Former NBA champion makes bizarre comparison between LaMelo Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Over the past few seasons, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as one of the league's best players. In fact, he is arguably the best, as he is only competing with Nikola Jokic.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn the other hand, Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball has been a tremendous talent since getting drafted in 2020. He already has an All-Star nod under his belt, which has put him in special conversations already.
Shumpert believes Ball and Gilgeous-Alexander are similar
It is unanimous that Gilgeous-Alexander is a better player when compared to Ball. However, that has not stopped former NBA champion Iman Shumpert from thinking that they are quite similar to each other.
This is an unpopular opinion from Shumpert, as it is hard to find comparisons for either player. They both have unique play styles, but it seems that Shumpert is looking at the two players more on the physical side.
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Both players are immensely talented players, but a lot of people would be questioning Shumpert's point. It is a good look for Ball because he is in those conversations, but most people would agree that SGA is at the pinnacle of the game.
"I don't see the difference in how LaMelo Ball plays and how SGA plays besides some discipline. He's got all the physical gifts that SGA has, so that's all you need when you start talking about playoff basketball," Shumpert said on Run It Back.
It is an interesting comparison to make, and it definitely has people talking. Moving forward, Hornets fans would love it if Ball could be as impactful to winning as SGA.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the meantime, they are on the hottest streak in the league, which could mean that Shumpert might have a point.
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