Comparing NFL Quarterbacks to NBA Superstars
The NFL and NBA are the two most popular North American sports. What we know about both sports is that for the NFL, in order to be in the super bowl conversation, you need to have a really good quarterback, and in the NBA Chemistry and Culture can only get you so far but if you want to win a title you have to have a superstar player. There are a lot of similarities between NFL Quarterbacks and NBA superstars so today I am going to tell you which NFL Quarterback resembles which NBA Superstar
Tom Brady=Lebron James
This one seems like the most obvious one as both are easily the best players in their respective leagues in the past 20 years. Both seem to never be defeated by father time as Tom Brady was 45 years old last year and still finished 2nd in MVP voting and led the NFL in yards and touchdowns. Lebron James also last year finished 2nd in the NBA in scoring. Sure he might not be able to carry a team single handedly as he used to but at his age and his length of his career, he is still one of the best players in the NBA. They are also maybe the best teammates in their respective sports as they just make everything fit together. Lebron was able to make Kyrie work in Cleveland and Brady also was able to make difficult people such as Randy Moss fit into their offense and still win a lot of games. They are also the standard we compare our players to.
Patrick Mahomes=Steph Curry
Both of them Changed the Way you view their positions. For Mahomes, his success has changed the way you view the quarterback position. It used to be that the quarterback is just a distributor and a complement to the defense and/or rushing game. But now having a dynamic, playmaking quarterback is a necessity. You have to have a quarterback who can do stuff off script and can’t have a low ceiling Quarterback. We have seen the Rams move off Jared Goff for Matt Stafford and We have seen the 49ers potentially moving off Jimmy G for Trey Lance. Why? Because Goff and Garropolo both had low ceilings and they needed a guy who can generate big plays and has a high ceiling. Curry made the NBA a shooters league. Now in The NBA, you have to have shooters, shooting and scoring becomes a necessity. You Can’t have a traditional center who just rebounds and can’t shoot from more than 3 feet. You have to have players that are playmakers whether that is scoring or passing. Spacing has become very important because of Steph Curry.
Joe Burrow= Luka Doncic
Both of these guys are the best young players in their respective sports. Luka is the best young player in the NBA and Burrow is the best young quarterback in the NFL. Both are uniquely skilled as Burrow probably throws the most catchable ball in The NFL and Luka might be the most unstoppable scorer in the NBA. They both also have been amazing in big games in their career as Joe Burrow carried an average Bengals roster which had the worst O line in the league to the Super Bowl, and Luka has carried a Mavs team with no real second or third option to the Western Conference Finals. You always have the feeling with these two that as long as they are on our side, we have a chance in every playoff game, no matter how tough the opponent is. Every year, you always feel like with these 2 that they get better every year and that they are not close to their full potential.
Josh Allen=Jayson Tatum
The comparisons of these two go back to the draft as both the Bills and Celtics were questioned about selecting them. The Celtics traded out of number one in 2017 and passed on Markelle Fultz (who was seen as the significantly better prospect at the time) to draft Tatum at 3 and many people questioned that decision while the Bills were heavily criticized for selecting Allen over Josh Rosen (Rosen was seen as the most pro ready quarterback in the draft while Allen was seen as a massive project with accuracy issues with a high ceiling). Both also did not take over the league early as it took them a while to do so. Tatum in his first 2 years averaged around 15ppg and after an embarrassing second round series against the Bucks in 2019, there were questions on whether he could become a superstar. Allen also showed flashes his first 2 years but his accuracy and decision making leaved a lot to be desired. However, in their 3rd year, they both popped off after making tweaks to their games (especially Allen who made a lot of tweaks with his mechanics). They are now viewed as some of the most dominant players in their respective sports. Both are a little inconsistent as both will have games where they look really Bad, but when they are on, they are on. They are examples that patience can be a big virtue in sports and even the smallest tweaks in your game can show a massive difference.
Justin Herbert= Joel Embiid
Both of these guys have insane measurables. These 2 players might have the best physical traits in their respective sports when you look at their size, strength, power, and agility, and just their raw talent. When you watch Justin Herbert throw a football, you feel like he throws the fastest ball in the league. His Throws are Like a laser pointer, Narrow and Powerful. There is not a lot of wiggle or dip in his ball; it goes straight. Joel Embiid is the most physically dominant big man the NBA has seen since Shaq. His Size and Strength make him impossible to defend in the paint. Also, Unlike Josh Allen and Jayson Tatum, you knew immediately that these 2 guys are going to be superstars in the NFL and NBA after their first Game. When You saw Embiid play his first game in 2016 (after not playing his first 2 seasons) you knew this guy is the Next Shaq. When You first saw Herbert in 2020 in week 2 against the Chiefs, he had just found out at warmups that he was starting in the place of an injured Tyrod Taylor against the Patrick Mahomes against the defending Super Bowl Champions, He responded to that by throwing for over 300 yards and nearly upsetting the Chiefs in over time all while not getting any first team reps in practice. These 2 guys had such great raw talent that they were able to be dominant from the get-go despite other circumstances such as embiid dealing with major injuries his first 2 years and Herbert getting no first team reps and being told at warmups that he is starting against Mahomes.
