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You need to be one of the freakiest athletes in the world to be in the NBA. These players make up a very small percentage of people worldwide and in this 2021-2022 NBA season, a select few stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Athleticism in the NBA can show up in many ways. We often see it in how explosive a player jumps into the air, throwing down highlight dunks or epic blocks. All around the league, there are a lot of players that have fantastic leaping and athletic ability.
This is a list of some of the most incredible athletes playing in the NBA today.
#5 NBA Point Guard, Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant was drafted second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and has quickly become one of the best young point guards in the league. Morant has set the NBA world on fire with some of the most incredible dunks over the last few seasons. In the open court leading a fastbreak, finding an open lane or just meeting someone at the rim, Ja Morant gets up with some of the very best in the NBA.
Measuring just 6-feet 3-inches, Morant is one of the best inside scorers in the league. At times this season, he led the NBA in points in the paint despite the presence of big men such as Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Domantas Sabonis. That only shows off more of his athleticism.
Sadly, Morant will be missing some time after suffering a knee injury, with no real update yet. Hopefully, he will be back on the court soon performing his highlight dunks and maybe even competing in the NBA Dunk contest down the line.
#4 NBA Power Forward, Aaron Gordon Denver Nuggets
Aaron Gordan, a two-time runner-up in the NBA Dunk Contest, still has some of the craziest hops in the NBA. Although Gordon has some good but not insane in-game dunks, his two dunk contest performances featured some of the best slams in NBA Dunk Contest history.
Gordon has gradually started to show off more of his overall NBA talent. He's become a decent three-point shooter and playmaker in his seventh season in the league. Gordon has improved as a player beyond his freakish athleticism and dunking ability, but he can still get up and jump with the best of the NBA.
This has been showcased on both ends of the court, as Gordon can hit you with a monster dunk through an open lane and he can also send your shot back by jumping way above the rim. Gordon uses his athletic ability to impact the game while slowly developing into a more complete player.
#3 NBA Shooting Guard, Zach LaVine Chicago Bulls
In two straight epic NBA Dunk contests in 2015 and 2016, Zach LaVine won both times against Aaron Gordon. Although fans often discuss and debate, and many believe Gordon should have won, LaVine is still a back-to-back NBA Dunk Champion.
LaVine was taken 13th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft out of UCLA. A big reason for him getting drafted was his athleticism, especially his leaping ability that was proudly displayed in the NBA Dunk Contest.
What's also incredible is LaVine’s ability to dunk in traffic while being contested, either going over people or just straight through them. There are very few people in the NBA who can jump up and meet LaVine at the rim, which puts him in that upper echelon of NBA athletes.
LaVine has evolved from being just a highlight dunker into one of the best scorers in the NBA. He has averaged over 20 points per game in the last three seasons and seems to be on his way to another stellar year.
#2 NBA Shooting Guard, Anthony Edwards Minnesota Timberwolves
In a very short time, Anthony Edwards has become one of the most exciting players in the NBA. In just his second season in the league, and not even 21 years old, Edwards has already proven he can jump with anyone and even power through them.
Edwards was selected No.1 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. He is a freak of an athlete who has demonstrated his insane athleticism over and over. When Edwards has an open-court dunk opportunity, it instantly becomes a must-watch moment to see what he might do.
It also doesn't matter if you are in his way. Edwards is going straight through you or even right over you. He can easily get up in traffic and the best way for anyone to stop him, rather than by jumping up is to try and draw the charge.
If anyone wants to get in front of an Edwards drive into the paint, they can expect to be featured in a highlight reel that millions of NBA fans will surely watch.
#1 NBA Power Forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks
Beyond just being a freak of nature, standing at 6-feet 11-inches and weighing 240 pounds, he is arguably one of the most physically gifted athletes in the NBA. There is a reason why his nickname is the Greek Freak, and it’s because Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most freakishly athletic players in the NBA.
On his way to winning his first NBA Finals and Finals MVP, Antetokounmpo dropped 50 points in Game 6, which is simply incredible. However, the highlight for Antetokounmpo in the NBA Finals was his game-saving block in Game 4.
That block might just be one of the most unbelievable feats of athleticism that has ever been done in NBA history. It is right up with LeBron James’s chase-down rejection in the 2016 NBA Finals. This block is special because Antetokounmpo found a way to cover and defend both players on a pick-a-roll.
Giannis prevented a short layup by Devin Booker and was able to recover quick enough with the explosive ability to block an alley-oop dunk attempt by Deandre Ayton. It is one of the best defensive plays in NBA Finals history.
This is not to say that Antetokounmpo can’t dunk just as well as the rest of the players on the list. Even though he may never show off his ability in a dunk contest, he can and regularly does get up to dunk on anyone in the NBA.
Guess the Lakers players!
