Kobe Bryant and the 10 Most Exciting Players in NBA History
Talented youngsters Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose are two of the most exciting players in the NBA today.ย
Every night, Griffin pulls of some kind of incredible dunk that brings everybody in the crowd to their feet. And Rose's many crazy layups and blinding speed makes him the most fun Chicago Bulls player to watch since Michael Jordan.ย ย
"Bad Blake" and D-Rose may one day be considered two of the NBA's most exciting players of all time. If so, they will be joining a legendary list that includes the likes of Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and Julius Erving.
Here's a look at 10 stars in league history who fans would easily shell out their hard-earned cash to go out and see perform.
10. Allen Iverson
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You have to have major skills to be a six-foot shooting guard in the NBA, and that's exactly what Iverson had.ย
The one-time NBA MVP was known to embarrass opponents with his "killer crossover" (just ask Michael Jordan), and then take advantage of his lightning-quick speed to get to the basket.ย
And an occasional tip-in dunk wasn't out of the question either.
9. Pete Maravich
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Maravich, also known as "Pistol Pete", was the ultimate showman.
The five-time NBA All-Star guard and Hall of Famer constantly fooled defenders with his between-the-legs passes and seemingly impossible circus shots.
He led the league in scoring in 1976-77 with 31.1 points per game.
Players like Jason Williams and 2009 lottery pick Ricky Rubio have drawn comparisons to Maravich because of their fun playground style.
8. Shaquille O'Neal
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At age 38, O'Neal isn't quite one of the league's most electrifying players, but years ago, he was a guy who a lot of people would pay to see, especially during his days in Orlando.
Shaq's mission was basically to dunk on everybody. Check out his rookie year highlights on YouTube. He posterized several centers like Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish, Alonzo Mourning and Manute Bol, and he also tore down the backboard a couple of times.ย
7. LeBron James
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Cleveland Cavaliers fans were awfully upset last summer when LeBron chose to take his talents to South Beach.
Why? Because they knew they would no longer get to see him perform all of his crazy dunks and chase-down blocks in a Cavs uniform.ย
Fans would love to get the opportunity to see James participate in a dunk contest. Hopefully one day soon he'll stop rejecting the offer and finally give in.
We're all waiting.
6. Dominique Wilkins
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Nique is considered one of the game's most brilliant dunkers of all time. Who could forget his memorable dunk contest showdowns with Jordan in the 1980s? You know, back when the event was actually worth watching.ย
Wilkins appeared in tons of highlights during his career. That must be why he's nicknamed "The Human Highlight Film." ย ย
5. Kobe Bryant
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Bryant has been nothing less than exciting ever since he entered the league in 1996, fresh out of high school.ย
As a rookie, the Philadelphia native won the only dunk contest of his career with a between-the legs jam.
Bryant has made fans so excited that he was voted as an All-Star starter in 1998, despite being a reserve for the Lakers.
His whopping 81 points against Toronto in January 2006 may never be surpassed, unless another Wilt Chamberlain comes out of nowhere.
4. Julius Erving
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Before there was Michael Jordan, there was Julius "Dr. J." Erving entertaining NBA fans with his great dunking ability.
Two of his most memorable plays came against the Lakers in the early '80's. He finger-rolled behind the backboard during the 1980 Finals and later pulled off a "Rock the Baby" dunk over Michael Cooper in a regular-season game in 1983.
3. Vince Carter
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Many fans rank Carter as the No. 1 dunker of all time. The current Phoenix Suns guard has put together a large display of high-flying dunks throughout his career, especially during his time in Toronto.
Carter put on quite a show in the 2000 dunk contest as he shocked spectators by sticking his arm through the basket and pulling off an unforgettable 360 windmill.
His facial on Alonzo Mourning in 2006 was surely a thing of beauty
2. Magic Johnson
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Whether you were a Lakers fan or not, you have to admit that it was a joy to watch Magic back in the day. Johnson excited fans worldwide with his crazy behind-the-back and no-look passes.
And don't forget about his famous "baby hook".
It was simply amazing that a 6'9" point guard (the tallest point guard in history) had the ability to do things that he could do.ย ย
We'll never see another Magic.
1. Michael Jordan
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Jordan is not only the greatest player of all time, but he's also the most exciting player of all time. The six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP made a countless number of moves during his career that would immediately force you to ask, "How did he do that?"
It would take several days to list all of Jordan's exciting plays.
Perhaps his best dunk was in 1991 against the Knicks, when he went around John Starks and Charles Oakley, and then finished with a slam over longtime rival Patrick Ewing.
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