I'll admit I barely watch the NBA but this is a really bad list, right?
Wouldn't an accurate the list be almost all guards and young guys? I mean the Greek Freak and Lebron are amazing athletes but they are way too big to be fast.
1. De’Aaron Fox
2. Russell Westbrook
3. Ja Morant
4. Zach LaVine
5. Ben Simmons
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo
7. LeBron James
It’s not a good list but it’s not particularly surprising either, as they were bound to choose only well known players. What’s bothersome is how poorly the article is written.
young LeBron was one of the fastest for sure......old LeBron...well.....he's one of the oldest.
Obviously a current list but as a basketball fan the top 4 is honestly fine even tho Westbrook is slowly falling out of his athletic prime. Fox is obviously #1 and John Wall would’ve been #1 if he wasn’t injured all the time. Ish Smith is a role player who’s actually been the most traded player ever. I’d also add Donovan Mitchell as his 3/4 court sprint in Nba combine history
is the fastest time in NBA combine history* for the last part
Clickbait. None of those guys can run compared to track runners. The NBA court is only about 28 meters long which is far too short for anyone to get up to full speed. NBA players are so big (average size 6' 7") that they only need to take a few strides to from three point line to three point line. They basically jog from one end to the other.
Guys like Westbrook, Wall, D Rose were at one point but not anymore.
The fastest in NBA history has to go to a prime Derrick Rose. I never seen anyone move that fast with the ball full court before or since. Yes this includes John Wall. Derrick Rose however was just to athletic for his own good. If i had to pick a top 5 fastest in NBA history it goes Derrick Rose,Russell Westbrook,Allen Iverson,John Wall and maybe Tony Parker. Now some of you will probably say......wtf is Tony Parker doing on this list? Well in his prime he was one of the top 3 fastest guards in the league and he was definitely known for his speed.
Sometimes its so easy wrote:
The fastest in NBA history has to go to a prime Derrick Rose. I never seen anyone move that fast with the ball full court before or since. Yes this includes John Wall. Derrick Rose however was just to athletic for his own good. If i had to pick a top 5 fastest in NBA history it goes Derrick Rose,Russell Westbrook,Allen Iverson,John Wall and maybe Tony Parker. Now some of you will probably say......wtf is Tony Parker doing on this list? Well in his prime he was one of the top 3 fastest guards in the league and he was definitely known for his speed.
Ummm....ever heard of Calvin Murphy?
Hejendo76 wrote:
Mitchell’s 3/4 sprint is the fastest time in NBA combine history* for the last part
His 3/4 sprint is only 11th fastest ever.
Nate Robinson played defensive back in College. He had legit 4.4 speed and was no doubt fastest in the NBA.
Currently, I would put my money on Darius Garland over 100m or less
Also a younger Mike Conley was ultra quick
Les wrote:
Clickbait. None of those guys can run compared to track runners. The NBA court is only about 28 meters long which is far too short for anyone to get up to full speed. NBA players are so big (average size 6' 7") that they only need to take a few strides to from three point line to three point line. They basically jog from one end to the other.
Disagree. Dearron Fox, with training, could be an elite sprinter- young Westbrook as well.
It would be interesting to see what a guy like Rose or Giannis could do in the triple, high, or 60 with a year dedicated to only track. I mean jc, Giannis covers half-court in three strides. I watch every Bucks game without fail and I still even think he's travelling until it's slowed down.
Here is an old video of Elvin Hayes winning a 100 yard race in the 1973 Superstars competition against Rod Laver, Jean-Claude Killy and Joe Frasier. The "Big E" was 6'9" and probably 250. I don't think anyone thought of him as fast but he ran 11.5 into the wind with "tennis" shoes and starting in blocks. I don't think people realize how good of athletes some of these NBA guys are.
Hejendo76 wrote:
Obviously a current list but as a basketball fan the top 4 is honestly fine even tho Westbrook is slowly falling out of his athletic prime. Fox is obviously #1 and John Wall would’ve been #1 if he wasn’t injured all the time. Ish Smith is a role player who’s actually been the most traded player ever. I’d also add Donovan Mitchell as his 3/4 court sprint in Nba combine history
Simmons and Giannis definitely belong on this list too. Giannis sprinting back on defense to contest a shot might legitimately be the fastest player in the NBA- look at his defensive highlights from the finals if you don't believe it, the man is insane. Regularly covering the floor in two dribbles, lightning-fast eurosteps... they don't call that man the Greek Freak for nothing.
Ben Simmons is just fast. I don't know why or how. By all accounts, a 6'9 Australian shouldn't be able to move like that but once he gets into transition and starts moving downhill it's wraps, man. Unironically- he's unstoppable on NBA 2k for a reason.
This is a little related. A guy named Byron Howell from Central Catholic HS in Portland went to UWashington on a basketball scholarship in 1980. He wasnt great. I just looked up his stats at UW and he scored 90 career points. But he also won the 100 and 200 at the Oregon state high school meet. At UW, he ran also. I think they took 2nd at the NCAA one year in the 4 x 1. On that team they had Howell, Sterling Hinds (won a silver for Canada in the same relay at the LA games), Dennis Brown and LaNorris Marshall.
I'm assuming this article is more about sprint speed but since we are on let's run, steve nash apparently got the same score as Seb Coe in the beep test
https://www.topendsports.com/testing/records/shuttle-run.htm
Top end speed I don't know but he had a quick first step and could beat most guys to the basket.
The sharp shooters are the best suited for distance running. Guys like Steph, JJ Redick, etc. run all over the course just to get slight separation