5 Most Deceptively Athletic NBA Players

The NBA is one of the professional sports leagues that requires the most athleticism, yet not every player looks like they possess the necessary physical skills to succeed. 

Some don't succeed, but some defy our perceptions and excel. 

Players have to be able to explode horizontally and vertically, sprint down the court at top speed, change directions on a dime and take a physical beating on a nightly basis. When you really think about it, almost everyone in the NBA has to be a physical freak. 

But these five players don't fit the billing. They're the most deceptively athletic players in the NBA for various reasons. Read on to find out both why they fit and who they are. 

J.J. Barea

If I were to ask an uninformed person to pick out the best basketball player in the picture to the left, they'd likely select the dreadlocked man with his arm wrapped around J.J. Barea's shoulder, the guy in the blue shirt taking a picture with his phone and the guy in the green shirt with the awesome hat before picking Barea himself. 

Barea is generously listed at 6'0", but he's a good bit shorter in reality, maybe even as short as 5'9". Hailing from Puerto Rico, the diminutive point guard is quite adept at weaving his way through defenders and exploding to the rim for a fancy layup. 

Even though I've never seen him dunk in a game, Barea's quickness and agility demonstrates his more than adequate athleticism. 

Looks More Like: That guy who brings water and Gatorade to the tired basketball players on the bench. 

Stephen Curry

I had the pleasure of running into Stephen Curry a few times while he was still a student at Davidson. If I didn't know who he was, there's no way that I would have expected for him to be a college basketball superstar, much less a player who would play at an All-Star level in the NBA. 

Curry absolutely possesses what we like to call "the baby face," and he looks 10 years younger than he actually is. 

But if a player looks at the former Wildcat and current Golden State Warrior and decides to take the possession off, he's in trouble. Curry will either drop a long-range bomb in the defender's face or simply blow by him on his way to the lane. 

Looks More Like: That sophomore who just dominates the rest of his high school competition. 

Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard isn't fair. He just isn't. 

If you look at him, you see the prototype for a powerful NBA center. He's humongous and those shoulders tell you all that you need to know. So why does he find himself on a deceptively athletic NBA players list?

Well, Howard looks like a powerful player, but athletically, he's so much more than that. D-12 is fast and he can jump incredibly high for a man his size. 

He's the closest thing to Superman since, well, Shaquille O'Neal. 

Looks More Like: A basketball star. 

Kevin Love

Unlike in the early days of the NBA, American white players no longer comprise the vast majority of star players in the league. In fact, when ESPN ranked all the players in The Association before the 2011-2012 season started, Love was the highest player who fulfilled the white American criteria, coming in at No. 16.

There wasn't another one in the top 50.

Regardless of whether it's correct or not, we tend to think that Caucasian players are genetically disposed to lower levels of athleticism. This stereotype is reinforced by announcers who call white players "cerebral" and refer to hard workers like Tyler Hasnbrough as tough and relentless.

For this reason alone, Love finds himself on the list.  

Looks More Like: That guy in your college fraternity who plays pickup volleyball to pick up girls. 

Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce has been my poster boy for NBA stars who look ridiculously unathletic for quite some time now. 

Whenever I watch a Boston Celtics game, I have one of the following reactions to a Pierce play:

1. How did he do that? That was impressive. 

2. How is possible that my arms have more definition than an all-time great for such a storied franchise?

3. Are we sure he's going to be able to run up and down the court for four quarters without having a heart attack? 

4. Did he really just jump that high?

Just know that this list was basically created so that Charles Barkley could pass the torch to The Truth. 

Looks More Like: That guy who has never heard the word "gym" in his life.