You guys have heard it so many times. I really feel the reason why we debate about players being superstars so much is because there is no actual definiteion of the word. It is more of an opinion. So, what does the word "Superstar" mean to you? For me, it means a player who has been dominating for a couple of years, and his team is really benefitting from his presence. What is yours?
A superstar IMO needs to have all 3 of these qualities: 1. Overall Talent: Obviously the Superstar needs to be a great player and all to truly be a superstar. THis is pretty much the first eliminator. They should AT LEAST be an alll-star to be a super star. KG has talent, Kobe has talent, T-Mac has talent, Timm Duncan has talent, AI has talent, etc. Though not all of them IMO are "susperstars". 2. Making Teammates better: THis is also a MUST for a superstar, stars who make their teammates better. Between 1 and 2 this narows the players down to Shaq, Tim Duncan, arguably Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, LeBRon James, and arguably KEvin Garnett( still not sure, this year NO) 3. Leading a Team: You must take your team somewhere. Taking them to a first round playoff exit is not what I call leadership, at least a finals apperance which narrows it down to Jason Kid, Shaq, and Tim Duncan. Narrowed down players: Shaq, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd. IMO these are the superstars of the league. THey have took their team somewhere. Shaq: 3 Championships, Tim Duncan: 2 Championships, JAson Kidd: 2 Finals apperances. Jason Kidd got off to a slow start this year because of that injury but theres still no doubt in my mind hes a susperstar. LAST year KG was a superstar, so far this year no no. Steve Nash hasn't taken the Suns anywhere YET. I dunno this is just my opinion hope it helps.
superstar su?per?star ( P ) Pronunciation Key (spr-st?r) n. 1. A widely acclaimed star, as in movies or sports, who has great popular appeal. 2. One that is extremely popular or prominent or that is a major attraction. It's basically someone that has a known name and makes everyone else around him better. Shaq IMO is the most known 'superstar' because he's got the Heat rolling and he's a household name.
Ice's definition is the best, I think. Superstar players aren't necessarily the best players. Yao is a superstar, but isn't yet a great player. Kobe and LeBron are superstars. Shaq, of course, is a superstar. Iverson is a superstar. Duncan and Garnett are also superstars, but I think they're appeal is much more with sports-writers, coaches, and educated fans of the game as opposed to your typical everyday fans. McGrady is a borderline superstar, even though he's clearly a better player than his superstar teammate Yao. Those 8 are the superstars in the NBA today. Their names are usually enough to put fans in the seats.
Did any of you guys watch the TNT segment when Kenny went over the Superstar list. I think he had the best arguments and he was right but two guys i thought should of been on the list but that's my opinion. -KG -Duncan -Kobe -Shaq -Iverson -Kidd They're all more than three dimensional, they've dominated for more than 3 years, they make their players around them better, their always over .500, Always have a spot in the playoffs and demand double teams. I agree but i think Dirk and J.O. should be on this list as well, because he said that these superstars had to have at least 5 of the 6 qualities above and if Dirk and J.O. dont count, that's horrible.
TNT's Kenny Smith had a piece on what it takes to be a Superstar last week on Inside the NBA. It was pretty good critieria he had. In order to be a superstar, he has to put out great numbers, make his teammates better, lead his team to the top, win big playoff game, and be in the playoffs every year.
Even with all the criteria, it's imperative that we do not leave KG out because of one shortcoming, that being his playoff history. He really can't be blamed for his teammates failures and overall bad luck. KG's been consistently dominant for some time now and, he's one of the few NBA players today without a weakness in his game. He's certainly well liked and widely known by many fans and casual fans alike. The one caveat I would offer is that while someone who doesn't watch basketball might know who Kobe, Shaq, or AI are, it's not a certainty that they would know who KG is.
I think there's a difference between a "superstar" and a "great player." What Kenny Smith was describing on that segment was criteria for being a "great player." In the music world, Britney Spears is a superstar. But she isn't a great musician. Similarly, you have superstars in the NBA who aren't great players, and vice versa. While Tim Duncan is a great player, he isn't necessarily a superstar. I said above I'd consider him a superstar, but it's kind of borderline. Yao Ming on the other hand is a superstar, but he definitely isn't a great player.
I agree with durvasa 100%. Vince Carter is a superstar. Ron Artest is a superstar. Dennis Rodman is a superstar. However, Tim Duncan is not a superstar. While Tim Duncan is a thousand times more talented than Carter, Artest, and Rodman, he isn't a household name like those three are. To be the MVP or to be one of the NBA's elite, you've got to be talented, make your teammates better, and lead a team. However, to be one of the NBA's superstars, you just need to make yourself well-known.
Instead of "superstar" or "great player" why dont we use the word "elite". and the elites in this league in my opinion are: Shaq Kobe Duncan KG Iverson Kidd Nowitzki J. Oneal And if that's what superstar means then i hate that word towards players.
Superstar = Blue Chip A player that makes a difference to a team A player that a team would miss, Irreplacable A player that makes others better Shaq Kobe Duncan KG Iverson Kidd Nowitzki Artest Nash Kirilenko
