Basketball Players?

Off Topic
61

[quote]carter12 wrote:
I would go with football players as the best athletes. When I think back to my high school days (which weren’t long ago), all of the best athletes who excelled in other sports also played football. Even the ones that were great high school football players and considered “freaks” barely made the college teams and definitely did not start.

However, if the sport continues to grow at its current pace, then in 20-30 years we’ll find that MMA fighters are the best athletes in the world. [/quote]

The current crop of MMA guys as seen on TUF are pretty pathetic athletes.

Money may change this but I don’t think so.

It takes a certain mentality to be a fighter and I don’t think money will be enough to attract top athletes that do not have the right mentality.

Of course there are currently some top athletes in MMA that also have a fighters mentality but it is rare to have have both.

I would have to stick to basketball players and certain skill positions in football and rugby as top athletes.

Oly lifters are freaky explosive but that is only one part of athleticism. I don’t know if they have lateral mobility etc so I cannot list them.

62

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Malevolence wrote:
But, how can you say “maintain that effort for more than short bursts” when that is practically all football is?

Because that isn’t all it is. A football player isn’t only on the field for 10 minutes. Many are on the field for the entire game. That takes more endurance than you are making it seem.

Basketball players are the same way, only their sport involves a lot more constant athleticism.

“Athleticism”? Please describe what “athleticism” is increased in basketball that isn’t there at all in football? Basketball isn’t even a contact sport unless someone gets fouled. Being able to take hits as well as give them is more “athleticism” by itself.

It’s a silly comparison to make in the end, all sports require different skills, mentally and physically, and there really isn’t any ‘best’, but we all know that I’m sure.

I agree, this may be a retarded argument…but so were most wars.[/quote]

Basketball is a contact sport. Football isn’t. Football is a COLLISION sport. Basketball players take an insane amount of punishment. Hand eye coordination, speed,strength,agility,stamina, I would put basketball players at the top of the overall athleticism charts. And to whoever said T.O could play pro basketball, no way. He does decent in summer league all-star games. Not in summer pro-ams.

63

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
The current crop of MMA guys as seen on TUF are pretty pathetic athletes.

Money may change this but I don’t think so.

It takes a certain mentality to be a fighter and I don’t think money will be enough to attract top athletes that do not have the right mentality.

Of course there are currently some top athletes in MMA that also have a fighters mentality but it is rare to have have both.

[/quote]

I agree 100% with a current LACK of athleticism in some of the top MMA guys. MMA is just not big enough for the young freak athletes to want to pursue it instead of football or basketball. That’s why I said 20-30 years but that’s probably also just wishful thinking.

I keep reading that Oly lifters are some of the best athletes. Keep in mind that I’m completely ignorant when it comes to this sport…so could someone tell me why they’re such great athletes?

64

[quote]altimus wrote:
i think a “winner” of this argument is non-existent. each sport is going to have its fair share of beasts and phenomenal specimens, but there isnt a single arena in which all the various sport’s top studs can enter and duke it out to claim fame to “world’s best athletes”. all that to say, every sport will have unbelievable talent, choosing a single category to call best is tough, dare i say impossible. oh yea, im the best athlete[/quote]

This is not true, some sports are better than others for testing overall athletic performance. Decathlons are designed to test every aspect of fitness, that is why these athletes are fitter than any other.

A decathlete needs;
strength
speed
flexibility
muscular endurance
aerobic endurance
power
agility
co-ordination

all at a high level.

Compare this to a tour de france cyclist who will only need muscular endurance and aerobic endurance developed to do well.

Or a weightlifter who only needs flexibility, strength and power to do well.

all though a decathlon isn’t the tougest event in the world it brings out the best athletes.

Just because a sport is tougher doesnt mean the athletes are better developed.

Basketball players need all aspects of fitness too, but not at the same level as a decathlete because team mates are their to make up for your weak points, decathletes are on their own.

65

[quote]carter12 wrote:
Zap Branigan wrote:
The current crop of MMA guys as seen on TUF are pretty pathetic athletes.

Money may change this but I don’t think so.

It takes a certain mentality to be a fighter and I don’t think money will be enough to attract top athletes that do not have the right mentality.

Of course there are currently some top athletes in MMA that also have a fighters mentality but it is rare to have have both.

I agree 100% with a current LACK of athleticism in some of the top MMA guys. MMA is just not big enough for the young freak athletes to want to pursue it instead of football or basketball. That’s why I said 20-30 years but that’s probably also just wishful thinking.

[/quote]

I would not want to mess with a top level athlete that has been doing MMA his whole life. Scary.

Oly lifters are incredibly explosive.

Their vertical leaps are amazing and their 20 and 40 yard dash times put many football players to shame.

I don’t know how well they do with lateral movements and change of direction though.

66

Jim Brown is best athlete of all-time. He played football and lacrosse; naturally, one of those two sports has the best athleticism. Simple and scientifically sound.

67

[quote]blitz78 wrote:
Jim Brown is best athlete of all-time. He played football and lacrosse; naturally, one of those two sports has the best athleticism. Simple and scientifically sound.
[/quote]

He played for Syracuse University I believe and he was considered the best, even at at time where Lacrosse was considered a racist elitist sport played by rich brats, well not that much has changed hahaha, but that is saying something. Too bad he can’t stop choking women.

I did hear a story of when Jim Brown met Ali, and him knowing that Ali could take him out in a second.

68

[quote]Nicholas F wrote:
jtrinsey wrote:
Nicholas F wrote:
But believe it or not, most BB players verts aren’t as awesome as you would think.

That’s what most people don’t get. When you’re 6’7" with ridiculously long arms and a huge wingspan, you don’t need to jump all that high to dunk a basketball. Look at a guy like Marvin Williams, who everybody was calling a freakish example of athleticism. Well maybe the fact that he’s 6’9" with a 7’2" wingspan (according to the draft preview I read). If his standing vert is over 30", I’d be surprised.

The highest standing vertical recorded at the rookie combine this past year was 35" by Ronnie Brewer. Typically combine results should be reduced by 3-5" because they’re tested 2 hands and obviously the players are going to try to keep their reach as low as possible so their verticals are higher. Anyone who’s ever participated in a combine can verify this for sure.

Compare that to the NFL draft, which recorded 20 athletes jumping 40" or higher…

EXACTLY. Most people associate BB players with high verts. But the real truth of the matter is, BB players don’t have very strong legs, squat pretty pathetic, and alot get by by being tall and having a huge wingspan. Football linebackers are stronger, faster, and jump higher. Bottom line.

And again, its not really a BB players fault. The endless amount of cardio they do pretty much destroys alot of strength gains they get. Im by no means dissing BB players, Im just calling a spade a spade.[/quote]

Since when does cardio destroy strength?!? A running back does a hell of a lot of cardio and they’re pretty damned strong. Have you seen the legs of a cyclist? Have you seen the legs of a soccer player?

For the love of God man, you’re not talking about marathon runners.

Also look at Ben Wallace or Shaquille O’Neal or Amare Stoudamire or Elton Brand and tell me that they’re strong.

Vince Carter jumped over a 7 foot tall man and dunked on him (granted the guy ducked a bit)… he’s “only” three inches taller than me and I sure as heck can’t come close to doing that. Have ever seen any of Michael Jordan’s highlight videos… absolutely incredible.

The ELITE basketball players are fantastic athletes. However even in the NBA there are relatively few ELITE basketball players.

And it depends what how you define athletic. Is is strength? Speed? Endurance? Hand-eye coorination? Eye-Foot coorindation? Balance? Body Control?

If you ask different people you’ll get different answers. Some have called Lance Armstrong America’s Greatest Athlete™. Most North Americans (I’m not counting Mexico) wouldn’t call soccer players great athletes… but you have seen the old highlight of Pele’s goals? Insane…

69

I play basket-ball at high school and during all ym life I hava seen alot of great b-ball players but not enought to say that a b-baller his a great athlete.
in general, i think that MMA fighter are the greatest machine in our world. but for me, the greatest athlete will always stay Micheal Jordan for his strenght, his quickness, his agility, his impulsion and of course, his capacity to shake other b-baller

70

No sport can say which sport has the best athlete because the best at each one is extremely athletic at their given sport. Very few players can cross over to other sports and play professionally.

As for the ultimate athlete, Jim Brown? Nahhhh although he is one of the top 5, the crown goes to Jim Thorpe. He is the most ultimate athlete ever. Female, of course, is Babe Didrikson.

71

Michael Jordan, certainly one of the greatest to ever play the game. But he couldn’t hit baseball…At least not with any consistency.

Hand eye coordination goes to Baseball players?

Yet, Bo Jackson played both pro Football and major league Baseball.

Now that was a rare man.

72

If I’m not mistaken Terrell Owens did play D1 basketball…

73

[quote]ZEB wrote:
Michael Jordan, certainly one of the greatest to ever play the game. But he couldn’t hit baseball…At least not with any consistency.

Hand eye coordination goes to Baseball players?

Yet, Bo Jackson played both pro Football and major league Baseball.

Now that was a rare man.[/quote]

And he was a record-setting decathlete in highschool and he considered joining the US 100-meter team.

Bo Jackson was purely awesome.

74

[quote]jjoseph_x wrote:
ZEB wrote:
Michael Jordan, certainly one of the greatest to ever play the game. But he couldn’t hit baseball…At least not with any consistency.

Hand eye coordination goes to Baseball players?

Yet, Bo Jackson played both pro Football and major league Baseball.

Now that was a rare man.

And he was a record-setting decathlete in highschool and he considered joining the US 100-meter team.

Bo Jackson was purely awesome.
[/quote]

And the best bit about the guy was that he never picked up a weight until his career was over.

Pure natural ability. Nobody was better.

75

[quote]De sleeplijn wrote:
jjoseph_x wrote:
ZEB wrote:
Michael Jordan, certainly one of the greatest to ever play the game. But he couldn’t hit baseball…At least not with any consistency.

Hand eye coordination goes to Baseball players?

Yet, Bo Jackson played both pro Football and major league Baseball.

Now that was a rare man.

And he was a record-setting decathlete in highschool and he considered joining the US 100-meter team.

Bo Jackson was purely awesome.

And the best bit about the guy was that he never picked up a weight until his career was over.

Pure natural ability. Nobody was better.[/quote]

You’re telling me Bo Jackson never lifted weights?

Come on…Really?

How do you know this?

76

I think you first must define the traits that qualify one as an athlete, then you can determine which athletes among x many sports – on the whole – best representst that definition.

77

[quote]ZEB wrote:
De sleeplijn wrote:
jjoseph_x wrote:
ZEB wrote:
Michael Jordan, certainly one of the greatest to ever play the game. But he couldn’t hit baseball…At least not with any consistency.

Hand eye coordination goes to Baseball players?

Yet, Bo Jackson played both pro Football and major league Baseball.

Now that was a rare man.

And he was a record-setting decathlete in highschool and he considered joining the US 100-meter team.

Bo Jackson was purely awesome.

And the best bit about the guy was that he never picked up a weight until his career was over.

Pure natural ability. Nobody was better.

You’re telling me Bo Jackson never lifted weights?

Come on…Really?

How do you know this?
[/quote]

Bo Knows Bo. It’s his autobiography. He hated practice with a passion. He did anything to get out of it. Extra’s like weights weren’t even considered.

78

[quote]ZEB wrote:
You’re telling me Bo Jackson never lifted weights?

Come on…Really?

How do you know this?
[/quote]

I’ve read that.

Here is a quote of how he was back in the playing day. “Back before I injured my hip, I thought going to the gym was for wimps.”

Here is a quote from now “Now, I get up every morning and go to the gym because I don’t like waking up stiff or in pain and wondering if my hip is going to hurt me.”

That guy must have the best genetics. He needs to be put out to stud!

79

Male Gymnasts

Those guys wear weird shorts, but overall, I’ve always felt they were the best athletes.

strength - parallel rings? iron cross… pretty much impossible. Pretty much everything they do takes a retarded amount of strength.
Flexibility- they’ve got it covered.
Endurance - the floor routines they do have got to suck the life out of you.
Skill - I’m not sure of all the events they have to learn, but there’s a few.

The only thing I don’t think they have a lot of is agility.

What do u boys think?

80

BO was bada$$ no doubt! After striking out he would break his bat over his leg! And he once drilled Nolan Ryan in the mouth with a line drive.