Why do you like your favorite players so much?

I'm particularly interested in Larry Hughes' answer.For my top 5:Marion: He's an all around beast and while he's not a #1 or 2 recognized guy on the team and says it, he still goes out and plays hard. Still one of the top 5 athletes in the league and easily the quickest jumper.D12: He's a good guy that seems humble. I like his frame and athleticism and look forward to seeing him emerge as a top big man.KG: What I love most about KG is the passion he plays with, and he's another athletic big man that can play multiple areas of the game well.Dirk: He's really emerged and jumped into my top 5. Despite DWade's dipshittery, Dirk is a pretty strong leader and has the most complete game inside and out of any big man(6-10 and over) in history. He's clutch and is another guy that's pretty humble, but can defend his team well.Nash: Wow. Definitely a top 5 ever PG in my book. He's another really humble guy, he helps the community, he does all those sorts of things, and on the court he's a top offensive guy. He's very efficient too, as I saw a couple nights where he put up like 14 points on 5-6 shooting, and had some assists, etc. All around great guy.The trend about my players is probably that they're not always trying to showboat and say how good they are. I like humble guys who play hard and try to just go out and get the win.

 

1) Steve Nash - The way he plays the game is beautiful. It's the purest form of basketball: come off the pick, dish the ball, shoot the jumper or drive the lane. His play is repetitive motion and is really exciting to watch because you know what he's going to do yet you don't know what he's going to do. Off the court you don't hear about him and he's a very humble guy - I just admire him. 2) Reggie Miller - Like Nash this guy's off the court buisness was never heard about. He seperated his life and basketball and didn't let the two mix with each other. He was one of the most clutch guys and his ability to be cofident and back it up is so unbelievable. He was a team leader and always tried hard wether it was the preseason or then NBA finals. He was always playing to be the best on the floor. And most of the time he was. He was just a legend.3) Greg Oden - This guy is one of the most humblest kindest guys to ever play basketball. The way he balances himself and always makes sure he never gets cocky even when he could is very admirable. Not only does he not want to talk about himself, he always puts his teamates in the spotlight. He wants to be the best but he is not cocky about it.4) Gilbert Arenas - This guy is so ecentric which is what I like best about him. I love his quirkiness and humor. He's a good guy and he always plays hard and overcomes obstacles. He's a people's champ, he relates to the fans, and he is an exciting player who is a joy to watch.5) Jermaine O'neal - He is a good guy, donates to charity, helps out in the community. He's an excellent player who is going to make plays. He has amazing athletiscm and post moves. His arsenal is unlimited. He can block shots and score and rebound. He's a joy to watch when he's on top of his game and is always one of the best players on the floor. He is also becoming very dedicated to winning. Plus he wears Indiana on his chest.I don't really notice a trend in my favorite players. They're all good guys I guess, and 3 of them are from or play or played in Indy. I guess I kind of like all-around players who have many weapons on the basketball court.

 

I love Paul Pierce for quite a few reasons. I mean, I'll get the obvious answers out of the way: he's the franchise player of my home team, he's clutch, and he has a complete game. He's consistent. All that on the court stuff is great, but that's not the only reason I like Paul Pierce so much. If you don't know much about his personality, it's great. Pierce is a very funny guy, he's always laughing and making people laugh. Another thing about him I like is how positive and loyal he is. He's never downplaying anything we have, he locked himself up in a 3 year extension, he loves Boston, he loves playing here, and he's a workaholic. A lot of stars in this situation (much like T-Mac, Vince, etc.) would ask for a trade to go to a contender. Pierce is sticking it out as long as he can, no matter how many people say he's "wasting his prime in Boston." Paul's game, attitude, clutch play, personality, loyalty, and growth as a true leader are the reasons I LOVE Pierce.Antoine Walker - people make fun of him, and you obviously see why. He's a "chucker", he has up and down weight issues, he turns the ball over a little bit, he wiggles, etc. All that good stuff. But growing up as a Celtic fan, you have to love Toine. His attitude is just phenomenal. Not only was he an All-Star here, he was our leader and #1 cheerleader. He never gives up, he's ALWAYS pumping the team up and cheering them on, he has hit so many huge shots for us, he works hard, and he's a great guy. The things he did for Boston on and off the court were just great, and I will always root for Antoine no matter how much his game will continue to regress. He was a true Celtic.Kobe Bryant - The haters aren't haters, they are jealous and envious. Screw them. And I don't care what any life-long Celtic fan says, I'm as true a Celtic fan as possible. I love Kobe Bryant, that doesn't make me any less of a Celtic fan. He is the 2nd best 2-guard ever to play this game. He does absolutely EVERYTHING on both ends of the court, he's clutch as hell, he's a freak athlete, he's fearless, he's one of the biggest competitors I've ever seen, he always shows up when his team needs him the most, and I also want to say that Kobe is NOT a bad guy like some people try to make him out to be. People downplay him like crazy for one little thing he does wrong, but they never say anything about the good things he does (especially off the court). Kobe Bryant is hands down one of the greatest players I've ever seen.Gary Payton is my favorite PG of all-time. One of the best defensive players EVER, great leader, basketball IQ off the charts, great playmaker, could shoot a little but also a GREAT post player for a guard, could use his left hand just as effectively as his right hand in any situation. But you know what I really love about GP? The swagger. It's great. Yeah he talks a lot of trash, yeah he is pretty cocky, but you know what? That's ok when you back it up like he always did. The game, the defense, the IQ, and the swagger... gotta love The Glove.

 

Allen Iverson: Love his attitude, heart, desire, and I've especially enjoyed watching him mature both on and off the court over the course of the past decade or so... This dude will never, ever give up. He's playing with the same intensity whether his team is up by 20, or down by 20... you always know he's going to come out and give it his all no matter what. I love his confidence, swagger, and most of all his toughness and fearless attitude. The things he can do at his size are just incredible. He has the third highest point per game average in NBA history... considering his size, that in itself is an amazing feat. I think over the next few years people will start seeing the other side of his game more: playmaking. He is an underrated playmaker, and now that he is paired with Carmelo he will play at a higher level for a little bit longer since he doesn't have the burden of having to score 30+ a night just for his team to have a chance to win. A lot of people are going to be surprised with his game come next season.Andre Iguodala: The kid is a triple-double waiting to happen. His game is starting to look like Scottie Pippen's game (although not quite as good). He's a monster athlete, humble, great work ethic, and is a leader.There are more, but they have already been mentioned.

 

1) Tracy Mcgray- I like him so much because once I started to get back into the NBA in the 01-02 season (because of MJ's return) he really caught my eye. I went to a few Nets games that season, and one of them was against the Magic. He amazed me that game, going for like 34pts, and since then I have been a big fan. Love his smoothness, love how he can pullup over anyone, love the fadeaway, etc...2) Dwyane Wade- At first, I didn't really like him. It took until last season for me to warm up to his play. But he is one of the most exciting players in the NBA. he is one of the best I have ever seen at getting to the rim, and he is big enough to finish strong there. He is clutch, a great passer, and also a great ballhandler.3) Kobe Bryant- Another player that took me 9 years to warm up to. But last year he did something extrordinary that I had never seen (I wasn't even born when MJ was at his 37PPG level) before. He just amazed me last year, and ever since I have loved him. Amazing shot, amazing fadeaway, good passer, great defender, and very clutch.4) Jason Kidd- I live in NJ, and from when MJ retired to when he returned, I was out of the realm. Then when MJ was just doing alright, I needed another reason to watch the NBA. For YEARS NJ sucked, but when they got Jason Kidd EVERYTHING changed. Needless to say, 6 years later, a few Atlantic and Eastern Conference championships later, and about 5-10 triple doubles I have witnessed in person (including the one where he tied Wilt), he has become a favorite of mine.5) Amare Stoudemire- Love the Suns offensive game, love Amare's offensive game. I love the flashy dunks, love the agression, and like that he has now expanded his game in terms of defense, rebounding and jumpshooting.

 

Damn, some of you went out in explaining why you liked your favorite players. I was just going to list them. I'll go in order in who I liked first.1) Jason Kidd - I was in the phase of transistioning my love for baseball into basketball and he was one player who caught my eye with the Suns. Hence my first team that I did follow were the Suns and did own a couple Suns shirts/hats. But really it was just for one player and not the team. On why I enjoyed his play, he was pass first, shoot second kind of player who feels the need to make those around him better. Great player.2) Michael Finley - My favorite 2nd player came via meeting him during a visit at Reno. It was my first chance meeting of an NBA player and it stuck. Started to watch the Mavericks the same year and loved the makeup of the team. And instead of just liking one player, I began to like the whole team and this where I began to follow the Mavericks. Athletic player, good defender, leader of the Mavericks.3) Dirk Nowitzki - Obvious reasons.4) Steve Nash - same as Dirk. The two just go hand in hand with Mavericks fans. They were devoted to the franchise and were the face of the franchise along with Finley. Neither player had a bad image and were fun to watch and develop as both were growing into their primes with the Mavs.5) Pete Maravich/Larry Bird - Two of my favorite legends who were former non-Mavs. I favor Pete a little more as he was one of the founders of transistioning the NBA to another level in terms of flashiness. Watching old footage of him was amazing, even though I agree he was a tad hoggish with the ball. He was just amazing to watch on the court and it was sad that he went so early.

 

Hakim Warrick:I was never much of a college fan until after he and Melo won the NCAA Championship, but afterwards Hak and Syracuse got alotve TV time so I watched them, and I loved his game. He reminds me of the ABA dunkers you see in the classic games, just how he keeps it simple, but he never stops rising when he dunks. I still wouldve rather gotten Green(Boston took him one pick before the Grizzlies pick), but I was excited about getting him. And this season hes shown how hard he works, and is a very unselfish player because he was asked to come off the bench when Gasol came back, and he did so and hes fine with it even with his scoring average being drop by a few points.Andre Igoudala:From the first few games I saw him play, I knew he was going to be a very good player. Not only a scorer, but a excellent defender. His athleticism is great, and I told everybody he has great court vision, and hes finally showing that this season being the #1 option for the 76ers.Dwight Howard:I like his attitude, hes what you call one hungry ass kid. He has the attitude players like Ben Wallace, Amare Stoudemire and Kevin Garnett only have. Displayed at Saturdays Dunk Contest, he flies and dunks like hes a 6'6 guard. Hes going to improve his finnesse game and his going to be unstoppable...I just like the way he plays...vintage Shaq.Penny Hardawayf course theres a Memphis connection here, but ive always like the players who can pass very well(see Andre Igoudala) and can score. He was flashy, but he knew what he was doing, and when he had too, he could take over a game either way. As a 6'7 PG, he had a very good post game and could fly with the best of them.So pretty much, I have a thing for athletic players, and players who are tall passers. Not to mention all these players play(ed) for my favorites teams:Orlando,Memphis and Philly.

 

Well, I watched Larry Hughes when I was younger, when he was a rookie with the 76ers, and I was just starting to like basketball. I loved the Cavaliers of course, but I watched Hughes every time I could. Reason for liking him so much? Well, just watching him a lot, grew on me, so I learned a lot about the guy, and I love seeing him play. Thats a reason why I am a big Iverson fan too. I loved Hughes and A.I on the same team. Even tho, it didn't work out as good, as he got traded to GS, and I barley got a chance to see him play. But then, when he went to the Wizards, I watched almost every game he played because I got League Pass to see him play for the Wizards. Then, I just got REALLY lucky, as he signed with Cleveland(Favorite Team) and I got to watch him, without paying(My dad liked that part the most, lol). Anyway, I always liked him from when I starting watching basketball. Some people like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and some of those big names, but I always seem to like the underdogs in sports, and a player that isn't liked as much as others.So, Basically watching him when I started watching basketball, made me like him that much, and I guess I'm his biggest fan, as I know almost everything about the guy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BigMo763 @ Feb 19 2007, 01:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Allen Iverson: Love his attitude, heart, desire, and I've especially enjoyed watching him mature both on and off the court over the course of the past decade or so... This dude will never, ever give up. He's playing with the same intensity whether his team is up by 20, or down by 20... you always know he's going to come out and give it his all no matter what. I love his confidence, swagger, and most of all his toughness and fearless attitude. The things he can do at his size are just incredible. He has the third highest point per game average in NBA history... considering his size, that in itself is an amazing feat. I think over the next few years people will start seeing the other side of his game more: playmaking. He is an underrated playmaker, and now that he is paired with Carmelo he will play at a higher level for a little bit longer since he doesn't have the burden of having to score 30+ a night just for his team to have a chance to win. A lot of people are going to be surprised with his game come next season.Andre Iguodala: The kid is a triple-double waiting to happen. His game is starting to look like Scottie Pippen's game (although not quite as good). He's a monster athlete, humble, great work ethic, and is a leader.There are more, but they have already been mentioned.</div>Well AI......... He ^^^ pretty much has it covered. AI is the reason I started watching basketball years ago. He is the best little guy to ever play the game already. At his size to have the 3rd highest PPG average is just crazy. And no matter what you are going to say about practice he has to practice enough, or he would not have been this good. And no matter what practice no practice, arguing with a coach, out all night, ect............He will give everything he has out there every time he steps on the court. He wants to win he always wants to be out there up by 20 or down by 20 like BigMo said. This guy plays injured as long as he can he will play. People don't understand how good he actually is at passing. He plays the lanes good that is why he is one of the best in steals. But Yeah BigMo said it all pretty much.My other fav I won't go into detail cause it take to long.Kobe, T-Mac, Melo, Dwight, Chris Paul, Bynum from the lakers like his hook shot Kareem tought him he will be great, and a few others.

 

Willie Green - Because when I first basicly started following the NBA this guy was the first guy I followed straight from the draft and game from game right to now. He's pretty much the average player in a way and does pretty average things that most players do though I have to say he's a very nice guy and a great infulence on people and not to mention he can do some pretty great things on the court, I can see him being in the NBA for quite awhile if he would be able to avoid those knee injuries.Tracy McGrady - To me. Tmac is like the perfect NBA Player .. he can do a lot on the court, almost everything and I love the way he plays basketball the way he does, it's great to watch.David Lee - cause he's white !! lmao jks.uhh nah I can't think of anymore at the moment though I have many players that I admire and that they deserve a mention here but im not cause me have headace now. lol

 

1. Kobe Bryant. Honestly if he wasn't on the Lakers, he still would be my favorite player. He is the best player in the NBA and is climbing up their on a Michael Jordan level. I believe every time he shoots it's going in. We haven't had one of those guys since MJ. And with Kobe your never out of a game. Remember when we played Dallas a few years back on ESPN and came back to win? Or last year down by 21, Kobe comes out of nowhere and scores 81 points and the Lakers won by 18.2. LeBron- I just like his toughness and heart when he plays.3. Chris Bosh-I just like him because he turned the Raptors around, and that was a major accomplishment which seemed impossible, lol.4. Kevin Garnett-I always liked KG because he always destroyed the Sac Queens!5. Brandon Roy- WASHINGTON HUSKIES RULE!

 

1. Dirk Nowitzki. Love his humbleness along with his great leadership skills and great work ethic. I also enjoy watching him nail those 3's. Special player.2. Shane Battier- The guy does it all. Rebound, defense, and nail 3's. Smart player as well.3. Tim Duncan- Fundamentally sound and doesn't have the arrogance some of the other big names have. 4. Steve Nash- Great teammate and very unselfish. Fun style of play to watch as well.

 

Chris Bosh - no doubt the franchise player of the Raptors. Works hard night in and night out, never complained about minutes since the start of his career. Has improved every season and always works on a new part of his game every summer. A humble and nice guy who does a lot of things off the court. Will do anything to win and hates to lose (he shed a tear 2 or 3 years ago near the end of the season when the Raps just kept losing and losing). He's never satisfied with himself .. so he always works hard to improve and improve. Only at the age of 22 already leading his team into a playoff spot. 'Nuff said.

 

My favorites:Wilt Chamberlain Imagine Michael Jordan's athletism inside a 7'1'' frame. His passion went unnoticed as he was the most hated player at the time, but his dominance has never been seen since. Magic Johnson Competitive, talented, smart and creative as hell. Had he not retired early, he'd OWN the alltime assists record.Lamar Odom The dude is just sick.Elgin Baylor He was one of the 3 players that modernized the game. I was too young for his brilliant scoring days but, even as an old vet, he was still baddass. Kobe Bryant What can I say?

 

<span style="font-family:Century Gothic">1) Vince Carter: I used to hate NBA basketball. From the being, I believed it was just a sport for dudes to play so they can make large amounts of money by doing basic things I could do: shoot, dribble, (at times) pass the ball to open teammates, play defense here and there, etc. However, VC brought a new challenge for me: dunking. I can't dunk. My brother actually got me hooked on Vince Carter. He used to download NBA highlight flicks back before YouTube.com came about and most of these NBA highlight flicks had Vince Carter's amazing dunks in them. Now I love watching Vince Carter play, simply because I love dude's athleticism and, well, I respect his overall game, even though he has the tendency to stick to jump shots a lot for no apparent reason.2) Kobe Bryant: I didn't really find him all that amazing until the 2005-06 season. That's when I realized that KB8* was simply amazing. He outscored the Dallas Mavericks in three quarters (62-61), dropped 81 points on the Toronto Raptors, and gave brilliant highlights almost every night. I love KB's game overall.* = He was KB8 at the time in the 05-06 season.3) Kevin Garnett: He can do <u>everything</u>!!! I put emphasis on <u>"everything."</u> KG scores, gets his boards, gets his assists, steals the ball well, is a tremendous blocker, and can get his team involved without being the main piece. Though his overall career hasn't been as successful as I actually want it to be, KG is still one of my favorite players. He also shows great love for the game of basketball, something that I adore (no homo).</span>

 

<span style="font-family:Century Gothic">Seeing how Michael Bryant named old school players, too, I might as well drop a couple of names, too:Wilton Norman Chamberlain: I've been hooked on the guy ever since I did a report about him for my Forensics & Debate class (basically a speech-delivering class). Wilt was amazing, was he not? I don't care what people say. Dudes say, "He played in an era where his competition mainly dwelled on white guys who could hardly leap higher than the ball could when Spud Webb dribbles it." Whatever. Though Wilt had little to no competition, he still amazes me. He dropped 100 points, scored 50 or more points in a total of 118 games, and he led the NBA in scoring for 7 straight seasons. Wilt Chamberlain was simply marvelous.Julius Erving: Also a highlight machine, just like Vince Carter. I love this guy's game. Though I never got the chance to watch him play, I still respect the man's game. Dr. J is also one of my all-time favorite nicknames. In fact, "Dr. J" is right behind "The Human Highlight Reel."Dominique Wilkins: The Human Highlight Reel... Film... Flick... etc. Whatever you want to call him.Michael Jordan: Arguably the greatest player of all time. He overcame so many obstacles. I mean, people thought his career was over when he got injured during his sophmore season. What does he come back and do? He drops 37 ppg for an entire season. MJ is also the most famous athlete in the entire planet. I don't know anyone who doesn't know who Michael Jordan is.</span>

 

Derick DFISH Fisher I have loved this guy ever since he was a Laker. one of the greatest clutch shooters I think. and ummmmm if you remember what happened with point 4 seconds left in the western conference finals. ( I have the special T shirt ) I think he really made shaq a better player and he plays with so much energy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KobeBryant_24 @ Feb 20 2007, 06:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>1. Kobe Bryant. Honestly if he wasn't on the Lakers, he still would be my favorite player. He is the best player in the NBA and is climbing up their on a Michael Jordan level. I believe every time he shoots it's going in. We haven't had one of those guys since MJ. And with Kobe your never out of a game. Remember when we played Dallas a few years back on ESPN and came back to win? Or last year down by 21, Kobe comes out of nowhere and scores 81 points and the Lakers won by 18.2. LeBron- I just like his toughness and heart when he plays.3. Chris Bosh-I just like him because he turned the Raptors around, and that was a major accomplishment which seemed impossible, lol.4. Kevin Garnett-I always liked KG because he always destroyed the Sac Queens!5. Brandon Roy- WASHINGTON HUSKIES RULE!</div>OMG 1 81 point game now he is MJ?For real he will never be MJ. He is no better then top 20 right now to have played the game I would say 25. He will probably get to top 15 with a title, or MVP. But wow people milk the 81 point game for all it's worth and some. There are no namers who have had 50 point games for examples or 40 point games once, but there bench guys just had one great night. Here he is great, but he got lucky and just had a great night for the 81. I can say T-Mac if he cought fire he could probably also score 81. Cause when T-Mac locks in watch out. DAMN I am tired of people saying 81, 81, 81 and I like Kobe even though since I am cheering for Denver cause of AI+Melo I am forced to cheer against LA for Nuggets to get a better seat. None the less like I said I like Kobe, but damn people enough with he got 81 and comparing him to Jordan geez.

 

MJ never hit 81 and he had the best rebounder mayber ever is rodman and the best robin anyone could ever have. Kobe has a statisticly decreasing lamar odam and 10 teamates who cant hit open jumpers

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (point4seconds @ Feb 21 2007, 03:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>MJ never hit 81 and he had the best rebounder mayber ever is rodman and the best robin anyone could ever have. Kobe has a statisticly decreasing lamar odam and 10 teamates who cant hit open jumpers</div>last time I checked mayber wasen't a word, and for serge last time I checked you spell seed S E E D not S E A T. But seriously guys I don't think Kobe is better than jordan but he may be the closest thing we ever saw to Jordan, I think Kobe will finish top 5-10 all time but who knows? HE could get a bad injury tomarrow for all we know, but seriously respect KObe he's a special player and we should be honored to have a player like him in our lifetime.