Why is basketball players looked up to as the greatest athletes?

[PlayTheGame]

Uh, MMA? Francis Ngannou didn't get into boxing until he was 22 and BJJ until he was 26.

Jimi Manuwa started training MMA at 27, and went on to become a top-5 UFC LHW.

 

[Taric]

Jimi Manuwa started training MMA at 27, and went on to become a top-5 UFC LHW.

Hilarious.

 

[gotBooched]

A level athletes with long reach

Basically Jon Jones on steroids

You mean...just Jon Jones

 

[MadHouse]

tall, shredded and black
that's all you need to know

 

[Normot]

tall, shredded and black
that's all you need to know

You act like those are just eyeball judgements and don't actually matter. Every tall,shredded,black dude with a wrestling base whos even tried MMA has been in the UFC top 10.

 

[SHAZAM]

Here we go again... The best player in sport ____ isn't even the best athlete in that sport. The best athlete isn't the best in any sport.

You know what? Since we going full shertard, the best basketball players ain't even playing basketball. They're too busy driving for NASCAR and playing golf. Or too busy making real $$$ owning oil and shit.

 

[Noraaq]

But back on topic basketball players generally have a longer reach and are taller so that is the perfect body type. Tall and lanky guys with good explosion. Shertards are so retarded in this regard.

That may be true for boxing, but its not true for wrestling, which is the best fighting art to carry over to MMA.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

And that they can transition to MMA better than any other athlete from any sport. According to Sherdog.

From what I've seen, everyone thinks their favorite sport has the best athletes. If you're a primarily a basketball fan you think that's basketball, if primarily a football fan (either North American or rest of world version of football) you think its football, if primarily a hockey fan then its hockey.

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Athletic, exhibit both slow and fast twitch muscles, in excellent shape, deceptively strong, excellent hand/eye coordination (trying springting up and down a court while bouncing a basketball ball in front of you, etc.

Not taking anything away from other sports; honestly an argument could be made for any sport but imo basketball players are the best athletes.

Yup, everyone thinks their favorite sport is the best -- which is what you'd expect, given that its their favorite sport.

 

[ermac88]

 

[Lemmy Caution]

Uh, MMA? Francis Ngannou didn't get into boxing until he was 22 and BJJ until he was 26.

There may be other sports still. My point is that a sport that you can take up at the age of 17 cannot be a) very difficult or b) very competitive. Pick up soccer at the age of 17 and see how far you'll go. Current (Cameroonian) NBA player Joel Embiid picked up basketball at the age of 15 and was drafted #3 overall. That, too, would be virtually impossible in soccer and hockey. Take into account that European soccer and hockey players are often high-level multi-sport athletes in their early teens, with soccer usually being the common denominator. Hakeem attributed his speed and footwork to soccer.

Comparing sports is easy on a surface level. But ones you start to analyze it, it becomes very difficult. On the surface you could describe MMA as jack of all trades and boxing as a specialist's sport. Saying there are more intangibles in MMA is just another way of saying "je ne sais quoi," which is French for "I don't know what the hell I'm talking about, but that's not going to stop me."

 

[Xuh]

because 'muricans have some deep seated fetish for big black dudes, same as when they say NFL tubs o' lard are the world's best athletes playing the biggest sport and would take over MMA if only all the best athletes on the planet didn't go to NFL (even though noone in the world plays that sport, outside of america)

 

[Blayt7hh]

Most decorated striker in mma history:

Division II college basketball player:

Spoiler

You sure you want to go there?

Spoiler

 

[JB730]

Vs.

 

[snaportap21]

Athletic, exhibit both slow and fast twitch muscles, in excellent shape, deceptively strong, excellent hand/eye coordination (trying springting up and down a court while bouncing a basketball ball in front of you, etc.

Not taking anything away from other sports; honestly an argument could be made for any sport but imo basketball players are the best athletes.

I'm a big basketball fan, and I tend to agree, but the best? Maybe you're right. Off top, I can't think of a more athletic sport.

 

[Taric]

because 'muricans have some deep seated fetish for big black dudes, same as when they say NFL tubs o' lard are the world's best athletes playing the biggest sport and would take over MMA if only all the best athletes on the planet didn't go to NFL (even though noone in the world plays that sport, outside of america)

If you don't believe Aaron Donald wouldn't absolutely dominate the likes of Walt Harris, with minimal training, you're living in a dream world.

 

[Sinthesized]

A level athletes with long reach

Basically Jon Jones on steroids

Jon Jones on more steroids?

 

[piropiro]

Traditionally, the title of “World’s Greatest Athlete” has been given to the person who wins the decathlon, thus the world's greatest athlete of all times is the record-man of decathlon.

Some idea of these freaks (who have to train ten events) ... random times/distances of the current record holders:

100 meters sprint in 10.2sec
400 meters sprint in 45.3sec
110 meters hurdles 13.5sec
high jump 2.1 meters
shot put 15.8 meters
discus throw 51 meters
pole vault 5.5 meters
1500 meters run in 4min 15sec

No one has such a mix of speed (sprints), power (throws), endurance (runs), agility (vaults), etc.

 

[Melas Chasma]

The competition level just to get into the NBA or the NFL is ridiculous. You need to be a 1%er just to get into either of those leagues. To be a hall of fame caliber player you need to be a 1%er of the 1%.

With MMA, guys walk in off the street and succeed. Look at Stipe. He isn't even a full time fighter and he's considered among the best in the sport.

MMA doesn't have the same caliber of athlete as the NBA or NFL. It just doesn't. There's no reason to be offended by that fact. MMA is still a great sport to watch.

In these discussions people tend to forget that MMA is not comparable to almost any other sport. You say you need to be a 1%er just to get into either of those leagues (probably more like 0,1%, or 0,01 but whatever). But when talking about MMA, less than 1% of the people would have the courage and mindset required to even train and try MMA as an amateur, let alone pro.

Anyone can play basketball, but almost no-one wants to even try MMA, because the vast majority of the people are scared/hate fighting. And that includes your "A - level" NBA - players.

 

[Chagaev]

They're tall.

That matters.