NBA Equivalents To NHL Players

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Isiah Thomas/Denis Savard
Smaller players who were exceptionally creative offensively
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Dominique Wilkins/Mike Bossy
Elite scorers from their generation who were overshadowed by others from their era
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Joe Thornton and Karl Malone? Malone is the better player at his respective sport, but I mean guys who were great players, locks for the Hall, yet never won a championship and were often considered the types who were unable to lift their teams. Or maybe Thornton and Patrick Ewing? Same reasons.

Adam Oates and John Stockton. Both supreme playmakers and seemingly happy to be the ones to sit back while others take the credit.

I figure Orr and Magic are as close as they could be. Both retired early. Both won, both were considered the best in the league while they did it (Bird was side by side with Magic of course). Lastly, both were supreme playmakers who made others around them better.

Ewing and Thornton
Both were drafted 1st overall by big market teams, and despite having first ballot Hall of Fame careers, neither were ever able to carry their teams to a championship


What about Malone and Bourque?

Both spent the majority of their careers with the team that drafted them, and then ultimately left those teams to chase rings when they were nearing the end
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Voight

Big Phil

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
31,703
4,144
Ewing and Thornton
Both were drafted 1st overall by big market teams, and despite having first ball Hall of Fame careers, neither were ever able to carry their teams to a championship


What about Malone and Bourque?

Both spent the majority of their careers with the team that drafted them, and then ultimately left those teams to chase rings when they were nearing the end

Yeah close enough with Malone and Bourque. Both highly revered. Bourque did win that ring at the end while Malone didn't. I also don't think anyone believes Bourque wasn't a great playoff performer though and I always felt Malone sometimes had a bit of a deer in the headlights thing with him such as when they played the Bulls and what not. But they are close enough.
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Grant Hill/Peter Forsberg
Elite all-around players who were at one time in the running for best player in the world before injuries derailed their careers

Or Jason Kidd/Peter Forsberg
Neither scored at an exceptional rate, but were pretty much elite at every other aspect of their respective games. Both among the best passers ever
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Marbury/Yashin
High draft picks with all-star talent that will be remembered as selfish players who never lived up to their potential. Both players were out of the league by their early 30's. They were also on the wrong end of 2 of the more regrettable trades of their generation
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Bench Clearer

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Durant/Stamkos
This might be an appropriate comparison considering both were high draft picks with elite scoring ability that suffered career-altering injuries
 

vadim sharifijanov

Registered User
Oct 10, 2007
28,590
15,951
kawhi leonard and mark messier

shawn kemp and cam neely

robert horry and claude lemieux





robert-horry.jpg


Claude-Lemieux.jpg
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Yeah close enough with Malone and Bourque. Both highly revered. Bourque did win that ring at the end while Malone didn't. I also don't think anyone believes Bourque wasn't a great playoff performer though and I always felt Malone sometimes had a bit of a deer in the headlights thing with him such as when they played the Bulls and what not. But they are close enough.

Another good one for Malone might be Marcel Dionne
 

micormic79

Registered User
Aug 8, 2019
55
21
Lebron James- Alex Ovechkin- Both mostly overrated career losers who got lucky once...or 3 times.



Mario Lemieux- Magic Johnson
Bill Laimbeer- Marty Mcsorley
 

Dennis Bonvie

Registered User
Dec 29, 2007
29,209
17,565
Connecticut
Duncan wasn't an ******* when he played though. He wasn't a physical player either

Both Lidstorm and Duncan were known for their gentlemanly play

Perhaps a better comparison for Messier might be Moses Malone

Excellent comparison.

Though its hard to be that dirty (as Messier) in basketball.
 

Normand Lacombe

Registered User
Jan 30, 2008
1,442
1,352
Iverson/Theo Fleury-Both were fearless scorers who never seemed to get injured despite their size. And Iverson and Fleury were never the same players once their original teams traded them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: scott clam

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Iverson/Theo Fleury-Both were fearless scorers who never seemed to get injured despite their size. And Iverson and Fleury were never the same players once their original teams traded them.

Iverson was an elite scorer though (4 scoring titles), and arguably the quickest player in the NBA, which is why I went with the Iverson/Bure comparison

Also, for what it's worth, Iverson only played 80+ games 3x. At quick glance it appears as though he missed approx. 10 games or so each season


Given their issues with substance abuse, perhaps Steve Francis would be a better comparable to Fleury
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Clyde Drexler/Teemu Selanne
Silky smooth scorers who were overshadowed by other stars during their careers
 

frisco

Some people claim that there's a woman to blame...
Sep 14, 2017
3,553
2,643
Northern Hemisphere
James Worthy/Glenn Anderson. Super fast guys on 80's dynasty teams that probably were considered elite support players behind bigger stars. Really upped their games in the playoffs.

My Best-Carey
 
  • Like
Reactions: Neutrinos

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Garnett/Iginla
Underrated superstars playing in small markets during their prime, both were forced to carry a franchise without much support. Both were eventually traded to contenders in their 30's. Injuries hampered the final years of their careers
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Nowitzki/Sakic
Offensive stars who spent their entire Hall of Fame careers with the same franchise. Both picked up an MVP along the way. Both named MVP of their respective playoffs after winning a championship
 

Neutrinos

Registered User
Sep 23, 2016
8,587
3,597
Rodman and avery

Rodman was an elite defensive player, rebounder, and is in the Hall of Fame. He also starred in a movie with Jean Claude Van Damme

Avery was never on his level - both in terms of on-ice production, or off-ice notoriety
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trade

JianYang

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
17,753
16,119
This sounds more like Shaq = Lemieux. I'm not a huge NBA fan but Shaq is always listed among the very best players ever. I guess he could have been the absolute best but it's not like he was constantly injured like Lindros was and had a "What if" career like Eric.

Nah, I can see the Shaq lindros comparison.

Both were the most physically dominant players in their respective sports, its just that lindros' shelf life was shorter.

While they both had other traits, they were the superstars in their respective sports known for being physically unstoppable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Neutrinos

JianYang

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
17,753
16,119
Rodman was an elite defensive player, rebounder, and is in the Hall of Fame. He also starred in a movie with Jean Claude Van Damme

Avery was never on his level - both in terms of on-ice production, or off-ice notoriety

I only make the comparison in terms of stirring up controversy in their respective spheres, and being the biggest outsiders in their craft.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Neutrinos

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->