The Crossover: NBA Edition
There have been thousands of distinct players throughout NBA history - but which players resemble each other?
Giannis Antetokounmpo & Kevin Garnett
The similarities between these two are uncanny. The towering power forwards are both former MVP’s and DPOYs that can score the ball at will. Their bruising style of attacking downhill and then locking up on the defensive side of the ball are reasons why the latter was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and the other is bound to be a first-ballot inductee as soon as he retires. Down below, we’ll take at how similar The Greek Freak and KG truly are:
Stats:
Giannis: 23.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 5 apg, 1.2 bpg, 1.1 spg
15.9 FGA, .551% FG, .594% 2P, .284% 3P, .694% FT
56 career triple doubles
Career highs of 64 points, 22 rebounds, and 20 assists
Garnett: 17.8 ppg, 10 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.4 bpg, 1.3 spg
14.5 FGA, .497% FG, .504% 2P, .275% 3P, .789% FT
16 career triple doubles
Career highs of 47 points, 25 rebounds, and 12 assists
Accolades:
Giannis: 9x All Star, 9x All-NBA
2018, 2019 MVP
2019 Defensive Player of the Year; 5x All-Defensive Team
2021 NBA Champion; 2021 Finals MVP
2021 All-Star Game MVP
2025 In-Season Tournament Champion; 2025 In-Season Tournament MVP
Garnett: 15x All Star, 9x All-NBA
2003 MVP
2008 Defensive Player of the Year; 12x All-Defensive Team (one of four players in NBA History to be selected to the first team on 9 separate occasions - Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Gary Payton)
2008 NBA Champion
2003 All-Star Game MVP
4x Rebounding Champion (2003 - 2006)
Career Comparison:
Garnett’s and Giannis’ start of their respective careers have been very alike. They have stayed loyal to their hometown team while players coast-to-coast have been swayed by bigger markets.
Garnett spent his first 14 of a total 21 seasons in Minnesota. His best finish to a campaign was during the 2004 season when his T-Wolves lost to the Kobe-and-Shaq Lakers in 6 in the Western Conference Finals. Boston gave Garnett an opportunity that he couldn’t refuse to play alongside two future hall of famers, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. After a 4-year hiatus from the playoffs, KG deservingly won the 2008 Championship in his first year with the Celtics.
All of Giannis’ 12 years of professional basketball has been spent in Milwaukee. His ascension into NBA stardom has taken years upon years of dedication which culminated into back-to-back MVP awards and a historic 2020 year. His dedication also warranted winning a long-deserved title in 2021 against the Phoenix Suns. Despite the championship, Milwaukee has faltered under expectations in the playoffs in recent years:
2025 - 1st Round exit versus the Indiana Pacers - #5 seed in the regular season
2024 - 1st Round exit versus the Indiana Pacers -#3 seed in the regular season
2023 - 1st Round exit versus the Miami Heat - #1 seed in the regular season
2022 - 2nd round exit versus the Boston Celtics - #3 seed in the regular season
2021 - Won the finals versus the Phoenix Suns - #3 seed in the regular season
This could drive The Greek Freak to potentially a new team that offers greater championship potential, strikingly mirroring KG’s prior situation. No matter if Antetokounmpo leaves Milwaukee or stays put, he has already joined an exclusive list of all-time greats.
Kyrie Irving & Allen Iverson
You could watch Kyrie Irving and Allen Iverson highlights for hours. These two guards possess stunning capabilities with the ball seemingly glued to their hands. The Answer, each year, has put up historic offensive seasons to will the team that drafted him to the finals. Irving has taken a slightly different route, but is the creator of infamous NBA moments, none other than his 3-pointer in the 2016 NBA Finals. While one is retired and inducted into the Hall of Fame, the other is on the path from recovering from a serious injury, but will soon join a starting lineup overflowing with potential.
Stats:
Irving: 23.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.6 apg, 0.4 bpg, 1.3 spg
18.4 FGA, .474% FG, .514% 2P, .394% 3P, .888% FT
3 career triple doubles
Career highs of 60 points, 11 rebounds, and 18 assists
Iverson: 26.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.2 apg, 0.2 bpg, 2.2 spg
21.8 FGA, .425% FG, .448% 2P, .313% 3P, .780% FT
1 career triple double (came during January of the 2001 season against the Clippers)
Career highs of 60 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists
Accolades:
Irving: 9x All Star, 3x All-NBA
2011 Rookie of the Year
2016 NBA Champion
2014 All-Star Game MVP
Iverson: 11x All Star, 7x All-NBA
2000 MVP
1997 Rookie of the Year
4x Scoring Champion (1998, 2000, 2001, and 2004)
2001 & 2005 All-Star Game MVP
3x Steal Champion (2000 - 2002)
Career Comparison:
The similarities between Irving and Iverson continue to grow. The talented ball-handlers have both spent the same number of years in the NBA (14), represented the same number of teams (4), and seen more movement throughout the league in the later stages of their careers.
Iverson’s rookie year was a symbol of the rest of his career - a complete offensive weapon. Throughout his career with Philadelphia, he scored at least 22 points per game for the club. Iverson with the Sixers put up some of the most memorable moments in league history as he crossed up MJ and also stepped over Tyron Lue in the 2000 NBA Finals. Iverson then paired up with another historic offensive scorer with Carmelo Anthony in Denver for a stint before shortly representing the Memphis Grizzlies and then retiring as a Sixer.
Irving, alongside LeBron James, helped deliver a title to The Land in 2016 during arguably the best Finals series in NBA history. Like many other superstars past and present, Irving decided to take his talents to Boston. However, after two quick seasons that ended in defeat to his former teammate in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers in 2018 and then to the Bucks in 2019, Irving turned to another New England-based team. He teamed-up with two other superstars Kevin Durant and James Harden (similar to how Iverson joined Carmelo Anthony in Denver). The superteam lasted 2 and a half seasons and each star parted ways; Durant to Phoenix, Harden to the Clippers, and Kyrie took his talents to Dallas where he recently signed a 3-year, $118 million contract with the Mavericks.
Both Irving and Iverson will be remembered as talented scorers whose ball-handling skills changed the game of basketball for the better.
Amen Thompson & Kawhi Leonard
This comparison is the first - and only - between two players who are currently active in the NBA today. One is a sophomore who is showing continual signs of progression on both sides of the court. The other is a 13-year veteran who is regarded as a top-10 defender of all time and frequently demonstrated defensive excellence. Already, Thompson, with a 6’7 frame just like Leonard, is a premier defender in the NBA and looks sure to similarly follow in The Claw’s footsteps.
Stats:
Thompson: 11.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1 bpg, 1.3 spg
8.7 FGA, .549% FG, .598% 2P, .221% 3P, .684% FT
4 career triple doubles (2 of them came in a week and a half span in February of 2025)
Career highs of 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists
Leonard: 20.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, 0.6 bpg, 1.7 spg
14.6 FGA, .499% FG, .540% 2P, .392% 3P, .860% FT
2 career triple doubles
Career highs of 45 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists
Accolades:
Thompson
2023-24 All-Rookie 2nd Team
2024-25 All-Defensive 1st Team
Leonard: 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA
2015, 2016 Defensive Player of the Year; 7x All-Defensive Team
2014, 2019 NBA Champion; 2013, 2019 Finals MVP
2019 All-Star Game MVP
2015 Steal Champion
Career Comparison:
Amen Thompson’s situation just took a turn for the better this offseason when the Rockets acquired Kevin Durant in the first 7-team deal in NBA history. This trade is similar to Kawhi entering a Spurs squad that already had cemented offensive weapons like Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and even guys like Danny Green and Patty Mills who could give you 10 a night or even more. Though Thompson might not quite possess Leonard’s same offensive abilities, such as the discrepancies in free throw and three point percentage, there’s so much room for improvement. Especially when you consider he’ll be learning tips from The Slim Reaper.
Leonard was a rock for the San Antonio Spurs. His role was simple: 3-and-D perimeter defender who didn’t need to score 30 or 40 points a night. Additionally, Leonard was playing in a system that relied on teamwork which worked tremendously for his advantage when playing alongside superstars. After issues of load management and seeking out of San Antonio, The Board Man was shipped to Toronto and turned into a monster. 2019 Kawhi Leonard might be the best Kawhi we will ever since and it was sheer excellence on the basketball court. Thompson already has the defensive side of the ball set in stone, but as soon as he improves (which will only be a matter of time) on the offensive side of the ball, he will continue to look like a young Kawhi.
Klay Thompson & Ray Allen
The 3rd and 5th respective players on the all time leaderboard for 3-pointers made have undoubtedly shown some similarities between each other. Look nowhere else but their stats, as Thompson and Allen are almost identical between each other. Thompson at 35 years old and off the back of his fourth season removed from two major injuries, still looks like he has gas in the tank to compete for a title. Much like how Allen, at 35, was selected to an all-star game back in the 2010/11 and impressively played 80 out of 82 games for Boston.
Stats:
Thompson: 19.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.5 bpg, 0.8 spg
15.8 FGA, .451% FG, .487% 2P, .411% 3P, .860% FT
Career highs of 60 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists
Allen: 18.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.2 bpg, 1.1 spg
14.6 FGA, .452% FG, .485% 2P, .400% 3P, .894% FT
3 career triple doubles
Career highs of 54 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists
Accolades:
Thompson: 5x All Star, 2x All-NBA
2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 NBA Champion
2019 All-Defensive Team
5th most made 3-pointers in NBA History (2,697) behind Damian Lillard, Ray Allen, James Harden & Stephen Curry
Allen: 10x All Star, 2x All-NBA
2008, 2013 NBA Champion
3rd most made 3-pointers in NBA History (2,973) behind James Harden & Stephen Curry
Career Comparison:
Solely based on numbers, Thompson and Allen are astoundingly similar. Their shooting splits are almost indistinguishable while their contributions on the court have had an alike impact. On their respective teams, Thompson and Allen have proved to be tremendous secondary scorers who keep the defense on their toes.
Ray Allen spent time with 4 different teams during his illustrious career. Arguably, where he made his greatest impact was with his fourth and final team, the Miami Heat. His clutch 3-pointer against the Spurs is one of the most memorable moments in NBA history. Additionally, prior to his valuable time in the Sunshine State, he contributed significantly to Boston’s 2008 title alongside Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. His impressive three-pointer shooting ability was refined in Milwaukee and ultimately in Seattle when he attempted and made the most 3-pointers of his career.
Klay Thompson’s longevity (a characteristic that Ray Allen is lauded for) at the start of his career needs to be praised more. For 8 seasons he played at least 66 games each season and besides for his rookie campaign, he averaged at least 32 minutes a night. In the playoffs, his contributions were even more vital as he earned the nickname ‘Game 6 Klay’. One half of the Splash Brothers found himself in Dallas after a changed team role with Steve Kerr moving him to the bench late in the 2023 season. Now, Thompson has the ability to keep on winning with each three-pointer and 4 NBA Championships under his belt.
