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[smokeandmirrors]

In this thread, hockey and baseball fans gets upset because they realize that their sports don't have the best athletes.

Skill does not equate to athleticism.

In this thread you think you know it all and you don't.

 

[bodine1231]

The problem with putting basketball in this list is that there are vastly different positions in basketball with vastly different skill requirements.

For example, I don't think the 6'10"+ centers in the NBA are that athletic. They have a good set of genes - they're big bodies with long arms. Most of them don't have speed or supreme dribbling abilities - they can block and shoot....that's about it.

You're cherry picking positions here. If we take the 50 best atheletes in each sport basketball will win by a landslide. Every sport has its specialized positions that don't require the best athletes ( goalies, linemen, centers).

 

[FallingEdge]

Centers are certainly incredibly athletic for their size.

Chris Andreson is 6'10"

They are the most athletic 7 foot people living on the entire planet. Similarly, the 6 foot players are the best athletes for their size/height division as well.

 

[RuinerPrime]

Wow I read the title as "Which sport has the best atheists?"
That would have been an interesting thread


I should go back to sleep

 

[George Claw M.D.]

lil nate robinson can dunk. i guess he's the best athlete. he wins. game over fellas. pack it up.

Maybe not the best, but Nate Robinson is actually an incredible athlete. Weird that you would name-drop him sarcastically.

 

[ksan]

You're cherry picking positions here. If we take the 50 best atheletes in each sport basketball will win by a landslide. Every sport has its specialized positions that don't require the best athletes ( goalies, linemen, centers).

Simple stats should tell you that it's highly unlikely that it's the case given the heavy over representation of tall players in basketball, unless you somehow argue that tall people are by default better athletes.

 

[Cse]

You're cherry picking positions here..

That's my point, though. There's a stark difference in athleticism between a quick NBA point guard and a lumbering center.

Not so much of a difference between a right winger and a defensive player in the NHL. If you could somehow quantify the athleticism of every player in the NBA and the NHL, the NHL would have a higher average based on the fact that every single position on the team requires a similar degree of athleticism.

 

[cripterion]

The average jumping height of every hockey player in the NHL would likely only be second to those in the NBA. NFL receivers can jump, but QBs and linemen....not so much.

Do even half of the players in the NFL or NBA have the eye hand coordination of the average hockey player?

Hockey is the fastest game on earth, and those guys are flicking around a tiny rubber puck while physically moving faster than any other athlete in their respective sport.

Moving faster cause they're on ice skates. They're not hitting the puck with their hands either. The "accessories" kinda help although I understand what you guys mean.

That's why it's apples to oranges yes.

 

[NEOPARADIGM]

My gut says basketball; personal experience says hockey; brain says tri-athelon/Olympic types.

 

[abuC]

Most NBA players are quite slow. Look at any center or power forward in the league - they're big, lumbering bodies that can shoot and block - that's about it.

280-290lbs

 

[equippedwithtowel]

If we are just talking about major sports then the NFL wins by default since its the only sport that has a special event catered around a players athleticism broken down into individual parts.. It is public knowledge how fast, strong, explosive, and agile they are through the various events held at the NFL combine which would make it easy to compare to other athletes but no one else does because they don't view that as necessary.

Not true, but whatever keeps you feeling right I guess.

 

[Vire]

Maybe not the best, but Nate Robinson is actually an incredible athlete. Weird that you would name-drop him sarcastically.

Exactly, it makes no sense. Nate Robinson is incredibly athletic, he has all the characteristics that are defined of being an athlete.

1. He's incredibly quick
2. He has vertical mobility second to almost none
3. Physical endurance and stamina (I've seen him play 50 minutes in triple OT without breaking a sweat)
4. He's very toned/muscular.

I don't know what else you are looking for in an athlete...

 

[Acorn]

Depends on what you're looking for.
Brute strength? Weightlifter
Cardio? Marathon runners
Speed? Sprinters
Etc etc

 

[Dion Blaster]

That's my point, though. There's a stark difference in athleticism between a quick NBA point guard and a lumbering center.

Not so much of a difference between a right winger and a defensive player in the NHL. If you could somehow quantify the athleticism of every player in the NBA and the NHL, the NHL would have a higher average based on the fact that every single position on the team requires a similar degree of athleticism.

I think if you averaged out the athleticism of every player in the NBA, your result would be a small forward, probably the most athletic position in basketball.

 

[winjet81]

For team sports, the most athletic players are basketball players, bar none.

Just about every other team sport allows for tons of breaks (american football) very little playing time (90 second shifts for every 5 minutes of real time in ice hockey) and coasting to conserve energy (world football).

Outside of commercial breaks and timeouts, Basketball is nothing but constant movement.

 

[3bdelilah]

Raúl Gonzalez Blanco.

That is all.





Well maybe not the most athletic player, but my favourite of all time

 

[ScepticMatt]

I'd say Gigathlon or similar mixed endurance sports

This race was 1477 km (918 miles) in length, and took seven days. The disciplines were open water swimming, mountain biking, cycling, inline skating/wheelchair and running, and most entrants competed as part of a team. Of the 163 people who attempted the entire race as individuals in the first race

 

[nasax]

Centers are certainly incredibly athletic for their size.

Chris Andreson is 6'10"

They are the most athletic 7 foot people living on the entire planet. Similarly, the 6 foot players are the best athletes for their size/height division as well.

Splitter, Zach Randolph, Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Dirk, the Gasol brothers, Perkins, Koufas, Kanter are your prototypical big men. Some of these guys are very skilled but most of them are very lumbering and don't fit your Chris Anderson example.

The Javelee McGees, DeAndre Jordans and Ibakas are very rare extreme 7 foot athletes that are the exception and not the norm. And of course they're the most athletic 7 foot people in the world. It pays to be tall in basketball, literally. Only other sport where it's a plus being incredibly tall is volleyball I think. A lot of these guys didn't pick a basketball until middle or high school. You can be in the NBA for a long time for just being tall and "keep getting dem checks".

 

[Psychological Intellect]

Durant has to be up there as well despite his skinny fram

nearly 7 feet
Great handles
7'4'' wingspan
incredible coordination
can play 48+minutes
nearly 7 feet and does this shit

 

[Jay Sosa]

just don't ask basketball players to throw baseballs

I honestly don't understand why some of these athletes are not able to throw a fucking baseball. No ones expecting a 90 mph two seamer...just throw the fucking ball to the catcher for christ sake.

road cyclists, in particular contador and sagan..

lol take away their PEDs and you're left with people that have the amazing skill to ride a fucking bike. Something that every 6 year old can do.

 

[Fourth Stooge]

The average jumping height of every hockey player in the NHL would likely only be second to those in the NBA. NFL receivers can jump, but QBs and linemen....not so much.

Do even half of the players in the NFL or NBA have the eye hand coordination of the average hockey player?

Hockey is the fastest game on earth, and those guys are flicking around a tiny rubber puck while physically moving faster than any other athlete in their respective sport.

Most linemen and quarterbacks in the NFL can dunk.

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

Durant has to be up there as well despite his skinny fram

nearly 7 feet
Great handles
7'4'' wingspan
incredible coordination
can play 48+minutes
nearly 7 feet and does this shit

Not to mention NBA players score a hell of a lot more points than soccer and hockey players. There's really no comparison.

 

[nasax]

For team sports, the most athletic players are basketball players, bar none.

Just about every other team sport allows for tons of breaks (american football) very little playing time (90 second shifts for every 5 minutes of real time in ice hockey) and coasting to conserve energy (world football).

Outside of commercial breaks and timeouts, Basketball is nothing but constant movement.

Free throws, foul calls, any violation basically and the clock and play is stopped. Basketball has 4 12 minute quarters which would mean it's a 48 minute game but it isn't. It usually averages to 2 hrs and 15 minutes or so. What's that, 135 minutes? So subtracting down the 15 minute half time plus game time of 48 minutes, there's 72 minutes of basketball not being played in a normal game. I don't think it's as constant as you think it is.

 

[theepicoftyler]

Durant has to be up there as well despite his skinny fram

nearly 7 feet
Great handles
7'4'' wingspan
incredible coordination
can play 48+minutes
nearly 7 feet and does this shit

... and some guys want to argue that skill and coordination aren't a strong point of NBA athletes.

 

[mustafa]

For team sports, the most athletic players are basketball players, bar none.

Just about every other team sport allows for tons of breaks (american football) very little playing time (90 second shifts for every 5 minutes of real time in ice hockey) and coasting to conserve energy (world football).

Outside of commercial breaks and timeouts, Basketball is nothing but constant movement.

Wait, is this the sport where 30 minutes out of every 3 hour game is spent at the free throw line?

Arguments for basketball and soccer are being blown way out of proportion in this thread - there are lots of stoppages in both sports (especially soccer, where the field is so big that you can walk around for significant portions of the game because the ball is nowhere near you - plus corner kicks, goal kicks, free kicks, faking injuries, etc.).

 

[abuC]

Splitter, Zach Randolph, Tim Duncan, Al Jefferson, Dirk, the Gasol brothers, Perkins, Koufas, Kanter are your prototypical big men. Some of these guys are very skilled but most of them are very lumbering and don't fit your Chris Anderson example.

The Javelee McGees, DeAndre Jordans and Ibakas are very rare extreme 7 foot athletes that are the exception and not the norm. And of course they're the most athletic 7 foot people in the world. It pays to be tall in basketball, literally. Only other sport where it's a plus being incredibly tall is volleyball I think. A lot of these guys didn't pick a basketball until middle or high school. You can be in the NBA for a long time for just being tall and "keep getting dem checks".

Duncan was pretty athletic when he was younger, not a freak athlete but for his height he was pretty agile same with Pau.

And you only named 10 guys, there are 60 starting PF/Cs in the NBA, there are just as many incredible athletes playing PF/C in the NBA as there are lumbering guys.

 

[Sparkedglory]

I read the title and immediately thought basketball, and the first few replies didn't disappoint me.

 

[Norml]

How does this relate to athleticism at all?

Being able to wield a tool efficiently is skill, not athleticism.

Ridiculous
The two really go hand in hand in sports.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

... and some guys want to argue that skill and coordination aren't a strong point of NBA athletes.

Skimming through I didn't see anyone really say that in the thread, just that the skill/coordination level needed isn't as high as in some other sports.

 

[Heroman]

Football players especially de and lb.

 

[Yopis]

Basketball not even close.

 

[Norml]

Not to mention NBA players score a hell of a lot more points than soccer and hockey players. There's really no comparison.

Because it's easy. You have a big ball and use your hands.

 

[Bulbo Urethral Baggins]

Because it's easy. You have a big ball and use your hands.

Much smaller goal.

 

[Psychological Intellect]

Because it's easy. You have a big ball and use your hands.

A jumpshot isn't easy.

 

[Jay Sosa]

Because it's easy. You have a big ball and use your hands.

I assume he was kidding. Like that guy that said cycling.

 

[Norml]

Much smaller goal.

It's still far easier just by using your hands.

 

[cripterion]

It's still far easier just by using your hands.

It if was easy every scrub would make the NBA, just saying...

I can hit a jumshot or two once in a while. Doing it consistently with tough defense in your face is another thing.

 

[Dion Blaster]

It's still far easier just by using your hands.

Well I think the main reason there are fewer goals is the presence of a goal tender. But I don't really see how the amount of goals scored affects the argument from either side.

 

[zulux21]

it would really depend on how you define best athlete, but regardless of how you define it I can't think of any way I would define it that I would put basketball on top.

For team sports I would easily put soccer or hockey above basketball (both just require more overall skill in general to do well in my opinion). Beyond that it would likely be one of those Olympic sports that tests all of your skills that I would feel have the best athletes, or something like boxing where the men train themselves to near death.

btw no favoritism here, the only sport i like is baseball so yeah

 

[Vire]

Because it's easy. You have a big ball and use your hands.

A Basketball hoop has a diameter of 18 inches, the ball is 9 inches in diameter. A Hockey goal post is six feet apart and the puck is 3 inches in diameter.

Just a tiny bit bigger in relative goal size don't you think?

Eitherway, this has little to do with athleticism. This point of contention has to do with skill.

 

[abuC]

 

[highrider]

Basketball.

Incorporating all aspects of athletic ability.

 

[braves01]

For team sports, the most athletic players are basketball players, bar none.

Just about every other team sport allows for tons of breaks (american football) very little playing time (90 second shifts for every 5 minutes of real time in ice hockey) and coasting to conserve energy (world football).

Outside of commercial breaks and timeouts, Basketball is nothing but constant movement.

You haven't seen the Knicks play defense apparently.

 

[entremet]

Anthony Davis?

 

[Psychological Intellect]

Anthony Davis?

nah, Gerald Green.

 

[sp3ctr3]

womens beach volley

I love they have rules for how much cloth their outfits must consist of

 

[abuC]

Anthony Davis?

Gerald Green, has rockets for legs.

 

[Norml]

A Basketball hoop has a diameter of 18 inches, the ball is 9 inches in diameter. A Hockey goal post is six feet apart and the puck is 3 inches in diameter.

Just a tiny bit bigger in relative goal size don't you think?

Eitherway, this has little to do with athleticism. This point of contention has to do with skill.

Hockey has a dedicated person guarding the goal with cat like reflexes.

 

[nasax]

Duncan was pretty athletic when he was younger, not a freak athlete but for his height he was pretty agile same with Pau.

And you only named 10 guys, there are 60 starting PF/Cs in the NBA, there are just as many incredible athletes playing PF/C in the NBA as there are lumbering guys.

Duncan started off as a swimmer and has always taken care of his body but I wouldn't say he was pretty athletic when he was younger. He's always has had an old man game due to him not being a big jumper and flyer like David Robinson before him. Now D Rob was a true physical specimen. That guy was incredible no matter the sport. Anyway Duncan knew his physical limitations and adjusted accordingly. Sean Elliott even jokingly says that Duncan has never been able to jump over a sheet of paper.

Channing Frye? Robin Lopez? Asik? Pekovic? David West? Hibbert? Seriously you want me to keep going?

 

[Vire]

Gerald Green, has rockets for legs.

I'd love to see a goalie who has "cat like" reflexes even attempt to do something half as athletic as this.