NBA Players We Couldn't Picture in a Different Uniform

In the midst of the free-agent frenzy, there are some players who we are assured are not going anywhere. They won't be traded. They won't seek an out when their contract is done. They aren't planning on going anywhere, and they don't want to go anywhere and their teams don't them to go anywhere. 

Most importantly, their fans don't want them to go anywhere. 

Here are nine players that we just can't imagine in another uniform. Why such an odd number you ask?

Well, it's simple. There are only nine players. Sometimes we try and shoe-horn a player in to make it a nice round number, but who are we going to put there? Stephen Curry? Andre Iguodala? They are good, solid players, but they've been involved in enough trade rumors that it's not impossible to see them going somewhere. 

Then there are players who have long-tenured success with their current teams, but are clearly wanting out, such as Dwight Howard. 

These are players that have: 1) led their teams deep into the playoffs; 2) have identified strongly with both the team and the community, and 3) have never played anywhere else. I just happened to run out at nine. 

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin is the newest player on this list, but he has quickly made himself synonymous with the Los Angeles Clippers. 

He is the cornerstone of the new Clippers team. He is one of the most exciting players in the game who lives above the rim. 

Showtime has come back to Los Angeles, and it's come in the form of the Clippers. It's hard to imagine even Donald Sterling letting this slip through his fingers. 

Kevin Love

Kevin Love is the "other" power forward in the conversation for the best in the NBA along with Blake Griffin. It is remarkable how much he has embraced the community in Minnesota, and without getting the same sorts of accolades for it as Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City. 

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose is arguably one of the most popular athletes in the city in which he plays in the entire country, regardless of sport. 

Rose is from Chicago and embraces being from Chicago. He loves being in Chicago and playing for Chicago. As a result Chicago loves him dearly. Rose once apologized to the city after a bad Bulls outing. That's the kind of relationship he has with the city. 

Two things are unimaginable here Rose wanting to leave and the locals wanting him gone. While he's still early in his career, it's almost unfathomable to see Rose playing anywhere else. 

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is not from Oklahoma City. In fact, he's from Texas, and not just the state of Texas, but the Texas Longhorns Texas. 

Did you ever think that you'd see the day when the most popular athlete in the state of Oklahoma would be a basketball player from the Longhorns?

Yet it's the case right now. Name a professional athlete more popular in Oklahoma. Blake Griffin sure isn't more popular there. Neither is Adrian Peterson. 

Durant is completely loved in OKC and he loves it there. He wasn't raised in a booming metropolis and apparently doesn't need all the big city lights to be satisfied. In fact it's almost as though he prefers the "small town" feel of Oklahoma City. 

Dwyane Wade

Among the more bizarre reports prior to the Miami Heat winning the championship was that if they didn't win the title and broke up the team, it would be Dwyane Wade on the trading block. 

Are you familiar with the term "Wade County"?

Wade is the all-time leader for the Heat in scoring, assists, steals, games and minutes. He's fifth in rebounds and second in blocks, which is pretty amazing for a guard. 

There is zero doubt that Wade is the greatest player in franchise history and he's not going anywhere. 

Paul Pierce

It's funny when you think about all the one-team clubs that Paul Pierce isn't one of the players that readily comes to mind. He most certainly should be. After all he is one of the greatest players in the history of one of the two greatest franchises in NBA history. 

I'll let the Lakers and Celtics fans duke out which franchise is greater. 

But think about this. Pierce is third in Celtics history in games played an third in minutes played. He's made the most three-point shots in franchise history. He's grabbed the seventh most rebounds, dished the fifth most assists, swiped the second most steals, blocked the fifth most shots and scored the second most points. 

In Celtics history the only player who has averaged more points per game is Larry Bird. 

Pierce is arguably one of the five greatest Celtics in Boston's history and that's a team with a rich tradition. 

Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki's name is all over the Dallas Mavericks record books too. He's also the greatest foreign-born and developed player in the history of the game. 

(For those about to say Tim Duncan, the US Virgin Islands are a US territory and because of that Duncan is a born American citizen.)

Beyond that, though, there is the personality of Dirk Nowitzki all over the team. There's no "D" in Dallas or there's no "D" in Dirk. The Mavs have gone as Dirk has gone ever since he landed in Dallas. 

Dirk has, without question, one of the prettiest, most unguardable shots in the game. It's just weird picturing him with any other team. Under what circumstances do you see Mark Cuban wanting to get rid of him?

If Cuban's daughter were age-appropriate, he would probably be trying to marry her off to Dirk.

Not only that, Nowitzki's carrying the team to the title in '11 was a truly impressive performance which finally brought home the trophy to Dallas. He'll be forever loved there. 

Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is the forgotten hero. All the accolades that have gone to Kobe Bryant for his amazing accomplishments sit just as well with Duncan, perhaps even more so. 

After all Duncan does have one more MVP and one more Finals MVP than Kobe Bryant. Furthermore Duncan never stirred turmoil on the team, threatened to leave or mandated a trade if he didn't "get help." 

During his tenure, the Spurs have never missed the playoffs and never won fewer than 50 games (or the adjusted equivalent in a strike shortened season). 

Duncan is arguably the greatest player of his generation and the greatest power forward in the history of the game. He has made the Spurs the most consistently good team in the NBA since he became a Spur, and there is no way he'll ever be anything but a San Antonio Spur. 

Kobe Bryant

Is Kobe Bryant the greatest Laker in franchise history? I'd say second.

There are two players that have played with the Lakers who are greater in terms of their basketball careers: Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, Kareem's overall career is not the same as his NBA career. 

On the other hand, Magic Johnson did spend his entire career with the Lakers and over the course of that career in 250 fewer games produced only about 2,000 fewer points than Kobe Byrant. Magic also has about 400 more rebounds than Kobe in his career. 

The bottom line is that I see Magic as a top-five player in the history of the game and Kobe is around seven or eight. 

Still, being the second greatest Laker in history is nothing to hang a head shame about. Kobe's place in history is set and he'll never wear a uniform other than the purple and gold.