Which superstar's shoes would you least like to fill?

[Malinhion]

Title is self-explanatory. We all dream of being NBA superstars, but if there was one that you think would be least enjoyable, who has it toughest?

[Heat3]

superstars? none.

regular players? kwame and smush cause they get made fun of by fans who can't play

[FlashTheKilla]

Probably Dirk. He gotten so close to success, and has had horrid luck. Now he must lead a declining Mavs team back to the playoffs.

And now that I think about it, T-Mac too. Insane amount of pressure for next year.

[The Main Event]

Im gonna have to go with Dirk as well. I wouldn't take all the money in the world to look like a centaur.

[monks]

I agree wholeheartedly on T-Mac...even before this year, but now more than ever with Artest in the fold. There's gonna be a ton of pressure on him to lead them through a very deep Western Conference.

In the East, I think the most pressure right now might lay on the shoulders of Vince Carter. New Jersey's been making move after move to obviously get ready to move to New York and try and snag LeBron, but with a guy of VC's caliber there will usually be expectations to lead a team to a respectable record. With Kidd and Jefferson he still couldn't do it; now, with Devin Harris and Yi he's got even less help. Plus, people have been on his case for years that he can't lead a team...here's his chance.

[G35]

All of them got it hard. I hate answering the same questions over and over again. You can't be yourself, you have to be fake in front of people all the time. You never know when you might get "Kobe'd" with some fan with a video recorder and you get caught saying what you really feel.

Then you have the responsibility of having to "have" a political opinion. If I'm 22 years old I'm not worried about Darfur and what the Chinese gov't is doing. That's GW's problem.

And finally you gotta always be humble, you can't flaunt how good you are because that's no class. Whateva, if I was Kobe or Lebron I'm talking trash every game!

[Rasho Brezec]

Kobe. I think it's self-explanatory, why.

[Malinhion]

Then you have the responsibility of having to "have" a political opinion. If I'm 22 years old I'm not worried about Darfur and what the Chinese gov't is doing. That's GW's problem.

You're allowed to not care, but you have to come to grips with the fact that you're a horrible person for such indifference.

[G35]

Then you have the responsibility of having to "have" a political opinion. If I'm 22 years old I'm not worried about Darfur and what the Chinese gov't is doing. That's GW's problem.

You're allowed to not care, but you have to come to grips with the fact that you're a horrible person for such indifference.

Exactly, which is amazing since when did a NBA superstars opinion make a difference. It always surprises me how much we need athletes to be politicians......

[aroba]

Carmelo Anthony.
He's not a true superstar like Lebron or even Wade. Probably he will never live up to the task of his overrated fame.

[Malinhion]

Well, its the fact that these athletes are international icons. And when you're an icon, you're a role model, like it or not. People in the public eye live by a different set of rules. Even in court its harder for them to prove a case of slander or libel. But not only are public figures expected to be impervious to criticism, they are expected to speak out in a positive manner as well. It's a shame that so many choose to go the Jordan route and remain mum for the sake of their own pocketbooks. But as an American citizen, you are totally allowed that right.

[G35]

Well, its the fact that these athletes are international icons. And when you're an icon, you're a role model, like it or not. People in the public eye live by a different set of rules. Even in court its harder for them to prove a case of slander or libel. But not only are public figures expected to be impervious to criticism, they are expected to speak out in a positive manner as well. It's a shame that so many choose to go the Jordan route and remain mum for the sake of their own pocketbooks. But as an American citizen, you are totally allowed that right.

I don't think so. As a pro athlete we hold our athletes to a higher standard. The always have to compassionate, understanding, leaders, politically correct, family oriented, good winners, good losers.

Tim Duncan (boring, no sense of humor)
Kobe (arrogant, brash, cocky, unfaithful)
Lebron (disloyal, money conscious, apathetic)
Carmelo (lazy, doesn't lead, no defense)
Kidd (wife beater, unfaithful, coach killer)


You lose your personality when you become a superstar because the constant criticism from individual interests. The media/public for some reason expects that athletic excellence equals a world leader.

Besides I think people try to put these guys into icon status before they have earned it. Muhammed Ali is the only icon I know. Jordan was a commercial icon, but Ali actually was an icon traveling and interacting with people in the world.

Besides I think that athletes from other countries get passes on just doing what they do best and not being this example to the world. Spain has showed us that the USA thinks much differently about what their athletes should represent.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijin ... &type=lgns

Before long, Kidd considered the consequences had those giddy European faces been substituted with those of Team USA.

“We would’ve been already thrown out of the Olympics,” he told Yahoo! Sports. “At least, we wouldn’t have been able to come back to the U.S. …There would be suspensions.”

And for his European peers, well, Kidd suggested, “They won’t do anything to them. It’s a double standard.”

[jairtime]

I want to fill Marko Jaric's wife.

[ShaY]

Who is the suprstar that makes the least amount of money?
Thats my choice.

[kevC]

I'd definitely say Yao Ming. Besides the uncomfortableness of being an oversized freak, he has a billion people to represent.

[ATRAIN53]

How about Patrick Ewing-

the guy lost the NCAA championship to MJ and then spent 10 years getting denied of an NBA title because of MJ.

then when MJ retired for a couple of seasons and he made it to the Finals - they lost because John Starks wouldn't stop shoting the ball.

all those years he spent being a class act in NYC and instead of keeping him around they dump him to Seattle and now he's an assistant coach for Orlando.

i've always felt some compassion for the guy
granted he made his $$$ but you can tell he'd love to have brought a title to NYC.

[Slava]

Michael Jordan.

Kobe/T-Mac/Wade and Bron are not even playing for the Bulls and you still see the comparisons made regularly after a loss or even a good performance.

There's simply no way to replace the great man either in terms of his stature or in terms of his game.

[Malinhion]

Michael Jordan.

Kobe/T-Mac/Wade and Bron are not even playing for the Bulls and you still see the comparisons made regularly after a loss or even a good performance.

There's simply no way to replace the great man either in terms of his stature or in terms of his game.

You might be the only person on earth that doesn't want to Be Like Mike.

[conleyorbust]

I don't feel bad for any of them. Act like Tim Duncan (who might actually be the funniest guy in the league) and the media won't bother you because you don't do anything interesting enough. If you invite the media scrutiny by doing unsavory things (Kidd) or being a general jackass (Kobe), that is your fault for having a debilitating character flaw and a severe case of egomaniacism.

[shawngoat23]

Kobe or Yao. Both have ridiculous pressure placed on them, although Yao more so. Plus he doesn't even keep most of his earnings.