Rank the league's top stars by how much you hate their game

InstaFace

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So the comments about Curry in the NBA Game Thread, along with perennial comments about Harden and occasional comments about Lebron, made me think we need a more structured set of hating data.

Please rank, from most-hated to least-hated, the following players, which are LIMITED TO A ROUGH CONSENSUS* OF TOP NBA PLAYERS, in no particular order:

  • Steph Curry
  • LeBron James
  • James Harden
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Kevin Durant
  • Russell Westbrook
  • Kawhi Leonard
  • Anthony Davis

Basis for hating is intended to be limited to what happens from tipoff to final whistle, i.e. how they play the game, how they behave while playing the game, how much of a team player they are, etc. Their rectitude off the court is not under discussion. You need not justify your rankings, given that this is ultimately an aesthetic question, but it might be more fun if you do (a little).

My haterade flows strongest for:
  1. Harden - cynically drawing contact, also a whiner
  2. Lebron - primarily whining and expecting foul calls on every play, also acts like he's never committed a foul in his life
  3. Giannis - one-dimensional game: charge to the hoop. Incredible athleticism but seems like a one-trick pony, and when it works so well it's annoying.
  4. Westbrook - selfish play, whiny.
  5. Durant - cynically drawing fouls so often that they had to change rules about rip-throughs because of him. And he didn't / doesn't have to do it, either - he's a monster threat from anywhere on the court.
  6. Leonard - I don't really hate him at all, but don't personally find his game all that beautiful. Maybe his defense moreso than his (still-prodigious) offense.
  7. Curry - Who doesn't love someone with the confidence and precision to take shots from his range?
  8. Davis - He does stuff someone his size shouldn't be able to do. Probably deserves the "freak" label more than Giannis.

* you can make an argument for several other players too of course, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Davis and Westbrook are in, Jokic and Chris Paul and Towns and Paul George and Embiid are out. Feel free to make an honorable mention if you must.
 

CreightonGubanich

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I want to revisit the ranking here later, but just a thought on Russell Westbrook. I kinda love his game. Not the rational part of me that likes efficiency and wants to see players calibrate their game to be most conducive to actually winning basketball games, but the part of me that thinks there's a strange beauty in watching Roy McAvoy sink golf ball after golf ball into the pond. I love his game in a Don Quixote, tragic hero kind of way. He knows no other way to play. He plays with max effort on every single possession of every single game. He's relentless, even if his energy and fury are directed in ways that are detrimental to his team. I loved Allen Iverson for the same reason.

Edit:
Brian Phillips, as usual, says it better here:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/1/10/18176225/russell-westbrook-stages-of-fandom

"Russ’s game was nothing less than an attempt to overthrow the entire regime of basketball knowledge—to say, in effect, that one visitor from superhero dreamworld took precedence over values like “reliable efficacy” and “predicating actions on data” and “not basing your team’s entire season on the idea that you, personally, can transform into a hurricane.”"
 

cheech13

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  • Russell Westbrook: The only player on the list I actively dislike watching. He plays hard, but the bricks, ball-hogging, attitude, etc. is just all off-putting
  • Kawhi Leonard: Nothing I actively dislike about his game, but nothing stands out either other than the amazing defense
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo: He'll do something unreal every game, but his game lacks touch. It's mostly stuff around the rim which doesn't interest me as much.
  • Anthony Davis: The talent is absurd, but my personal preference is watching guys along the perimeter
  • Kevin Durant: Knocked just a tad because he can go hero-ball sometimes
  • Steph Curry: His actual game is probably the most beautiful, but the arrogance and mouth-guard chewing just irks me
  • James Harden: I don't see what everyone else complains about. Flopping sucks, as does the lack of defense, but his handle, shooting, and passing are all breath-taking.
  • LeBron James: Even with his flaws there is something about watching greatness
 

ifmanis5

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LeBron and Wade are the only current players I actively dislike since Kobe retired.
Overall I find this list and group of NBA stars fun to watch. Russ can fly off the rails at times, Kawhi and AD have pulled some Load Management shenanigans but I like their games and this current batch of NBA stars is one of the league's best ever.
 

Kliq

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Preface this by admitting that all of these guys are amazing players and who have tremendous basketball skill, BUT:

1. LeBron James - For a number of reasons, but mainly his constant whining/complaining. All star plays whine but it is extra noticeable for LeBron. Also basically just drives to the basket and clears guys out of the way with his free hand.

(GAP)

2. Stephen Curry - I understand that he is very likeable and I don't dislike him at all. There is something about his game and its connection to the obnoxious Golden State audience that is annoying.

3. Kevin Durant - He is frustrating to me because I think he is almost too obsessed with efficiency. For a guy so offensively gifted, I'd love to just see him go out and try to get 60 or 70.

4. Harden - I personally think he is a genius, but understand why people don't like his constant foul-baiting.

5. Westbrook - I love Westbrook; even though he has his obvious flaws as a shooter and as a shot-selector. Underrated by those obsessed with shooting percentage.

T-6. I can't really find anything to dislike about Giannis, Davis or Kawhi and their style of play. Davis and Kawhi might be shitty teammates, but that shouldn't really factor into anything.

I don't really dislike watching any star NBA players, except for LeBron, Draymond or Embiid. Embiid just rampages to the basket out-of-control and gets bailed out by foul calls.
 

CreightonGubanich

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I'm a little surprised about the lack of love for LeBron's game. I get that he whines a lot to the refs, and that's annoying to watch. I also think his game now is tougher on the eyes - he defends the worst offensive player on the floor, and takes possessions off on the offensive end. His demeanor towards his teammates is annoying.

But he's the best passer I've ever seen. I don't think it's particularly close. There's other players with great vision, but most of them lacked the size and athleticism to actually make some of the passes LeBron does. His ability to dissect what the defense is doing or will do, and then pick them apart, is unbelievable. He always makes the right basketball play, and doesn't get enough credit for being unselfish.

He's also such a fundamentally sound player. It's funny to me that after a decade of people complaining about how the NBA players couldn't execute basic fundamentals, LeBron comes out of high school and becomes one of the most fundamentally sound players ever. His footwork in the post, his ability to go right or left and finish with either hand, his defensive IQ and understanding of spacing all contributed to his greatness as much as his athleticism.
 

Kliq

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I'm a little surprised about the lack of love for LeBron's game. I get that he whines a lot to the refs, and that's annoying to watch. I also think his game now is tougher on the eyes - he defends the worst offensive player on the floor, and takes possessions off on the offensive end. His demeanor towards his teammates is annoying.

But he's the best passer I've ever seen. I don't think it's particularly close. There's other players with great vision, but most of them lacked the size and athleticism to actually make some of the passes LeBron does. His ability to dissect what the defense is doing or will do, and then pick them apart, is unbelievable. He always makes the right basketball play, and doesn't get enough credit for being unselfish.

He's also such a fundamentally sound player. It's funny to me that after a decade of people complaining about how the NBA players couldn't execute basic fundamentals, LeBron comes out of high school and becomes one of the most fundamentally sound players ever. His footwork in the post, his ability to go right or left and finish with either hand, his defensive IQ and understanding of spacing all contributed to his greatness as much as his athleticism.
Did anyone seriously complain that players lacked fundamentals, or was it just kind of a euphemism for some fans who were mad their were too many black guys in the league? A similar complaint was that players couldn't shoot anymore, even though players in the late-90s/early 2000s were better shooters than any generation before them.
 

cheech13

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Did anyone seriously complain that players lacked fundamentals, or was it just kind of a euphemism for some fans who were mad their were too many black guys in the league? A similar complaint was that players couldn't shoot anymore, even though players in the late-90s/early 2000s were better shooters than any generation before them.
I came up playing basketball in the 1990s and I feel like every coach I ever had told me not to watch the NBA because the players lacked fundamentals and couldn't shoot. I don't know when it started or why, or if it even persists anymore, but it was very prominent in the culture then.
 

Kliq

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I came up playing basketball in the 1990s and I feel like every coach I ever had told me not to watch the NBA because the players lacked fundamentals and couldn't shoot. I don't know when it started or why, or if it even persists anymore, but it was very prominent in the culture then.
I probably worded my response incorrectly, I guess I meant to say that it seemed to be something that people thought was a big problem but in reality probably wasn't.
 

Jimbodandy

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I came up playing basketball in the 1990s and I feel like every coach I ever had told me not to watch the NBA because the players lacked fundamentals and couldn't shoot. I don't know when it started or why, or if it even persists anymore, but it was very prominent in the culture then.
A lot of what was OK in the NBA back then was considered a violation at lower levels of hoop and frankly still is. Coaches should never tell you not to watch pros, but they should warn you to be careful about what you plagiarize from the pros.

Palming would be called constantly, if you dribble at a high school or grade school level like IT, Tatum, Durant, et al. Nevermind the 3-4 step layups, where 1-2 steps are "gathering" or the Eurostep. Good luck getting away with Harden/Giannis eurosteps as a 9th grader with a couple of couple of 60yo refs who remember John Havlicek fondly. That's what coaches should warn you about.
 

Devizier

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I don't think the professionals ever lacked fundamentals, but they have learned to bend the rules and exploit slack enforcement. Obviously that doesn't fly on the lower levels. And you should/need to learn how to do things correctly before you start trying to push the envelope.
 

NomarsFool

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Can we add Joel Embiid to the list? Basically just moves around until he gets contact and throws up fake "shots" that are hardly even real attempts so that he can get to the line?
 

CreightonGubanich

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I actually think the travelling thing is overblown. If you slow down the replays and watch these guys, most of the time it's not a travel. Giannis just covers so much damn ground it's hard to believe he can do what he does and not be travelling. Harden is interesting - he's taking the same number of steps before a shot as someone going up for a completely legal layup - he just happens to be going backwards on his stepback. It's not a travel - he stretches the limits of the rule by gathering the ball on what refs have called the "zero step". It's really hard to call, but the basic framework of gather the ball, then take two steps has been allowed throughout the modern NBA era, and is taught at lower levels of basketball as well. Harden delays gathering the ball to functionally squeeze in an extra legal step, but it's within the bounds of the rule. He just executes the timing of it perfectly. Other players try to emulate it and often get called for a travel, including Steph Curry.

The palming thing is something else entirely. I'm not sure when the NBA decided to allow the inside-out dribble with one hand, but that's a violation at every other level of basketball.
 

lovegtm

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I actually think the travelling thing is overblown. If you slow down the replays and watch these guys, most of the time it's not a travel. Giannis just covers so much damn ground it's hard to believe he can do what he does and not be travelling. Harden is interesting - he's taking the same number of steps before a shot as someone going up for a completely legal layup - he just happens to be going backwards on his stepback. It's not a travel - he stretches the limits of the rule by gathering the ball on what refs have called the "zero step". It's really hard to call, but the basic framework of gather the ball, then take two steps has been allowed throughout the modern NBA era, and is taught at lower levels of basketball as well. Harden delays gathering the ball to functionally squeeze in an extra legal step, but it's within the bounds of the rule. He just executes the timing of it perfectly. Other players try to emulate it and often get called for a travel, including Steph Curry.

The palming thing is something else entirely. I'm not sure when the NBA decided to allow the inside-out dribble with one hand, but that's a violation at every other level of basketball.
Yeah, this is a good summary of why I can’t hate Harden. He actively works on things that have a degree of risk, in order to gain an advantage. He worked incessantly on baiting defenders by holding the ball out on drives, and he has amazing footwork in the lane to get guys out of position.

Contrast that with someone like Tatum throwing his hands up to the refs every time he doesn’t get a call; Harden is willing to analyze the mechanics of what draws fouls, and then implement the skills necessary to draw them, in a way almost no other player has done.

The Steph stepback travel was pretty funny: Steph definitely thought it would be easier than it was, and definitely traveled on it. And Steph is one of the most coordinated guys to ever touch a basketball. It’s a testament to Harden’s skills that almost all his travel-looking stepbacks are clean, given the gather rule. (Yes, the one where he got fouled against Utah was egregious, but it’s the exception that proves the rule).

It’s hard for me to call a skillset “cynical” when it requires an immense amount of actual basketball skill, and few to none of your superstar peers can emulate it.
 

Average Game James

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1. Harden - he’s amazing at what he does and I can appreciate how hard he works to gain every possible advantage, but I don’t really care to watch a guy trying to draw fouls. Star treatment from the refs, obnoxious whiner, never plays defense... I avoid watching Houston games because I can’t stand him. Harden is everything I hate about the NBA rolled up into a single player.

BIG GAP

Everyone else. Various levels of annoying, but don’t actively hate any of them.

Russ’s stat padding can be annoying and it’s clear he doesn’t make anyone around him better, but I don’t actively like watching him, just think he’s overrated (PG13 > Russ, and it’s not close).

LeBron and KD’s whining to the refs is obnoxious and unnecessary, but we’re talking about one of the top two players of all time and the best scorer of a generation.

I guess I can see how Curry’s personality might rub some the wrong way, but from a basketball perspective he’s unreal - you can argue he literally changed the way the game is played.

Kawhi - I’m not really sure what there is to dislike about his game, but it’s certainly less exciting than the other guys on this list.

AD - not sure what there is to dislike beyond frequently not playing or the potential to be wearing purple and gold next year.

Giannis - not fun to watch when you’re rooting against him, but we’re watching the development of potentially the most physically dominant player of the next decade. Really praying he either never develops a jumper or decides he really wants to come to Boston.
 

mauf

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Harden is a throwback to the bad old days of ball-stopping offense. He walks egregiously, even by NBA standards. He flops like Ginobili. He is more dependent upon preferential treatment from the officials than any other current superstar, and he whines when he doesn’t get it. I hate watching him play.

I don’t have a problem with any of the others, at least relative to league norms. I think the NBA tolerates too much bad sportsmanship (protesting obvious foul calls, flopping, etc.), but I think these guys are in the fat part of the curve, so I don’t hold it against them individually.
 

coremiller

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The only Harden flopping I really don't like is his initiating contact on a 3 gimmick. His foul-bating on drives isn't cynical, it's legit to exploit that he's quicker and more athletic than the defenders.

The real problem I have with Harden's game is how boring it is. Every Harden possession is Harden dribbling for 10 seconds, then either driving to his left to attempt a layup or draw a foul, or taking a stepback 3 if the defender plays off, while the other four players stand around and "space the floor," waiting for a pass if the defense doubles Harden. It's so static. It's brutally effective, but the aesthetics are terrible. Every Harden drive looks about the same, too; he rarely does fun things like dunk on guys or pull off ridiculous circusy reverse layups or whatever. His game is maximally efficient but extremely uninteresting; like one of those golfers who wins the US Open by driving in the fairway, iron shot to 20 feet, two-put par on every hole.
 

ugmo33

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Harden


Everyone else

I don't know how anyone can claim to enjoy watching Harden play basketball. Yes, he is very skilled. Yes, the current rules of the NBA allow him and even encourage him to play the way he does. But it is terrible to watch. Who here can seriously say they enjoy watching guys take free throws? His little head flop that he does on every single drive. Falling down after every 3PA. I don't care if it's efficient, or smart, or whatever, playing for a whistle is obnoxious and even more obnoxious is the whining when it doesnt work. Not even mentioning the 'unstoppable step-back'. I know what everyone says about the 'gather' etc, but its just not fun to watch.
 

TripleOT

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Chris Paul. Cheap shot artist. If A PG was ever ahead of me with the dribble and I was hustling back on defense and he stopped for no other reason than for me to run into him, I would run into him so hard that he wound end up on the floor under the basket. For an alleged great player, never has done much in the playoffs. Not a top player anymore, but I still hate him.

Joel Embiid. Total fraud who has no problem telling people how great he is. His three point settling when he should be dominating in the paint would embarrass Antoine Walker.

Kevin Durant. Joining up with the team that just beat you after you're up 3-1 is a bitch move.
 

the moops

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I don't know how anyone can claim to enjoy watching Harden play basketball.
Of the guys on the list, only Steph and Harden are must watch for me. Perhaps I am even more fueled to love Harden because of all the hot take hates surrounding him, but to me, what he does on the court is truly amazing.
 

Kliq

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How can someone enjoy Harden?

I enjoy watching someone score a shit-ton of points!
 

djbayko

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Of the guys on the list, only Steph and Harden are must watch for me. Perhaps I am even more fueled to love Harden because of all the hot take hates surrounding him, but to me, what he does on the court is truly amazing.
Yeah, the Harden hatred is so over the top it makes me like him more. It almost ruins the Port Cellar experience since it almost seems and if no thread can go a page without devolving into Harden bashing.

Lebron can’t get out of the fucking league fast enough. Nothing anyone does is ever right, whether it be opponents, refs, teammates, or his coach.

Not a huge fan of watching Giannis, who’s a one-man (uncalled) offensive foul machine.

The other guys are fine. Curry is particularly beautiful to watch. I’m also a bit surprised by the words against Kawhi. His offense is just smooth, in control, and damn good.
 
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Ale Xander

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1. Harden
2. James
3. Leonard
4. Davis
5. Westbrook
6. Durant

I love watching Curry and Greek Freak.
 

ElUno20

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It's odd but Harden's style has grown on me a ton. I think his durability, although not a really game to game aesthetic thing you'd notice, plays into it. I think he's a damn a marvel and used to hate watching him play.

+Russ has been mentioned because of his effort and I'm a sucker for it. I know it's stupid. I know it's John Henry trying to beat the steam engine dumb but i cant help it. There's something about grinders that I've always loved.

+Kawhi is up there for me. Watching him this year has been a treat. Particularly, i love his pace. I know that word is often used in relation to speed but that's not his game. He just knows how to play at this beautiful in between pace that slows everything down. For anyone who follows the fight game, he reminds a lot of Andre Ward. Nothing "special", just a clinical ass kicking.

+I'll be the only dissenting opinion on Curry. He's brilliant but I've never enjoyed watching him play. His shooting feels more like a cheat code than an athletic competition which is why i watch sports and not guys playing 2k on YouTube.
 

lars10

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I'm a little surprised about the lack of love for LeBron's game. I get that he whines a lot to the refs, and that's annoying to watch. I also think his game now is tougher on the eyes - he defends the worst offensive player on the floor, and takes possessions off on the offensive end. His demeanor towards his teammates is annoying.

But he's the best passer I've ever seen. I don't think it's particularly close. There's other players with great vision, but most of them lacked the size and athleticism to actually make some of the passes LeBron does. His ability to dissect what the defense is doing or will do, and then pick them apart, is unbelievable. He always makes the right basketball play, and doesn't get enough credit for being unselfish.

He's also such a fundamentally sound player. It's funny to me that after a decade of people complaining about how the NBA players couldn't execute basic fundamentals, LeBron comes out of high school and becomes one of the most fundamentally sound players ever. His footwork in the post, his ability to go right or left and finish with either hand, his defensive IQ and understanding of spacing all contributed to his greatness as much as his athleticism.
For one, you must have never seen Jason Kidd play... and a whole host of other point guards.
 

lovegtm

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For one, you must have never seen Jason Kidd play... and a whole host of other point guards.
This is an interesting comparison that I think highlights what makes LeBron unique. If you watch a Kidd highlight reel, the vast bulk is him getting out and running the break, and making incredible decisions and passes while doing so.

LeBron, on the other hand, has a ton of passing highlights that are out of half-court sets, and I think that's indicative of what he does best. LeBron is a 1-on-1 mismatch against almost any player in the league, in a way that even the most elite point guards simply aren't, and that opens up opportunities for him to manipulate defenses in unique ways. There's a reason that "LeBron+shooters" has been a guarantee for elite offense.

And yes, of course highlight reels are not representative samples. But it's a good way to convey the concept of what makes LeBron different, because he really is an anomaly.
 

reggiecleveland

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I came up playing basketball in the 1990s and I feel like every coach I ever had told me not to watch the NBA because the players lacked fundamentals and couldn't shoot. I don't know when it started or why, or if it even persists anymore, but it was very prominent in the culture then.
I have been hoops through that time, and I was told, and tell my guys nba guys do thing you should not do because they are so much better than you.
 

Devizier

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Honestly, I can't hate on any star player for their game. I mean, for chrissakes I rooted for Pierce all these years and he was guilty of all the sins people point out in Harden, Lebron, etc. and then some. Still love the guy.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Remember George Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words,” when he talks about “tits”?

And "tits" doesn't even belong on the list, y'know? Man! That's such a friendly sounding word!

That’s pretty much Steph Curry on this list. :)
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Honestly, I can't hate on any star player for their game. I mean, for chrissakes I rooted for Pierce all these years and he was guilty of all the sins people point out in Harden, Lebron, etc. and then some. Still love the guy.
This...
 

CreightonGubanich

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For one, you must have never seen Jason Kidd play... and a whole host of other point guards.
Yes, Kidd was great. But his best work was on the fast break. He was still a great passer, but I think LeBron is on another level, especially in the half court. LeBron does it all - runs the break, passes incisively out of the post, makes the right pass two steps ahead of defensive rotations in the pick and roll. He's one of the best outlet/full court transition passers ever.

Kidd, like LeBron, has an advantage over most of the traditional point guard types (Nash, Stockton, Jackson, Rondo, just to name a few) because of his size and ability to whip passes over and around the defense (think LeBron getting into the air and then firing that bullet pass to the weakside corner shooter). I still think LeBron is better.
 

lars10

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Yes, Kidd was great. But his best work was on the fast break. He was still a great passer, but I think LeBron is on another level, especially in the half court. LeBron does it all - runs the break, passes incisively out of the post, makes the right pass two steps ahead of defensive rotations in the pick and roll. He's one of the best outlet/full court transition passers ever.

Kidd, like LeBron, has an advantage over most of the traditional point guard types (Nash, Stockton, Jackson, Rondo, just to name a few) because of his size and ability to whip passes over and around the defense (think LeBron getting into the air and then firing that bullet pass to the weakside corner shooter). I still think LeBron is better.
Well it's one thing to say 'better' and 'not particularly close'. LeBron is a good/great passer, but Jason Kidd was far more than just a fast break passer IMO.. I remember watching his McDonald's all American game and just seeing a player that saw the game like not many else do. His game was predominantly passing..and was always looking for assists. Maybe LeBron passes better/more consistently within an offense, but Kidd, to me, made far more highlight real passes...just IMO.
 

Tony C

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Most of these guys I love and respect and have no hate. I don't agree of every word of this on Lebron, but generally agree with the sentiment - -don't get the hate for him or for others.
I'm a little surprised about the lack of love for LeBron's game. I get that he whines a lot to the refs, and that's annoying to watch. I also think his game now is tougher on the eyes - he defends the worst offensive player on the floor, and takes possessions off on the offensive end. His demeanor towards his teammates is annoying.

But he's the best passer I've ever seen. I don't think it's particularly close. There's other players with great vision, but most of them lacked the size and athleticism to actually make some of the passes LeBron does. His ability to dissect what the defense is doing or will do, and then pick them apart, is unbelievable. He always makes the right basketball play, and doesn't get enough credit for being unselfish.

He's also such a fundamentally sound player. It's funny to me that after a decade of people complaining about how the NBA players couldn't execute basic fundamentals, LeBron comes out of high school and becomes one of the most fundamentally sound players ever. His footwork in the post, his ability to go right or left and finish with either hand, his defensive IQ and understanding of spacing all contributed to his greatness as much as his athleticism.
That said...I have the haterade for two players. Not really hate -- just really don't like their game: James Harden for reasons stated really well by others already. He's great. I want him on my team. Aesthetically he's most awful to watch. The 2nd is Westbrook -- here it's more the combo of hero ball (admittedly better this year) and his entitled attitude. God does his baby-ish pout wear thin.

And gotta agree with Chris Paul per this.

Chris Paul. Cheap shot artist. If A PG was ever ahead of me with the dribble and I was hustling back on defense and he stopped for no other reason than for me to run into him, I would run into him so hard that he wound end up on the floor under the basket. For an alleged great player, never has done much in the playoffs. Not a top player anymore, but I still hate him.
.
One, I can't believe people complain about Lebron whining about fouls. He does like every other star and virtually ever player. CP3, though, is in another universe -- the guy has the world's most well developed persecution complex. Add in his cheap shots for a guy who is always touted for his maturity and class. And, as well, like Triple OT says, for a guy who has no problem talking about his own greatness, maybe he should do something in the playoffs some year.
 

Big John

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1-7 James Harden.
His game is an artifact of the way the NBA shouldn't be officiated, but is. Unwatchable basketball.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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Well it's one thing to say 'better' and 'not particularly close'. LeBron is a good/great passer, but Jason Kidd was far more than just a fast break passer IMO.. I remember watching his McDonald's all American game and just seeing a player that saw the game like not many else do. His game was predominantly passing..and was always looking for assists. Maybe LeBron passes better/more consistently within an offense, but Kidd, to me, made far more highlight real passes...just IMO.
I'm late to this discussion, but on a Celtics board talking passing greats and no one mentions Bird?? He'd have averaged 10 assists a game if Parish and McHale had better hands! No one saw the court better or had a better repertoire of passes.
 

lars10

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
11,612
I'm late to this discussion, but on a Celtics board talking passing greats and no one mentions Bird?? He'd have averaged 10 assists a game if Parish and McHale had better hands! No one saw the court better or had a better repertoire of passes.
I think there quite a few passers better than LeBron..Bird included. The passing between that big three was absolutely amazing. Bird could find McHale and Parish in the post all of the time and what's more amazing is that they were always ready for it even with the number of times Bird would also shoot.