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Even though comparing basketball and soccer is a difficult dynamic, we can draw some similarities between some of the biggest names in each discipline. In the NBA, we will find personalities similar to those seen in European football and vice-versa.
Naturally, with both basketball and soccer being global sports, sports fans tend to compare the best players in one sport with their counterparts in the other.
In this list, we will mention five current NBA superstars and their equivalents in European soccer. The comparison will not be as detailed as it would have been with players in the same sport, but the abilities, potential, personalities and success of both players in their respective sport will find a mention.
Without further ado, let us get started.
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#5 Zion Williamson - NBA / Erling Haaland - soccer
Zion Williamson and Erling Braut Haaland are two young, left-handed/left-footed and physically imposing players who have shown the world that they have the potential to become legends in their respective sport in the years to come.
Though Zion Williamson only played 24 NBA games in his rookie year, his impact was huge from the moment he entered an NBA court.
In his debut season, once Williamson got into NBA basketball rhythm, he let the world know that he was not afraid of the stage. He scored 22 points against the San Antonio Spurs in his NBA debut on 22 January 2020 and made eight of his 11 shots. Williamson had a ferocious 17-point fourth quarter and hit each of his four shots from three in that game.
Haaland, on the other hand, made his name by making a tremendous debut in the biggest of stages. In his first UEFA Champions League match, back in September 2019, the Norwegian scored a hat-trick against KRC Genk in a 6-2 win for Salzburg.
After getting transferred to Borussia Dortmund in the same season, he scored another debut hat-trick (this time from the bench) in his first Bundesliga game.
Williamson and Haaland are two probable future superstars who have indeed started their careers at the highest level in stunning fashion.
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#4 Klay Thompson - NBA / Kevin De Bruyne - soccer
Two precise, sharp athletes, Klay Thompson and Kevin De Bruyne have several similarities, both in their games and their teams' systems.
Without the injury that kept him out from the entire 2019-20 NBA season, Thompson would have been one of the Golden State Warriors' main weapons, as is usually the case.
Though Thompson might not be the best player in his team, he is an essential piece in Steve Kerr's system, and the team will need him to be at his best level if they are going to compete for the NBA title next season.
Style and polished technique are the two things we might think of when talking about these two world-class athletes.
Like Thompson (for the Warriors), Kevin De Bruyne is one of Manchester City's key players. Even though the Belgian might not be the best in his team or the club's biggest name (Sergio Aguero probably has that distinction), he is nevertheless a crucial cog in Pep Guardiola's structure.
#3 Kevin Durant - NBA / Neymar - soccer
Two nuclear weapons on the attacking side of their sports, Kevin Durant and Neymar are easily Top-3 players in the NBA and world soccer respectively when they are not injured.
Though they are two of the biggest names in their respective sports, they have also had physical issues that have not allowed them to have greater success. After missing the entire 2019-20 season, Durant now has had two injury-riddled years (he played only 27 games in the 2014-15 NBA campaign).
Neymar, though extremely talented, has also suffered many injuries during his time with PSG and has not been able to help his team achieve European success yet. His physical issues have also hindered his tenure with the Brazilian national team too.
Of course, when these two are healthy, everyone is on notice in the NBA and the European football scene.
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#2 Stephen Curry - NBA / Lionel Messi - soccer
Both Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry have an aesthetically beautiful style of play as well as tremendous efficiency.
Messi is easily one of the top two players in the history of soccer while Curry is the undisputed greatest shooter in NBA history. Though they are not physically-dominant players, their skills put them ahead of almost every other player in their respective sport.
Messi has enjoyed unbelievable success at FC Barcelona while being surrounded with world-class players.
Similarly, Curry has also had similar talent around him; he won two of his three NBA titles after Kevin Durant joined the Warriors.
On the flip side, however, Messi's failures with Argentina in decisive moments might be compared with Curry's meltdown in the 2016 NBA Finals when the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead to the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.
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#1 LeBron James - NBA / Cristiano Ronaldo - soccer
While LeBron James is the undisputed best basketball player on the planet for most, Cristiano Ronaldo does not enjoy the same kind of affection from almost everyone in his sport.
Still, their places in the history of the NBA and world football respectively are under no doubt at all.
LeBron James and Ronaldo are unbelievable athletes who have found an even higher gear after they reached the final years of their legendary careers. Both are 35 years of age and have still managed to compete for the best awards in their respective sport while continuing to elevate their teammates.
James is the best player of his era and has the most NBA championships. He is also the all-time leader in points in NBA playoffs history.
On the other hand, Ronaldo is the most successful player in the UEFA Champions League with five titles. He also has the most goals and assists in competition history.
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