Being a sports fan is one of the best things because there are many potential hypothetical situations. The league's history could be drastically changed by a simple deal here, or a different draft pick there. There are too many "what ifs" examples in the NBA world to ignore. These several possibilities that may have occurred in the NBA are mind-boggling, to put it mildly, and undoubtedly worthy of discussion.
Not to give anything away just yet, but these "what ifs" might significantly change crucial aspects of the league, such as who the best player of all time is, who would have won the most titles, and other such things.
So join us in asking, what if...
Not to give anything away just yet, but these "what ifs" might significantly change crucial aspects of the league, such as who the best player of all time is, who would have won the most titles, and other such things.
So join us in asking, what if...
Kobe Was Not Traded to Los Angeles?
The Hornets really regret making this choice. The Charlotte Hornets selected Kobe Bryant as the 13th overall choice in the 1996 NBA Draft. Kobe was then traded to the Lakers for center Vlade Divac. Kobe's agent did make it quite apparent that he didn't want to play for the Hornets, so Charlotte had no interest in him aside from exploiting him to get Divac. Kobe might have been convinced to play for the Hornets - if Charlotte wanted him to, of course. Picture a youthful Kobe Bryant joining the dependable Hornets squad, who finished 54-28 in the 1996–97 season. The original Charlotte Hornets would have been one of the top teams in the league for many years if they had a franchise player like Kobe Bryant on their roster.
Michael Jordan Didn't Leave the NBA Too Soon to Play Baseball?
At the height of his basketball prowess, Michael Jordan decided to try to conquer baseball as he had the basketball world. It was quickly apparent that Jordan wasn't as skilled at baseball as basketball while representing the White Sox in the minor leagues. If he hadn't taken a two-year break from playing, he might have led the Bulls to an unprecedented eight straight championships after splitting up two three-peats. How many more championships might Jordan have won if he had made a different choice?
Derrick Rose Didn't Get That ACL Tear?
For a time, basketball was dominated by Derrick Rose. Rose led the Chicago Bulls to more than 60 victories while still only 22 years old, a feat that hadn't been accomplished since Michael Jordan played for the team. Then, the NBA’s youngest ever MVP tore his left ACL while attempting to jump for the ball in Game 1 of the 2012 playoff series against the Sixers. After the injury, Rose was never the same player. The continual risk of injury has significantly limited Rose's NBA career because he relied largely on his explosiveness and agility.
At just 22 years old, Derrick Rose was the best player in the entire world. The ACL tear nearly ended a famous NBA career that was about to begin. This stopped him from emerging as one of the potential best players of all time and while he still plays today, he's a shadow of his former self
The 76ers Picked Dirk Nowitzki To Join Allen Iverson?
The Sixers had the seventh choice in the NBA Draft in 1998. A 7-footer from Germany named Dirk Nowitzki, who was selected with the eighth pick, was passed over by the Sixers in favor of Larry Hughes. Needless to say, and no disrespect to him, but Larry Hughes was never as influential as Dirk. If things had played out differently, the Sixers would have added Nowitzki to an already excellent roster that included one of the greatest players in history: Allen Iverson.
With some of the greatest scorers in history playing on the same team, Iverson and Nowitzki would have been unstoppable when playing together. Do we hear a gigantic dynasty? Of course.
The Shaq-Kobe Feud Never Occurred?
Kobe and Shaq were unable to communicate. Since both players craved attention, their constant disagreements caused them to part ways when Shaquille O'Neal left the Los Angeles Lakers after the 2003–04 season. It isn't very pleasant to think they couldn't make it work, given that they could claim three straight championships together. With the Lakers' wealth of talent, we believe the pair's three championships might have been just the beginning.
Len Bias didn’t pass away so tragically?
Len Bias was consistently predicted by scouts to be among the best players of all time because of his similar, if not superior, skill set to Michael Jordan's. Len was selected by the Celtics in the 1986 NBA Draft, but he passed away from substance abuse just two days later. With Bird, McHale, and Parish, he would have joined one of the greatest teams ever. The team in question would then have been completely unstoppable, winning championship after championship. One of the biggest rivalries in NBA history would have been created by the battles between Bias and Jordan.
Len Bias was consistently predicted by scouts to be among the best players of all time because of his similar, if not superior, skill set to Michael Jordan's. Len was selected by the Celtics in the 1986 NBA Draft, but he passed away from substance abuse just two days later. With Bird, McHale, and Parish, he would have joined one of the greatest teams ever. The team in question would then have been completely unstoppable, winning championship after championship. One of the biggest rivalries in NBA history would have been created by the battles between Bias and Jordan.