Every current NBA player will draw comparisons to past legends because that is just how professional sports go. Especially in basketball, fans and media members always seem to reminisce about the past players who helped pave the way for these guys to succeed on the NBA court. After all, we must always respect our elders; sports are no different.
- Donovan Mitchell – Dwyane Wade
- Ja Morant – Allen Iverson
- Jayson Tatum – Kobe Bryant
- Joel Embiid – Hakeem Olajuwon
- Stephen Curry – Reggie Miller
- Nikola Jokic – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Kevin Durant – George Gervin
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – Shaquille O’Neal
- Luka Doncic – Larry Bird
- LeBron James – Magic Johnson
- Kawhi Leonard – Michael Jordan
But which current NBA superstars resemble which past players? It is time to analyze the best players today and compare them to legends with similar playing styles, mentality, or impact. While a perfect match is impossible since every NBA superstar throughout history has had his own individual talents, it is always interesting to see evolution in players.
Donovan Mitchell – Dwyane Wade
Donovan Mitchell is extremely explosive, has a high leap, and always looks to attack the rim with force. He is having a career year by posting 28.4 PPG on 48.44% from the field and is doing it with a mix of outside shooting and terrifying rim drives.
Dwyane Wade was a similar type of player in terms of attacking the basket. He has to be one of the best ever at cutting to the rim and finishing inside, and his hops were absolutely elite during his prime. Since Mitchell is an explosive guard who is unstoppable at driving inside, he is often compared to the iconic scorer that was Dwyane Wade.
Ja Morant – Allen Iverson
Ja Morant and Allen Iverson are basically the same players, in terms of their incredible quickness and ability to get anywhere they want on the court. Morant is a larger point guard at 6’3”, and his bounce allows him to dunk over players consistently. Therefore, Morant also takes a bit from Russell Westbrook as well in terms of athleticism and bounce.
Iverson was shorter at 6’0”, and he was never known to place defenders on posters consistently, but his incredible quickness allowed him to win 4 scoring titles and even an MVP award. If Morant can achieve what Iverson achieved, it would be magical, as his game is awfully similar. It remains to be seen if Morant can stay healthy enough to do what Iverson did early in his career.
Jayson Tatum – Kobe Bryant
There is no secret that Jayson Tatum was taken under Kobe Bryant’s wing before the legend tragically passed away in 2020. Tatum has greatly improved his game over the past few seasons in terms of being a dominant scorer and a more confident superstar. This season, Tatum is posting a career-high 31.1 PPG.
Kobe Bryant is arguably a top-5 player of all time and the greatest scorer since Michael Jordan, so it is hard to compare him to any player. But the way Bryant had a host of dribble moves and counter moves on offense has managed to leak into Tatum’s game. Jayson needs championships to draw closer to Kobe, but they have similar playing styles. Hopefully, Tatum can get what Kobe taught him and build on it to become a legend in his own right because he is off to a fantastic start in his career.
Joel Embiid – Hakeem Olajuwon
There probably hasn’t been a center quite like Joel Embiid. He is a career 33.9% shooter from three, drains free throws at a high level (81.5%), and is dominant inside. Defensively, Embiid is also proficient as he averages a career 1.7 BPG and has a high defensive IQ in terms of staying in front of offensive players and contesting shots.
The closest to Embiid was probably the great Hakeem Olajuwon. Nobody can compare to Olajuwon in terms of post moves, but Embiid has very solid post moves and can score a variety of ways inside. Their size, impact on both ends, and offensive talent means they are awfully similar. Joel has a three that Hakeem never had, but both were very solid mid-range shooters.
Stephen Curry – Reggie Miller
Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter of all time, so he will be regarded as a player in his own lane. But the closest shooter to Steph was Reggie Miller, the best sharpshooter ever before Curry and Klay Thompson came along. Miller ranks 4th all-time in threes made and was one of the most clutch players ever, so that is a compliment going both ways.
Curry is certainly an all-time greater player than Reggie with his 4 NBA titles and 2 MVP awards, but the way he moves off the ball and has a quick release means he dominated the perimeter as Reggie did. The sharp shooting of both players and the fear they struck into defenders’ hearts when they were open means both Curry and Miller are alike.
Nikola Jokic – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Much like Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic is a one-of-a-kind center in terms of playing style. He passes the ball like Arvydas Sabonis, has a high-arcing jumper like Dirk Nowitzki, and has the size of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In many ways, Jokic is a mix of all three legends. But he has to be closest to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the most impactful players of all time.
Many fail to realize how dominant Jokic is inside. His shooting gets attention, but the center is automatic when he is in the paint. He has a soft touch, an unstoppable inside presence, and a high basketball IQ. While Kareem had arguably the most impressive career of all time, he had an unstoppable inside presence and elite basketball IQ. Jokic’s way of dominating is similar to Kareem except that he adds Sabonis’ elite passing at the center spot.
Kevin Durant – George Gervin
Kevin Durant is a once-in-a-lifetime player because he somehow took what George “The Iceman” Gervin did as a 4-time scoring champion and added an elite 3-point jumper and elite handles. That is scary to imagine, and in terms of raw talent and skill, KD has to be regarded as one of the fifteen greatest players of all time without taking into account his achievements.
Gervin was so dominant that he won 4 scoring titles in his career, averaging over 25 PPG for 7 straight seasons in his prime. Gervin was a mid-range fiend with an unstoppable inside attack that often came with his patented finger roll, so he has those similarities with Kevin Durant. But Durant is a career 38.4% shooter from deep, while Gervin only managed 27.1%. The current Brooklyn Nets star is also a better ball-handler, which is why he has been one of the best players in the world since he made the Finals in 2012.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Shaquille O’Neal
Can anyone think of a player with the build, athleticism, and all-around skills that Giannis Antetokounmpo possesses? There isn’t a player exactly like The Greek Freak, but in terms of physical impact and dominance, Shaquille O’Neal comes to mind. Shaq was slower and much larger, but he was dominant in his era as Giannis is right now.
Giannis is a great passer and rebounder, but his athleticism is his greatest attribute because he stands 7’0” and weighs 242 lbs with extreme length. Shaq was larger at 7’1” and 325 lbs, but the game went as O’Neal decided it would go, and also had impressive speed and explosiveness at his size. Of course, both players are not good shooters, yet Giannis only seems to get criticized for that. Perhaps that is because Giannis is playing in the modern era, but due to their impact in their respective eras and physical dominance, Giannis and Shaq are two peas in a pod.
Luka Doncic – Larry Bird
Everybody knows that Luka Doncic is constantly called “Baby Bird” because of his lack of athleticism paired with extreme skill. Now, respect must go to Larry Bird, who is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, having won 3 NBA titles and 3 MVP awards. For anyone who has ever doubted, Bird would be the same player he was in the 1980s today, and Luka is evidence of that.
Luka can get to Bird’s level as long as he keeps doing what he has been doing over the past few seasons. Doncic is not the efficient shooter that Larry Bird was (49.6% FG, 37.6% 3-PT FG, 88.6% FT) as he is only shooting 33.9% from three and 73.6% from the stripe, but he is a knockdown shooter when hot. At the same time, Luka is an elite passer and rebounder, averaging 8.1 APG and 8.6 RPG in his career. If Doncic can get his shooting percentages up, he has a chance to be what Larry Bird was.
LeBron James – Magic Johnson
LeBron James is constantly compared to Michael Jordan, but that is an unfair comparison. Rather, James is Magic Johnson. The King is easily a pass-first player, as evidenced by countless moments where he prefers to pass up shots instead of scoring. One of the all-time great passers, James averages a career 7.3 APG and once led the NBA in APG in the 2020 season (10.2 APG).
Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard ever, having won 5 NBA titles, 3 Finals MVPs, and 3 MVP awards with the Los Angeles Lakers. His ability to uplift his teammates was iconic, and his leadership style was similar to LeBron’s. LeBron does not have Michael Jordan’s aggressive leadership style, rather, he tends to uplift rather than challenge.
As a pass-first player who excels at rebounding the ball and being a point-forward, James is what Magic Johnson was except that The King must be hailed as a better scorer with exceptional longevity. There was only one Magic Johnson as a point guard, just in the same way that there will only be one LeBron James as a small forward.
Kawhi Leonard – Michael Jordan
The closest thing to Michael Jordan right now, in purely playing style and skills, is Kawhi Leonard. Now, Leonard does not have Michael’s insane competitiveness and desire to play every game, but he has almost everything else. As a shooter, Leonard is on point with a career 49.3% field goal percentage. He is methodical in his offense, taking his time to pick apart his opponents and always finding himself in the best spots.
Kawhi also has an elite fadeaway jumper, an automatic mid-range game, and is a dominant defender. In fact, Kawhi is one of the best defenders of all time, having won 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards. Thanks to his gigantic hands and elite physical strength, Leonard is one of the best two-way players who are as fundamentally sound as they come. Even in clutch situations, Kawhi has the utmost respect of other top players around the league.
Now, onto the GOAT, Michael Jordan. Michael had large hands, elite fundamentals, and an unstoppable mid-range game and fadeaway jumper. Jordan was also never in a rush, was always in the right spots on the court, and had impressive physical strength. As a two-way player with an elite skill set on both ends, Kawhi Leonard can be proudly compared to the great Michael Jordan in playing style, even if his demeanor on the court is totally different.
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