they moved the same play the same and Donovan Mitchell has just replicated what Dwyane Wade did he's a version of Wade in the 2020 NBA season not to mention statistically throughout their first three seasons they are awfully comparable Donovan Mitchell only need to take a playoff leap and he's on the right path to rise up on the list of great shooting guards even at his young age number five Jana Saunders a Cooper and Shaquille O'Neal but the Orlando Magic version of the rookie version Yanis versus Shaquille the Greek diesel my cause is better he's better yeah he's better only had the only thing I was showcased was my domination but he's running the floor I did that early I stopped doing that because I stopped getting the ball when I ran the floor so I turning toward to a half-court Dominic's lost all the ante ends the John's and Krispy Kremes and busted Dikembe Mutombo he's better and that's why I gave up my Superman title now but you know what he works hard he's a humble kid he works hard this comparison might seem very outlandish because realistically you can't compare anybody to Shaq nor can you really compare anybody with Yanis they have both changed the game and they are both unique specimens that have never been seen before but this comparison looks at the domination of both players we haven't seen somebody dominate the game in the paint since Shaq and as great as Yanis can become it's almost as if how Shaq could have turned out if he was drafted in the 2010s Yanis is almost a modern-day Shaq and Chuck said that himself when thinking about Shaq though we think of the most dominating beast that could back down anybody on the court and don't get me wrong he was a big man and a pure big man but he would also run the floor and use his athleticism to his advantage in Orlando so if I could compare yarnís to anybody I would say a rookie Orlando Magic Shack in terms of pure word domination Shaquille O'Neal himself believes that Yanis is just an evolved version of himself that isn't just playing in today's NBA but dominating it he said and I quote before you say that Shaq can't play in this era today I'm already playing my name is Giannis antetokounmpo 24 there's that's a very similar who averaged 27 points 12 and a half rebounds and six assists it was yarnís Shaq averaged 26 points per game twelve and a half rebounds and three assists as much as Shaq has been known to dominate his opponents yarnís is doing the same thing just in a different way a way that suits the modern game he's averaging more points in the paint per game than any player since Shaquille O'Neal in his early 2000s heyday in addition even the size comparison isn't too dissimilar for the weight of Shaquille O'Neal and the body that he had Shaquille O'Neal was seven foot one but he weighed less than 300 pounds 294 pounds to be exact when he first entered the NBA of course Shaq is a lot heavier Yanis but Yanis is still pretty heavy at 242 pounds and he's six foot 11 not to mention field goal percentage is awfully similar but of course no Shaq is not yarnís and yarnís isn't Chuck but considering that the reality is the Yanis has an is the throwing opponents the way that Shaq did and of course their pure dominance in the paint is definitely comparable so a comparison to Shaquille O'Neal might actually be the best one for arms to Cooper number six LeBron James and Grant Hill Grant Hill was the first LeBron triple because know Grant was terrific oh well the Brawn is okay thirty pounds heavier I'm talking straight triple doubles dominating the game playing defense the dude did everything nobody did that before that this is another outlandish comparison not to me personally obviously since I'm the one making the comparison but to many people when discussing LeBron James and who is really compared to a lot of people throughout the name Magic Johnson and that comparison to me personally is not really that close Magic Johnson is a great player and so is LeBron James but outside of the court vision between the two players and of course the height I really don't think that their players tiles are similar at all LeBron James is a better shooter a better scorer and a better rebounder but to me personally Wyles Grant Hill had a short-lived prime he was the LeBron James for for LeBron James many young fans with no type of knowledge and didn't get to watch Grant Hill before 2003 will probably hear that and say absolutely no way in hell can you compare Grant Hill to LeBron James but honestly LeBron James took what Grant Hill did in his prime and turned it up to put it into perspective Grant Hill was 6a to 25 LeBron is six-nine to 50 a similar weight and a similar height they can be compared now who averaged 26 points 6.6 rebounds and 5 assists in his fifth year in the league well based on the assists numbers I'm sure you guessed it right Grant Hill but LeBron James is not too dissimilar he averaged 30 points 8 rebounds and 7 assists by year 5 LeBron James is clearly the better of the and that's no question but also he's a top two player of all time so it's not really a competition anyway but in terms of play styles Grant Hill was somebody who could get a triple-double on any night and dominate the game by playing defense but he could also score and finish around the rim with ease his best attribute though was the same way that LeBron James is he was able to feed his teammates before he looked to score himself he was feeding his teammates with dazzling his sister would get his teammates great looks the dude did everything nobody did that before Grant Hill and if you think that Scottie Pippen did that well no the dude did everything it's true every year to see the nightly baby nobody did that before that Oh Scott a peoples arena No [Applause] scottie people was never the often to play the grand Hill or LeBron James was Grant Hill said himself we're big guys handling the ball point forward impacting the game in a number of ways I think you know when I see LeBron I think he comes out and feels out the game that's what you did yeah it just kind of you just let the game play you gotta feel the game how it was going what was needed who's hot who's not people really do forget that Grant Hill was touted as the next Michael Jordan and it really wasn't even an outlandish comment Grant Hill was that good so what kind of a big deal it's unbelievable people are gonna start calling you the next Michael Jordan the guy who won the dunk contest just wait grant you're gonna find no one will ever measure up to MJ on the court not us not even LeBron Lihue he's like six years old now ends up losing like six NBA Finals but anyway we will never know how good he could have been but based on his play style and what we could see he was in the form of LeBron James s player but without the muscles of course and LeBron James just took it to another level with that said if you enjoyed the video and you found it very interesting please drop a like to show you support on the channel it would be amazing if we could reach 2,000 likes I put a ton of effort into this video and I put a ton of time piecing and matching all these clips up together so I'd love your support of course if you're new around here and you enjoy ABA content every single week be sure to eat that subscribe button and the notifications button it literally takes one second of your time and it would help my channel out a ton with that said as being important Smith I'm our peace [Music]

Channel: Nick Smith NBA

Views: 138,113

Rating: 4.874023 out of 5

Keywords: 6 Current NBA STARS Compared To NBA Legends, NBA players compared to legends, allen iverson and lou williams, shaq and giannis comparison, shaq and giannis, shaq and giannis antetokounmpo, lebron james magic johnson comparison, lebron james grant hill, michael jordan and kawhi leonard comparison, kawhi leonard and michael jordan identical plays, donovan mitchell dwyane wade comparison, zion williamson larry johnson, zion larry johnson, nba players compared to all time greats

Id: w5OkuY212rM

Length: 18min 29sec (1109 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 11 2020