Better Athletes NFL or NBA players?

john248 · Post #241 » by **john248** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 10:24 pm

Well, how many physical freaks are there in the NBA? There's Lebron and Wilt then...Sure there are plenty of NBA players can play in the NFL more so than NFL players who can play in the NBA, but this is mainly due to positional differences between the sports and the emphasis on height in the NBA.

NFL players are just built differently than NBA players. If you're not playing a skill position (QB, WR, DB, kicker), then you pretty much need a combination of size, speed, strength and athleticism. There aren't any NBA players (aside from Lebron) who have that combination and built like Vernon Davis, Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Terrell Owens and Julius Peppers. NBA players just aren't conditioned for power as that sport doesn't suit it. Someone like Russell Westbrook would have to add 20-30 lbs of mass just to be like Peterson while keeping his speed. This isn't so say Westbrook wouldn't make a good HB or WR, but he just isn't the physical freak that Calvin Johnson is. Then you have the greatest athlete of all time (arguably) in Bo Jackson who was a 2 sport star.. faster, stronger, and more athletic than anyone.

Neutral 123 · Post #242 » by **Neutral 123** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 10:28 pm

I'd say there is a much bigger skill component in being an NBA player vs most positions in football. That means that someone who is skilled can overcome lacking elite athleticism more easily in the NBA than NFL. Conclusion? Better overall athletes in the NFL.

But given the vastly different positions that are in the NFL, it's sort of a complicated question anyways.

Neutral 123 · Post #243 » by **Neutral 123** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 10:31 pm

john248 wrote:Well, how many physical freaks are there in the NBA? There's Lebron and Wilt then...Sure there are plenty of NBA players can play in the NFL more so than NFL players who can play in the NBA, but this is mainly due to positional differences between the sports and the emphasis on height in the NBA.

NFL players are just built differently than NBA players. If you're not playing a skill position (QB, WR, DB, kicker), then you pretty much need a combination of size, speed, strength and athleticism. There aren't any NBA players (aside from Lebron) who have that combination and built like Vernon Davis, Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Terrell Owens and Julius Peppers. NBA players just aren't conditioned for power as that sport doesn't suit it. Someone like Russell Westbrook would have to add 20-30 lbs of mass just to be like Peterson while keeping his speed. This isn't so say Westbrook wouldn't make a good HB or WR, but he just isn't the physical freak that Calvin Johnson is. Then you have the greatest athlete of all time (arguably) in Bo Jackson who was a 2 sport star.. faster, stronger, and more athletic than anyone.

I agree, although I'm not sure I'd even put WR and DB as skill positions either. I'd say QB and maybe RB and that's about it.

Kupchak9 · Post #244 » by **Kupchak9** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 10:35 pm

NFL players easily. As for the guy who said not many NFL players have 40 inch verticals, there's 10 times as many NFL players that jump that high compared to NBA players.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/top-performe ... CB-OL-SPEC

Outside of

Lebron, Nate, Brown and Wall how many NBA players have 40 inch verticals.

noobcake · Post #245 » by **noobcake** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 10:43 pm

Kupchak9 wrote:NFL players easily. As for the guy who said not many NFL players have 40 inch verticals, there's 10 times as many NFL players that jump that high compared to NBA players.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/top-performe ... CB-OL-SPEC

Outside of

Lebron, Nate, Brown and Wall how many NBA players have 40 inch verticals.

Plenty: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-dra ... ll&sort=12

Number of NBA prospect is far lower than NFL prospects.

busybluth22 · Post #246 » by **busybluth22** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 11:03 pm

A good article from the Denver Post about NFL 40Y dashes:

Many track coaches I've spoken with through the years have said they believe an accepted way to convert a hand-timed sprint to what it would have been in a fully automated clocking is to round up to the nearest 10th of a second — a 4.23 or 4.28 becomes a 4.3 — and then add .25 more.

So, a 4.31 hand-timed 40-yard dash quickly becomes a 4.65 in conversion to an estimated electronic time to an experienced track coach. It's also why some in the league believe the combine doesn't go with a fully electronic system — both start and finish electronically monitored — to time the 40s because the times would suddenly appear historically slow after decades of hand-timed 40s in circulation.

For example, according to the analysis done by the IAAF — the world's governing body of track and field — of Usain Bolt's world-record 100 meters in Berlin in 2009 (9.58 seconds), Bolt ran the first 40 meters in 4.65 seconds, which included a .165 reaction time.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22732337/n ... cial-times

BIG match · Post #247 » by **BIG match** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 11:07 pm

noobcake wrote:
Kupchak9 wrote:NFL players easily. As for the guy who said not many NFL players have 40 inch verticals, there's 10 times as many NFL players that jump that high compared to NBA players.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/top-performe ... CB-OL-SPEC

Outside of

Lebron, Nate, Brown and Wall how many NBA players have 40 inch verticals.

Plenty: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-dra ... ll&sort=12

anyone know what that number for agility is based off of?

Number of NBA prospect is far lower than NFL prospects.

DJ Stephens

...6'5", 7"+ wingspan, 46" vert !!!!, and a 40" no step vert....my god, goes to show you that athleticism alone wont get you into the league. Those are looking like some of the best combine stats ever

LakerLegend · Post #248 » by **LakerLegend** » Sat Sep 7, 2013 11:41 pm

I'd say this article sums it up pretty well:

It's the NFL, and it isn't even close.

I know what you are about to say: What about LeBron?

TWO WORDS: SHAWN BRADLEY.

TWO MORE WORDS: MANUTE BOL.

You think Larry Bird can block Lawrence Taylor?

Do I really have to go on?

OK, let's cede that LeBron is the most athletic player in either sport -- more than Megatron, Adrian Peterson, J.J. Watt, JPP, Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith, Von Miller, etc.

How many LeBrons are there?

Exactly.

Get past LeBron, Kobe, and Durant, and the NFL has got ten Chris Johnsons, RG3s, and Adrian Petersons for every one of the NBA's Chris Paul types.

You are really telling me if we are picking teams for any sport besides basketball you are taking tubby Carmelo Anthony over say, Patrick Willis?

Really?

You're selling me that Brook Lopez -- and that guy is an NBA all-star for heaven's sake -- is a better athlete than say, Russell Wilson, or A.J. Green, or Darrelle Revis, or Julio Jones, or Gronk, or Jason Peters, or DeMarcus Ware, or Cam Newton, or Colin Kaepernick?

Can I have a few minutes to stop laughing?

The NBA has maybe 50 great athletes. The NFL has about 1000.

Rasheed Wallace is like 174 years old and he's still playing (until a few weeks ago). Dikembe Mutombo was like 4,000 years old and still playing big minutes at the end. The average age of players in the just-completed Knicks-Celtics playoff series was around 65 1/2 years old.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/whi ... 90301.html

john248 · Post #249 » by **john248** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 12:35 am

Neutral 123 wrote:
john248 wrote:Well, how many physical freaks are there in the NBA? There's Lebron and Wilt then...Sure there are plenty of NBA players can play in the NFL more so than NFL players who can play in the NBA, but this is mainly due to positional differences between the sports and the emphasis on height in the NBA.

NFL players are just built differently than NBA players. If you're not playing a skill position (QB, WR, DB, kicker), then you pretty much need a combination of size, speed, strength and athleticism. There aren't any NBA players (aside from Lebron) who have that combination and built like Vernon Davis, Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Terrell Owens and Julius Peppers. NBA players just aren't conditioned for power as that sport doesn't suit it. Someone like Russell Westbrook would have to add 20-30 lbs of mass just to be like Peterson while keeping his speed. This isn't so say Westbrook wouldn't make a good HB or WR, but he just isn't the physical freak that Calvin Johnson is. Then you have the greatest athlete of all time (arguably) in Bo Jackson who was a 2 sport star.. faster, stronger, and more athletic than anyone.

I agree, although I'm not sure I'd even put WR and DB as skill positions either. I'd say QB and maybe RB and that's about it.

What you wrote is actually not true regarding skill position players. Skill positions generally are ball handlers and their counterparts: QB, RB, WR, DB, return specialists. Linemen (both sides) and generally LBs don't fall into this because they place close to the LOS.

Illogicality · Post #250 » by **Illogicality** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 12:40 am

Nate Robinson's the only one i can think of who played college football and made it to the NBA. Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, Donovan McNabb, Antwan Randle El, Connor Barwin, Terrell Owens, Martellus Bennett, and Julius Peppers all played college basketball and sucked.

Nfl has the better athletes, but the NBA requires more skill.

I'd also like to add there are 1,696 players in the NFL per year compared to 360 - 450 players in the NBA per year.

qm22 · Post #251 » by **qm22** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 2:37 am

CablexDeadpool wrote:
NFL players can dunk, easily....if there are people like the Flight Bros and AND1 running around and doing 720s

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-aueTBtBFc[/youtube]

Yes, and look at how bad they are dunking for guys who are supposed to be 35+ in or even 40 in verticals (no step verticals, no less). Like with that Robert Griffin video, a 6'3 guy with 39 inch vert (no step)should be doing way better than that. It looked like a 32 max vert jump type of dunk.

Again, the vertical jump test is open to cheating by shortening standing reach. Unlike the NBA, the NFL doesn't care about short standing reach and so it is in everyone's best interest to cheat. People have been known to cheat in the NBA too, but it doesn't benefit them greatly with the focus on reach and length. I'm sure, since no one makes a big deal about NFL combine numbers, and that combine athletes don't care about their stock dropping in the draft, or that many of their competitors are cheating, they would not cheat their standing reach either.

But if you want to use it to believe a lot of 300 lbs NFL players jump *better* than Vince Carter, and that only 2 players in the NBA have a higher vertical the average NFL vertical, go ahead.

The NFL combine numbers are hyperinflated and not acceptable for comparisons to other sports. NFL executives admit as much about the 40 yard dash. The NFL knows they used biased and suboptimal methods for measurement but appear reluctant to tone down the hype their numbers generate. So, I have trouble accepting the numbers produced by a system known to be flawed for the sake of hype when comparing the NBA and NFL.

Additionally, there is only so much you can gain from combine numbers. Most NBA players do not begin weight training if they are drafted out of HS or 1 year college, quite the opposite to NFL players. Then, the numbers do not translate well into other areas. With the vertical, you use different muscles to gather yourself for a no-step max jump then you use in reality, and often good jumpers in NBA games are not always those with great combine numbers. Many need to jump off one leg (much harder), or off balance/on the move.

primecougar · Post #252 » by **primecougar** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 2:56 am

This is really hard to compare because nba players are much taller.
the reason lbj is considered for goat athlete is because he's 6-8 doing what 6-3 guys do. you're height and weight really affects your athletic ability.

Even though I think nfl players are better athletes, some people use terrible reasons to argue for the nfl.

using the number of times a player bench presses is dumb for a couple reasons.
1) it's something you can train for and achieve really easily. If you workout for 2 weeks, your max bench press will increase. I don't think nba players train to do a lot of bench press. Scouts don't even care that much for it in the nba
2) nba players have much larger wing spans. It's a lot harder to bench press when you have a 7 foot wing span. There was a video of amare doing push-ups and you could see how far he had to go down to complete a push up.

Using the number of freak athletes is stupid as well. Saying there's "10 freak athletes in the nfl while there's only 1 in the nba". That's not really fair because there's only 400 players in the nba while the nfl has around 1300-1400 players. Height also plays a big role. Young athletes that grow too much don't really consider the nba. Avg height in the nba is 6-6, if you're 14 and still 4-11, you won't consider nba at all.

In football different positions require different kinds of athletic ability. In the NBA you need to be a balanced athlete.

Being a freak athlete, there's a huge chance you make the nfl, in the nba you won't even get a roster spot.
James white was a freak, dj Stephens just went undrafted. He probably had goat combine numbers.
6-6, 230, 46 inch vert and 40 inch no step. He was really fast/quick.

nfl has better athletes if you only consider weight/speed/vert/strength.
For the nba you need height/wingspan/quickness/agility/body control/speed/vert/ and most importantly stamina.

bloojoo · Post #253 » by **bloojoo** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 2:58 am

NFL players are and its not even close. Even the ELITE NBA athletes with maybe the exception of lebron would get blown out of the water when comparing them to the speed, power and agility of an NFL WR/LB/CB/RB. Don't forget for the NFL combine they only measure no-step vertical jump. A 40 inch no-step vert is way more impressive than a 40 inch running vert.

Chalk1 · Post #254 » by **Chalk1** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 3:11 am

So being able to dribble and control a basketball like Chris Paul or Steve Nash doesn't require athleticism?

Or shooting like Ray Allen or Reggie Miller?

If it's just an acquired skill, why can't everyone dribble like Paul and shoot like Miller?

Every 6'8" player could be like Magic and Bird.

How about endurance, the ability to play 40 minutes up and down the court, 82 plus games a season?

iansportsdude7 · Post #255 » by **iansportsdude7** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 3:32 pm

I'd say NFL players are better overall athletes, but NBA players could play football before NFL players could play basketball.

NBA is more of a skill game. Calvin Johnson is a freak athlete (6'5, 239 runs a 4.35 and has a 46" vertical), but you can't stick him on a basketball court and expect him to dominate. Who knows if he could dribble, shoot, defend, etc.

NFL is also a skill game, but it relies more on sheer athleticism and technique than anything else. You could put Russell Westbrook at WR, he probably wouldn't be a Pro Bowler, but if you taught him to run routes, he'd likely be able to make that transition.

Other note here, players 6'8 or taller just don't make it in the NFL due to how big of a target they become to hit. Guys that tall get demolished. They take too many upper body hits and football is all about leverage. Guys like Durant would never, ever, ever make it in the NFL.

It truly is apples to oranges. Different sports requiring different skill sets and different types of athletes.

tdotrep2 · Post #256 » by **tdotrep2** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 4:57 pm

Respect My Mind wrote:
CablexDeadpool wrote:
are u crazy That is every NFL player.

There are nfl players that are not even good NFL players that are freaks.

I can find 10 NFL players that are current NFL players playing right now with 40 inch verts off the top of my head. I can find 10 nfl players with 4.3 40s off the top of my head.

I can find more NFL players with 37 to 40 inch verticals than NBA players and they weight 20 pounds more than a derrick rose or russell westbrook

40 inch verts
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/pr ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=RB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=TE
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=TE
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=CB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=TE

4.3 40s or lower
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=wr
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/pr ... &genpos=CB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/pr ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=CB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=CB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=RB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=WR
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=RB

37 to 38 inch verts
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=DE
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/pr ... &genpos=CB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=QB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/pr ... &genpos=QB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=RB
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/ds ... &genpos=WR

Those are weight-room verts. NFL guys do squats and toe lifts with heavy ass weights so they can get those 40 inch verticals. Not real athleticism just training. Guys like Deandre Jordan could dunk when they were in the 6th grade.

No comparison.

this is likely the worst post I have ever read on any forum not just realgm

Shorty Doo-Wop · Post #257 » by **Shorty Doo-Wop** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 9:38 pm

Most of the guys in the NFL with good no step verts probably dont even jump as high when they have to run and jump which is something all basketball players except for maybe some big guys have to do

john248 · Post #258 » by **john248** » Sun Sep 8, 2013 10:00 pm

Shorty Doo-Wop wrote:Most of the guys in the NFL with good no step verts probably dont even jump as high when they have to run and jump which is something all basketball players except for maybe some big guys have to do

lolwut.. have you seen some of these WRs and DBs go up and get the ball? turn on your tv. it happens time to time as we're speaking. players are dunking the football in the goal posts after they score a TD with pads on.. and you guessed it.. the goal posts are 10 feet above the ground. these NFL players have plenty of hops.

primecougar · Post #259 » by **primecougar** » Mon Sep 9, 2013 4:43 am

john248 wrote:
Shorty Doo-Wop wrote:Most of the guys in the NFL with good no step verts probably dont even jump as high when they have to run and jump which is something all basketball players except for maybe some big guys have to do

lolwut.. have you seen some of these WRs and DBs go up and get the ball? turn on your tv. it happens time to time as we're speaking. players are dunking the football in the goal posts after they score a TD with pads on.. and you guessed it.. the goal posts are 10 feet above the ground. these NFL players have plenty of hops.

This is a basketball forum. Nfl athletes are freak. Besides stamina, nfl players have it all

nicnac215 · Post #260 » by **nicnac215** » Mon Sep 9, 2013 5:45 am

primecougar wrote:
john248 wrote:
Shorty Doo-Wop wrote:Most of the guys in the NFL with good no step verts probably dont even jump as high when they have to run and jump which is something all basketball players except for maybe some big guys have to do

lolwut.. have you seen some of these WRs and DBs go up and get the ball? turn on your tv. it happens time to time as we're speaking. players are dunking the football in the goal posts after they score a TD with pads on.. and you guessed it.. the goal posts are 10 feet above the ground. these NFL players have plenty of hops.

This is a basketball forum. Nfl athletes are freak. Besides stamina and being able to walk at 50 years old, nfl players have it all