NBA Lockout: Different Sport Each Team's Star Could Excel At

With the NBA lockout already in its second week, players may want to look at finding new jobs to fill the void in their lives. Which sports could they play if they wanted to remain in that business?

Many NBA players could excel at other sports if they'd grown up playing them. Others could jump into a new uniform right now, and others still would just be hopeless. 

For example, many people know that Steve Nash is a terrific soccer player. Not too many know that the same is true about Kobe Bryant. 

Read on to find which sport (some serious, some obscure but hopefully all fitting) each team's start player could play during the lockout. 

Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson

After signing his maximum contract with the Atlanta Hawks and financially crippling the franchise for the next five seasons or so, Joe Johnson has a lot of extra money to deal with. 

Why not use that money and practice playing some high stakes card games?

Sport: Poker

Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce may be one of the absolute best players in Boston Celtics history, but he's also ranked quite high on my list of best unathletic-looking players in basketball history.

I mean, seriously, it looks like he's never used a weight room before. 

Let's stick Pierce at a s sport where athleticism can be useful but isn't actually required. 

Sport: Golf

Charlotte Bobcats: Kemba Walker

The one knock on Kemba Walker is his size. He'll get by in the NBA because he has an incredible mix of athleticism and skill, plus his heart and desire to win is virtually unmatched.

But size will never be his strong suit in the league. 

And by the way, yes, I am already considering Walker the star of the Bobcats. 

Here, we're going to have the former Connecticut superstar participating in a sport where his lack of size is actually an advantage. 

Sport: Horse Racing (as a jockey)

Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose

The league's reigning MVP is one of the fastest and most athletically gifted point guards to ever play in the Association. Yes, I mean in the league's history and not just the present day. 

He's insanely fast and then can jump as high as anyone on his way to an incredible finish at the rim. Seems like there's a perfect sport that blends those two skills. 

Sport: Olympic Hurdling

Cleveland Cavaliers: Baron Davis

Baron Davis has always had a habit of getting out of shape when he's playing for teams where he's not in a situation that thrills him. He was back in good form with Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers, but then he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The most exciting player in Cleveland is incoming rookie Kyrie Irving, who happens to play the same position as Davis. There isn't much for him to like with the Cavs. 

Remind me again how you get out of shape? 

Sport: Professional Eating 

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki had an absolutely fantastic postseason and capped it off by helping the Dallas Mavericks win their first ever NBA Championship. 

If there's any player that deserves to take a break right now, it's him. Let's let him relax by the beach surrounded by beautiful women until the lockout ends. 

Sport: Beach Volleyball

Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson

Right now Ty Lawson appears poised to take over the starting point guard job in Denver despite Andre Miller being brought in. Well, at least I hope the talented youngster will earn the starting job. 

But regardless, Lawson is in for a long season of showing a metaphorical red flag to Miller, waiting for Miller to charge and then sweeping the flag out of the way as he retains his starting job. 

At the end of the season, this show will end with Miller no longer having a shot at ever starting for the team, a death of sorts. 

Sport: Bullfighting (as a matador)

Detroit Pistons: Rodney Stuckey

Rodney Stuckey is the best player on this team right now, although that might change as Brandon Knight gets more experienced.

Honestly, I have nothing funny to say about Stuckey because he's simply young and talented. He's just overall a pretty decent player. 

So let's assign him to a sport where he can use his speed and athleticism, even though I have no real reason for picking this one other than me wanting to include the sport. 

Sport: Hockey

Golden State Warriors: Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis is one of the league's premier scoring threats but he plays for the Golden State Warriors, which means that he's not exactly a defensive stalwart. 

Ellis needs to play a sport where he can focus solely on scoring without worrying about the opposing team's offense whatsoever. That's the best way to maximize his talents. 

Sport: Baseball (as a designated hitter)

Houston Rockets: Kevin Martin

Another great scoring threat in the NBA, Kevin Martin is known for his ridiculous accuracy when he tries to put the basketball into the basket. This holds true even from long range. 

In fact, it seems as though half of his shots hit what you might call the bullseye or the center part of the basket where the ball doesn't even touch the rim at all while it swishes through. 

Sport: Archery

Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger

Danny Granger is one of the league's best players, but he rarely gets the recognition that he deserves. This could be because he plays for a rather nondescript Indiana Pacers bunch, but it's true no matter what the reason is. 

Granger is a proficient scorer, but he's a great player on almost every front. The thing is, no one really cares until the playoffs role around. 

Similarly, not many Americans care about a certain sport that involves feet until a major event like the World Cup rolls around. 

Sport: Soccer

Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin

Does this one really need any explanation? 

What other sport would the high-flying, reckless, no-regard-for-his-own-safety, dunking machine known as Blake Griffin play?

Sport: Any extreme sport

Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant

Most people don't know it, but Kobe Bryant actually spent a lot of his early life living in Italy. While there, he became a huge fan of AC Milan and played soccer almost as much as he did basketball. 

Bryant has actually gone on record as saying that he would have tried to become a professional soccer player if he had stayed in Italy instead of moving back to the United States. 

Sport: Soccer

Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph

If Zach Randolph lined up his massive body on the offensive line, would any defensive player really want to match up against him? I seriously doubt it. 

Z-Bo stands 6'9" and weighs 260 pounds, most of it muscle. Good luck pushing him aside. 

Sport: Football (as an offensive lineman)

Miami Heat: LeBron James

LeBron James is one of the most physically gifted basketball players of our generation. Going one step farther, James in one of the most physically gifted basketball players of any generation.

It's really not too much of a stretch to say he's one of the most physically gifted athletes, regardless of sport, of any generation. 

There have been quite a few articles written in the past about James playing football as a tight end. Some people claim that he would immediately be on of the league's best. 

I agree with those people. 

Sport: Football (as a tight end)

Milwaukee Bucks: Andrew Bogut

Andrew Bogut is Australian. 

People associate Australia with rugby.

Thus, by the transitive property (if a=b and b=c, then a=c for those of you rusty with your math properties), Andrew Bogut could be associated with rugby. 

That works for me.

Sport: Rugby 

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love

How many of you have seen Kevin Love's "Love in the shower" commercial? I'd bet all of you have, but if not click on the link and watch for 17 seconds.

Love is obviously very comfortable in water, even in a stranger's house. He also went to college at UCLA, a school quite near an ocean.

Sport: Swimming 

New Jersey Nets: Deron Williams

Deron Williams is one of the NBA's best point guards, largely thanks to his incredible court vision. He just seems to be able to watch the play unfold before him prior to anything actually happening. 

The position most similar to point guard in any other sport is the role of quarterback on a football field. The ball is always in the quarterback's hands, and it's up to him to decide what to do on the play. 

Sport: Football (as a quarterback)

New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul

For all the same reasons that Deron Williams is a point guard, so too is New Orleans' Chris Paul. 

Because CP3 and Williams are two of the NBA's elite at their position, they will always be compared to each other and found near the top of the point guard rankings.

It doesn't help either that they were drafted back to back in the 2005 NBA draft. 

If Williams is a quarterback, Paul has to be as well. 

Sport: Football (as a quarterback)

New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony

During this past season, trade rumors about Carmelo Anthony, then with the Denver Nuggets, kept bouncing around everywhere.

It seemed no matter where you looked on the Internet, someone was talking about which team Melo would join. 

But the thing is, most of the rumors fell completely flat and died. 

Hmmmm...bouncing all around but falling flat. Remind anyone of a squash ball?

Sport: Squash

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant

Is there any explanation needed here?

Sport: Weightlifting 

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard likes to go by the nickname Superman, which means that I have to assume that he can fly. 

After all, the phrase, "It's a bird! It's a plane! No! It's Superman!" has to ring true for Howard just like it did for Clark Kent. 

Sport: Hang-Gliding (without a hang-glider)

Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala is a very solid basketball player no matter how you look at him. 

He's a good scorer, a good passer, a good defender and a fairly cerebral player. He's definitely not weak in any one area. 

For some reason, I just have a hunch that he'd be successful as a baseball player, both at the plate and in the field. 

Sport: Baseball

Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash

Doesn't pretty much everyone know by now that Steve Nash is really, really good at soccer?

Sport: Soccer

Portland Trail Blazers: Brandon Roy

Let's see, Brandon Roy is a very accurate and proficient shooter with bone-on-bone knees. 

What sport requires tons of accuracy while putting absolutely no stress whatsoever on your knees?

Sport: Dart-throwing

Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins

If you ran into DeMarcus Cousins in a dark alley, how terrified would you be? To be perfectly honest, I'd probably wet myself. 

Cousins is a bad dude, just like many other people in his ideal non-basketball sport. 

Sport: MMA

San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan, one of the greatest power forwards of all time and arguably the absolute greatest, is such a fundamentally sound player that he has earned the nickname "The Big Fundamental."

One sport that frustrates millions of people because they can't quite grasp all of the fundamentals is golf. Duncan would be willing to put the time in to making his swing absolutely perfect. 

Sport: Golf

Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani

Some of my favorite foods have to be: meatballs, spaghetti, other pastas, garlic bread, pizza and well, you get the point. 

What do they all have in common? They come from Italy. 

Andrea Bargnani is Italian! He must love eating all that delicious food. 

Sport: Professional Eating

Utah Jazz: Al Jefferson

Al Jefferson is 6'10" and weighs 265 pounds. Almost all of that weight comes from his muscle mass. 

Can you imagine him lining up on an opposing defensive line?

With his athletic ability, he'd have an advantage against many offensive linemen, and if he stood up and jumped, he may even be able to bat down any errant passes from the quarterback. 

Sport: Football (as a defensive lineman)

Washington Wizards: John Wall

Because of his blazing speed and playmaking abilities, I can imagine John Wall being an ideal center fielder from the moment the ball leaves the bat until it finds itself nestled in the leather of his glove.

But then, he'd have to throw the ball. 

And as we all know, that wouldn't turn out too well...

Sport: Baseball (as a center fielder)

Adam Fromal is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer. Follow him on twitter: @Fromal09