TIMESTAMPS BELOW: This is a massive compilation of my videos about “What If” topics, with newly updated content. What are some other What-Ifs that you like to see on this channel? Let me know below. CORRECTION: At the 54 minute mark, I say LeBron's Heat won 33 straight games, which they did not. They won 27 straight, and my brain got them mixed up with the 72 Lakers, who did win 33 straight. Anyway, carry on. The Top 10 RUINED Potentials of All Time 0:17 The Greatest “What If” Shots 12:41 How the NBA Ruined The Suns Chances 20:33 Top 10 INSANE Trades That ALMOST Happened 29:54 What If They Played The Whole Game? 40:18 What if Every Legend Played Wilt Minutes? 51:59 *UPDATED* The Tragic and Confusing legacy of Tracy McGrady 58:21 5 Buzzer Beaters that the Refs got WRONG 01:09:30 The Great What If: Grant Hill 01:16:35 How Good Would Len Bias Have Been? 01:22:37 If ABA Achievements Counted... 01:30:19 *UPDATED* The Near RIVAL to Bill Russell, Maurice Stokes. 01:37:18 Would the Bulls have won in 1999? 01:47:28 5 What Ifs That Make the NBA Better. 01:59:01
Do one on the 2nd best sg of the 90s...LATRELL SPREWELL. 1st team all nba 93-94 season. Great Defense. Took a knicks team to the nba finals if a strike season after coming back from a year long suspension.
For the dude who sadly died after draft : there was a 1 or 2 year rookie who was going to be a good NHL player who died from a heart attack on ice, STEPHANE MORIN, who was with the Quebec Nordiques of the NHL (team moved to Colorado, became the Avalanches a couple years later)
Yeah lol. Everyone knew who Penny Hardaway was lol. Grandmas were buying his merchandise to give to the grandkids for Christmas and birthday presents lmao. Well said bro.
I graduated from university of Maryland 2 years ago and the teachers and coaches talked about len bias, like he hasnt been gone for nearly 30 years. I hope that puts into Perspective just how amazing that young man was.
Amazingly stupid, great basketball talent. You kill yourself with cocaine after being drafted to play on what may have been the greatest basketball team in history, nothing can top that.
Recently read Grant Hill's autobiography and it's a blessing that he was already such a positive person from a good background. Because the way his injury was handled would turn most people supremely bitter. He had a superstar career fumbled by not 1 but 2 franchises
Forsure i dont think people really know how talented he was. He was my favorite player before Kobe Bryant caught my attention but he still remains in my top 5 favorite players
The 48.5mpg is a massive achievement, add in the # of possessions ~130 per team, per game and it becomes even more impressive. To add more context, shooting wasn’t as efficient as today, meaning a guy like Wilt was not only running up and down expected to be the key guy/focus on offence while also being the key guy to protect the rim/defend, but he was also the guy expected to rebound the misses and provide the outlet pass.
Man watching this one about Maurice Stokes hit me different. Salute to Maurice and special salute to Jack Twyman and his family for doing what they did. Unbelievable strength.
T-Mac was a beast. He was never given the chance with a solid healthy cast. He barely ever had, good role players. However, he did speak too soon against Detroit. It fired them up. His numbers are HOF worthy. He was a complete player, and said to be a great teammate.
What if the hawks didn't trade Dominique Wilkins for no reason when the hawks had a great chance to win a ring in 94. What if AI joined Bron in 06 instead of Melo
You watched that 2003 season of Kobe he was insane that season😂😂😂 I remember there was a top 3 Kobe highlight reel that year no one ever did that since
As a lifelong Houstonian I grew up watching Olajuwon play, the greatest “what if” of having MJ, Olajuwon and Drexler on the same team… is mind blowing. They would’ve won 10+ rings. I could see that trio in their prime having a perfect season, 82-0.
@@MultilinguistGlobalFitBlessedThey went 71-11 while Rodman played only 55 games because he was partying. 82 wins, chance is big you'll drop at least 3, but a prime MJ, Olajuwon and Drexler??? That's wild to call it an idiocratic statement.
The Celtics should have gotten some compensation for Bias at least. The 2nd overall pick in the draft dies 2 days after being drafted. Bullshit. But no one was about to feel sorry for the 80s celtics
Had Bias lived they probably don’t get Lewis. But that definitely extends the dynasty well into the 90’s & they challenge Jordans Bulls had either lived. Especially Bias , who was a can’t miss superstar coming out.
I was only 15 years old when Len Bias passed away, but I'll never forget my dad telling me the news. I even read the newspaper article about the tragedy (the paper was typically my father's "turf.") On the plus-side - as someone with an addictive personality later in life - I swore to myself on that day that I would never ever try cocaine. I have honored that promise.
Man if i want a Magic fan i would feel bad for you Trailblazer fans Walton, Sampson, Roy. And then when y'all do have the pieces there are buzzsaws in the league.
Dunno about that. Drexler and MJ were both shooting guards, so I'm not really sure how that would have worked. Olajuwon was certainly a far superior center than the Bulls ever had, although you could argue Longley was a good fit for the team, too, an he had size Olajuwon didn't (good vs. Shaq).
@@Th1sIsMyLegacy He didn't ever "bully" Shaq, he outplayed him.. but that was early in Shaq's career when he was both less skilled, and much less massive. Olajuwon is undeniably a more skilled player than Shaq, but Shaq was just so fucking big and strong it eventually didn't matter. Hakeem couldn't go toe to toe.
Hansel Immanuel should be the top what if of all time. He made and plays for a D1 basketball team with one arm missing. Imagine how great he would be with both arms.
Glad you back Chev, we needed to hear your voice 😤💯 Watching the team play, we can see what we were missing. We got 2 dogs that attack 🐕 No more chilling with long scoring droughts, these guys will attack and get to the free throw line‼️ I like it
Nah man penny hardaway, grant hill , tmac , d rose are way bigger "what ifs". Those guys actually proved they can be super star players in the league before injuries derailed there careers. Len bias didnt play a single minute in the NBA vs elite Comp
What if Arvydas Sabonis was able to play in the NBA in his prime? What if he also stayed injury free? Great video, Johnny! I thought this was going to be a short video, but I was happy to see it was over 2 hours long.
I think it's safe to say at this point that Ben Simmons is now one of the biggest what ifs. In his first 4 seasons he was all NBA, rookie of the year, 3x all star, 2x all defensive. There was a ton of hype about whether or not he was gonna be an all time guy. Now injury riddled looking like a shell of himself and flirting with being out of the league just a few years later.
John Stockton never gets the respect he deserved.J is the GOAT look at the Star gaurds and apl forwards in his day and see how much work it took to gaurd them. One of the best defenders everost definitely
Danny Manning needs to be on this List. Possibly top 5. Dude jump started what KU basketball has turned into. Number one pick in 88’. He tore his acl his rookie year. Had 3 major knee surgeries but still played like 15 years. This was back in the day when an ACL ended good players careers. 2 ACL surgeries was a death sentences. To have 3 of them and still be productive for more than a decade is insane
What if Tim Duncan never got his knee injury in college. It’s the reason why he walks with a limp to this day, it’s a miracle he walk let alone have a 20 year in the NBA. The knee injury took away a lot of his explosiveness and athleticism he had in college. Even Pop jokes around about how he only plays basketball with one leg. Can you imagine a more athletic Tim Duncan!!!
What if: SUPER DUO? Dr.J’s trade to the Atlanta Hawks is allowed, and he his paired with Pistol Pete, who go on to mesmerize the league with the telepathic chemistry that was sadly only ever seen during their far too few All-Star games together.
54:36 In this graphic, you have to also remember that MJ was DPOY that year, so you would also have about 4 Steals and 3 Blocks per game. However, I'd say Kareem, Magic and Bill Russell all have the best looking stat lines, along with Jordan.
Also, in the buzzer beaters section, there was one of the finals games between the jazz and bulls where Howard Eisley made a 3 that should've counted but didn't and Ron Harper made a 3 that shouldn't have counted in the same game
Really interesting idea for a follow-up on the Wilt Minutes video. Would be superstars whose numbers wouldn't be affected as much. For example, iverson. Who was a career 41.1 minutes per game. With his best season occurring when he was over that at 42 or 43 minutes per game.
On the list of ruined potentials, Sam Bowie, Greg Oden, Reggie Lewis, Drazen Petrovic,Shaun Livingston,Danny Manning, Brad Daughtery, Bernard King, Shawn Kemp, Mark Price, Arvydas Sabonis and so much more.
I will never recover from D Rose, the crazy thing is he was still athletic after his ACL injury, it was his meniscus in 2014 that ruined him so that’s technically 2 what if in one
Bias was a top tier talent and should have been among the best players in the league, if he could have made it to the league. Reggie Lewis was a good player, but I sure don't think had the level of talent Bias had.
@@reno419rockstar dude lol. That’s crazy. Len wasn’t as good as MJ in college. MJ could do EVERYTHING well as a Junior. Offense aside, mj was a better defender. Much better. He was all of the place in college. Averaged more blocks than Len despite the height difference. Steals too.
@@reno419rockstar Jordan did win player of the year in college, while Bias did not, so even in college Jordan was better than Bias although it was pretty close, and Jordan was not even half the player in college that he was in the NBA, not even remotely close. His improvement to college to the NBA was like nothing ever seen before. There were several players in history better in college than MJ was, but it doesn't matter because Jordan destroyed them in the NBA when it mattered, and it showed you how hard he worked and how much he was able to improve from college to the NBA and in the NBA as well. His work ethic was insane, and Jordan was always working on his game. Bias was a really really good player for sure, and he had a lot of potential, but it's silly when people act like he had a chance to be anywhere near MJ in the NBA. Not saying you're saying that, but I have heard people say that, which is extremely strange. It's almost impossible to have anywhere near the career MJ, or play anywhere near as good him. Jordan was better than everyone by far, the GOAT. If Bias even became a top 20 or top 30 player of all time, that would have been an incredible accomplishment for him honestly. Impossible to say if he could have though, we just have no idea how he would have done. Very tragic what happened to him.
That Horry shot in ‘03 might be bigger than we think . If he makes that and they go on to win the title, They most likely don’t break up Kobe and Shaq. Thus resulting in DWade never turning into a champion and who knows maybe LeBron never goes to south beach because of that .
@@reimixo and again, the money issue would've been solved if they got a 4th ring. That would be monumental for the league and for the franchise because it had never been done before. Lakers' situation would've been so different and money would not have been an issue coming in 2004-2005 and onwards.
Penny and Grant Hill hit really close to me as they represented my early teenage years. I remember one of the NBA Live games on the Sega Genesis where Penny's numbers basically suggested that he was better than MJ because of his 3 point shooting. MJ wasn't in the game but I remember how bad he did in the 3 point contest and it made me think that as a kid. Also Larry Bird mangled his index finger before playing any NBA game and he said he never felt the basketball the same. Can you imagine his shooting with health at 💯? Len Bias makes me so sad. Reggie Lewis also, I remember the news on his passing. A Healthy Bill Walton could have been a top 5 Center All Time.
14:30 crazy to see that Kawhi hit his game 7 game winner against the Sixers lol crazy how things work out , it also remind me of Drik’s revenge against the heat because a lot of people honestly thought the Mavs were robbed that 06 series
@@reimixoother guys had better seasons at that same age and didn't win MVP and still went on to have a HOF career but didn't end up as a "GOAT". so rose being the youngest MVP doesn't prove anything . Penny and grant hill didn't win any mvps and had way more GOAT potential than rose
How do you not have Reggie Lewis on this list because of him and Len bias had been able to team up together for the Celtics holy crap could have been the team of the '90s too
Derrick rose gotta be on this list for one reason……..if he never got his acl torn his career and possibly the future of the bulls at that time probably wouldve been way better now.
Man, T-Mac was incredible. A prime, healthy Tracy McGrady was one of the most dangerous scorers EVER. He was fun to watch because he was one of those guys you just felt had found exactly what it was they were supposed to do in life. If there was one player i could build a team around, hed certainly be one of the ones id look to pick. Dude was special.
Jordan & Bias were never rivals. Both men played each other four times overall. The first two in '83, Bias wasn't a starter yet. The last one was on February 19th the next year where Jordan scored 25 and Bias had 18. Their most famous game against each other was on 01/12/84 (stats provided in the description of starks23's highlights video): Bias = 24 pts, 4 rebs Jordan = 21 pts, 12 rebs (7 off), 2 blks, at least 4 stls There've also been players who were great in college but not in the pros. For example (senior year stats): Bias = 23.2 ppg (.544 fg%), 7.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.8, spg, 0.4 bpg, 37.0 mp Laettner = 21.5 ppg (.575 fg%), 7.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.1 spg, 0.9 bpg, 32.2 mp
Yes but you also have to understand it's two very different games.Bias was going to be a HOFer. You could see that easily. Plus coming into such a great franchise...I don't think the Celtics would have fallen off so quick after Bird retired. Good chance they have more then 17 championships as well. Even if it was one.
There was a guy that played for Akron. He ended up being the girls' coach at St. Vincent- St. Mary's. He was a better than MJ in their college years. 😂
Before I hear your list, Connie Hawkins, hands down. I have heard so many anecdotes about how great he was in Rucker Park. Then the dude got banned from playing in College and the NBA due to the 1961 point shaving scandal which he had nothing to do with. Then got an ABA MVP before getting hurt in a training camp and losing his athleticism. Then, after all that, he was allowed in the NBA. David Thompson too, but he gets way more recognition than the Hawk.
Bird had a triple double, and was only 1 steal away from a quadruple double, IN 3 QUARTERS. The Celtics were winning in a blowout, so Larry Legend checked himself out of the game at the end of 3rd quarter. He never did return to the game to get his last steal. Bird and the entire arena, was well aware of the situation, but he said he wanted to watch his teammates that usually ride the bench all year, get to play some good quality minutes.
Regarding the point of considering the accomplishments in ABA for the players, I understand it was a weaker competition than the nba, and it is a bias, but on the other side the NBA was also weaker as some of the best players were in the ABA and we rarely mentioned that part.
@hi-ls6lt sorry but I'm not seeing it. The closest thing to Hill IMO wouldn't even be MJ, it would be T-Mac who like LBJ came after Hill. Same height and weight, good in both offense and defense, explosive dunkers, similar on ball handling. LBJ is 1" taller, 30+lbs heavier, more explosive than both, handles slightly worse than both with T-Mac having the best, and LBJ is a much better passer/play maker than both. IK it seems redundant to say this since I mentioned height and weight but his explosiveness makes up for it, Julius Erving is LBJ before LBJ but Julius was more explosive, 2" shorter, 30+lbs lighter, and not as good a passer.
What if David Thompson, Michael Ray Richardson, Toy Tarpley, Richard Dumas, and Chris Washburn hadn’t been drug addicted? What if Ralph Sampson, Bernard King, Penny Hardaway, Danny Manning, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Brandon Roy, Isaiah Thomas (Sac, Boston, Cleveland, LAL, Den), Marques Johnson, and Bill Walton hadn’t suffered career-altering injuries? What if Fennis Dembo, Jay Edwards, Michael Graham, and Charles Smith had had their heads screwed on correctly? What if Bobby Hurley hadn’t been in that car accident? What if Dwayne “Pearl” Washington hadn’t had a kidney problem? What if Stephon Marbury had landed with the Miami Heat with Pat Riley or the L.A. Lakers with Phil Jackson, coaches who would have understood how to better relate to him? What if Howard Schultz hadn’t sold the Sonics to a buyer he knew intended to love the team? What if Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn, and Jimmy Jackson had gotten along better? What if Wally Walker hadn’t disrespected Shawn Kemp by signing Jim McIlvane to a better contract? What if the Sonics hadn’t traded Scottie Pippen for Olden Polyniece? What if Charles Barkley had had a better offseason work ethic? What if Kobe hadn’t gotten charged while he had Shaq, Karl Malone and Gary Payton on his squad? What if Ray Allen had stayed another year or two in Boston? What if Alonzo Mourning hadn’t developed kidney disease? What if Chris Bosh hadn’t been forced to retire?
As a die hard knicks fan, born and raised NYCer, who was born in 78 and watched the Knicks since 1989, I pretty much know those teams, who did what in which season, etc... ...but you're right at 19:23 cuz I still can't even remember which playoffs that was, if it was game 6 or 7, the lineups, all that shit...its not only the angriest I've been wirh the Knicks/basketball, but all of my sports watching life (though their baffling, seemingly unbreakable commitment to Randle is giving my all time knicks anger a run for my money--- and honestly, you can't understand why so many knicks fans want him gone unless you watch at least 90% of Knicks games since that surprise 1st playoff season when they lost to the Hawks. His stats do not nearly tell the whole story).
What if Boogie stayed healthy in New Orleans. Rajon Rondo, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, and Demarcus Cousins was absolutely ridiculous, it had been the most athletic and driven Boogie and AD had ever been, and I wholeheartedly believe they should've won championships.
What if sim bhullar played more than 1 minute in the NBA. Stats show evidence that he would average 96 points a game, 48 rebounds, 48 assists and 48 blocks on 50% shooting. I think we missed a hall of fame career to say the least.
That's how u know Jonny is on the spot. I still believe it was a great tragedy in Bball careers when Kerr took out Klay. I believe that inside on of why he was not consider as top 75 and passed over by players with 0 rings, 1 finals ( in which some played together and against Klay, ahem!) and 1 won it twice with Klay (ahem!). Bro! You and some others Need to be my new ESPN< Fox sports. always good stuff not on the negative shiiii and not trying for click bait which I just not interest at any time. Jonny I don't have to agree with ya all the time, but u on the spot brah! appreciate you.
The ABA players were The Show without the money, as my uncle used to say. If ABA stats counted, a lot of players would have higher positions in the stats overall. Louie Dampier is one of those guys that exemplifies that fact. I wish ABA stats would count in NBA stats.
TIMESTAMPS BELOW: This is a massive compilation of my videos about “What If” topics, with newly updated content. What are some other What-Ifs that you like to see on this channel? Let me know below.
CORRECTION: At the 54 minute mark, I say LeBron's Heat won 33 straight games, which they did not. They won 27 straight, and my brain got them mixed up with the 72 Lakers, who did win 33 straight. Anyway, carry on.
The Top 10 RUINED Potentials of All Time 0:17
The Greatest “What If” Shots 12:41
How the NBA Ruined The Suns Chances 20:33
Top 10 INSANE Trades That ALMOST Happened 29:54
What If They Played The Whole Game? 40:18
What if Every Legend Played Wilt Minutes? 51:59 *UPDATED*
The Tragic and Confusing legacy of Tracy McGrady 58:21
5 Buzzer Beaters that the Refs got WRONG 01:09:30
The Great What If: Grant Hill 01:16:35
How Good Would Len Bias Have Been? 01:22:37
If ABA Achievements Counted... 01:30:19 *UPDATED*
The Near RIVAL to Bill Russell, Maurice Stokes. 01:37:18
Would the Bulls have won in 1999? 01:47:28
5 What Ifs That Make the NBA Better. 01:59:01
Do one on the 2nd best sg of the 90s...LATRELL SPREWELL. 1st team all nba 93-94 season. Great Defense. Took a knicks team to the nba finals if a strike season after coming back from a year long suspension.
111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
Michael olowqkandi was a better draft pick up then the first pick of the 2003 draft...like way better
For the dude who sadly died after draft : there was a 1 or 2 year rookie who was going to be a good NHL player who died from a heart attack on ice, STEPHANE MORIN, who was with the Quebec Nordiques of the NHL (team moved to Colorado, became the Avalanches a couple years later)
aba vs nba = NHL vs WHL, world h.l. in the 60s before ingurgitating them Also modern : the russoslav KHL
Larry Bird hiring someone to do his Mum's driveway is one of the biggest 'What-If's' in NBA history.
His personality would not allow him to do that...
@@DavidChen322 Larry Bird taking a damn break while doing his mom's driveway is one of the biggest 'What-ifs' in NBA history :P
Magic not sleeping with many women is another biggest “what-if’s” in nba history
Lmaoo true Magic not cheating is a big what-if. @@potionz1733
@@potionz1733hiv doesn’t always have to be transmitted through sex
Man Penny had it all in the 90s.. The Nike commercials and everything.. He was everywhere.. Even Jordan wore his shoes one game..
Those mid 90’s Orlando teams were so much fun to watch.
Yeah lol. Everyone knew who Penny Hardaway was lol. Grandmas were buying his merchandise to give to the grandkids for Christmas and birthday presents lmao. Well said bro.
Hate that Penny doesn't even get in a top 75, but we put players in there who have not done much.
I graduated from university of Maryland 2 years ago and the teachers and coaches talked about len bias, like he hasnt been gone for nearly 30 years. I hope that puts into Perspective just how amazing that young man was.
Amazingly stupid, great basketball talent. You kill yourself with cocaine after being drafted to play on what may have been the greatest basketball team in history, nothing can top that.
He has been gone for over 37 years.
It's the reason no one was talking about Michael his junior year after his overhyped sophomore year. Michael has been ove... nevermind.
@@reno419rockstar 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Len Bias and Reggie Lewis passing away changed a lot of things in NBA history
Jordan said he couldn't get his shot off against Reggie Lewis!!!!!! That's the only person Michael jordan gave that to.
Recently read Grant Hill's autobiography and it's a blessing that he was already such a positive person from a good background. Because the way his injury was handled would turn most people supremely bitter. He had a superstar career fumbled by not 1 but 2 franchises
Forsure i dont think people really know how talented he was. He was my favorite player before Kobe Bryant caught my attention but he still remains in my top 5 favorite players
@@HallofFameHoopsGrant and Penny had my full attention at that time.
The 48.5mpg is a massive achievement, add in the # of possessions ~130 per team, per game and it becomes even more impressive.
To add more context, shooting wasn’t as efficient as today, meaning a guy like Wilt was not only running up and down expected to be the key guy/focus on offence while also being the key guy to protect the rim/defend, but he was also the guy expected to rebound the misses and provide the outlet pass.
Man watching this one about Maurice Stokes hit me different. Salute to Maurice and special salute to Jack Twyman and his family for doing what they did. Unbelievable strength.
T-Mac was a beast. He was never given the chance with a solid healthy cast. He barely ever had, good role players. However, he did speak too soon against Detroit. It fired them up. His numbers are HOF worthy. He was a complete player, and said to be a great teammate.
What if the hawks didn't trade Dominique Wilkins for no reason when the hawks had a great chance to win a ring in 94. What if AI joined Bron in 06 instead of Melo
Wasn't he a free agent at the end of that season? If they don't trade him they may have got nothing for him
@chrisblau4221 should have extended him then or at least saw If they could win. He was playing sum of the best basketball of his career
@@chrisblau4221Times was different. He had no mind to go elsewhere.
That hawks trade didn’t make no sense and Danny manning left after that season .
Didn’t Wilkins tear is achilles like a year or 2 before they traded him
That stat you had for Kobe puts him #2 on my all time list, and nobody can ever change my mind.
You watched that 2003 season of Kobe he was insane that season😂😂😂 I remember there was a top 3 Kobe highlight reel that year no one ever did that since
I’d say most would agree Kobe #2
As a lifelong Houstonian I grew up watching Olajuwon play, the greatest “what if” of having MJ, Olajuwon and Drexler on the same team… is mind blowing. They would’ve won 10+ rings. I could see that trio in their prime having a perfect season, 82-0.
Idiocracy confirmed. 82-0? No. League is too talented. Plus all other innumerable factors. “Lifelong Houstonian” 🤨🙄explains your extreme hyperbole
@@MultilinguistGlobalFitBlessedThey went 71-11 while Rodman played only 55 games because he was partying.
82 wins, chance is big you'll drop at least 3, but a prime MJ, Olajuwon and Drexler??? That's wild to call it an idiocratic statement.
@@Herosenninwhen someone has never seen or heard of something being done, they assume it can't be done....
@@tonyj797 Yea but based on context that statement isnt wild at all. There are known unknowns and unknown knowns.
@@Herosennin72-10
It's a shame that Len Bias and Reggie Lewis passed away so young.
If they had lived, the Celtics would have been a very strong team.
The Celtics should have gotten some compensation for Bias at least. The 2nd overall pick in the draft dies 2 days after being drafted. Bullshit. But no one was about to feel sorry for the 80s celtics
Yeah, the Celtics should have been good in the 90s.
Do you think they should have been awarded the second pick in the draft the next year
Had Bias lived they probably don’t get Lewis. But that definitely extends the dynasty well into the 90’s & they challenge Jordans Bulls had either lived. Especially Bias , who was a can’t miss superstar coming out.
@@Jordan123151Compensating the Celtics would mean taking something of value away from another team.
This is always one my favorite NBA video topics.
I was only 15 years old when Len Bias passed away, but I'll never forget my dad telling me the news. I even read the newspaper article about the tragedy (the paper was typically my father's "turf.") On the plus-side - as someone with an addictive personality later in life - I swore to myself on that day that I would never ever try cocaine. I have honored that promise.
Well at least something positive came from this.
As a Trailblazers fan, Brandon Roy's situation was sad. He was the reason why I became a Trailblazers fan. Definitely a what-if for the franchise.
I did like some Brandon but not that much😂😂
Man if i want a Magic fan i would feel bad for you Trailblazer fans Walton, Sampson, Roy. And then when y'all do have the pieces there are buzzsaws in the league.
That whole situation was bad.
What if Roys injury was not degenerative AND they made the obvious right pick to have LMA, Roy and KD?
What if the blazers picked the GOAT KD🥲
I saw “Skywalker” play “Iceman” in Denver in the 70s. They had unbelievable games/their scoring championship run the greatest ever.
Crazy ass nickname matchup
Man Drexeller, Olujawon and Jordan is an INSANE team, you could put two average highschool players on this team and they win 8 rings 😂
Dunno about that. Drexler and MJ were both shooting guards, so I'm not really sure how that would have worked. Olajuwon was certainly a far superior center than the Bulls ever had, although you could argue Longley was a good fit for the team, too, an he had size Olajuwon didn't (good vs. Shaq).
@@Xenon-h9zclyde can move to the 3 easy
@@Xenon-h9zHakeem regularly bullied Shaq and MJ once played PG for like 12 games and averaged a 32 point triple double. They'd make it work.
@@Th1sIsMyLegacy He didn't ever "bully" Shaq, he outplayed him.. but that was early in Shaq's career when he was both less skilled, and much less massive.
Olajuwon is undeniably a more skilled player than Shaq, but Shaq was just so fucking big and strong it eventually didn't matter. Hakeem couldn't go toe to toe.
@@Xenon-h9z You could play Drexler at the 3 and still be okay.
“His injury history is enough to make even Anthony Davis blush” LMAO 😂
Hansel Immanuel should be the top what if of all time. He made and plays for a D1 basketball team with one arm missing. Imagine how great he would be with both arms.
Glad you back Chev, we needed to hear your voice 😤💯
Watching the team play, we can see what we were missing. We got 2 dogs that attack 🐕 No more chilling with long scoring droughts, these guys will attack and get to the free throw line‼️ I like it
Len Bias is the greatest what if for me
Without question
Same the Celtics would have like 22 or 23 banners up now. Also alters a lot of legacies like MJ, Bird, Isaiah & Magic.
nah that has beeeeen so overrated
Nah man penny hardaway, grant hill , tmac , d rose are way bigger "what ifs". Those guys actually proved they can be super star players in the league before injuries derailed there careers. Len bias didnt play a single minute in the NBA vs elite Comp
@@joel8692 yeah len is a zero actually dont get why people over hype him so much.
This was 1 of the best vids I’ve seen on UA-cam! EXCELLENT JOB!!!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
The Maurice Stokes story always makes me tear up
This channel never fails to deliver thank you Jonny
What if Arvydas Sabonis was able to play in the NBA in his prime? What if he also stayed injury free?
Great video, Johnny! I thought this was going to be a short video, but I was happy to see it was over 2 hours long.
Thats always a good one. Man Portland had some of the worst luck in history especially when comes to Centers..
@@Bigedub101you're telling me...
And Sam Bowie wasn't injured as well (he was really good before injuries), That's a Twin Tower combo to Rival Hakeem and Ralph.
@@Bigedub101CursedBlazers
@@meekmeadsBowie was hurt in college. He was not a smart pick.
I think it's safe to say at this point that Ben Simmons is now one of the biggest what ifs. In his first 4 seasons he was all NBA, rookie of the year, 3x all star, 2x all defensive. There was a ton of hype about whether or not he was gonna be an all time guy. Now injury riddled looking like a shell of himself and flirting with being out of the league just a few years later.
Good call
@@InfamousFunkster it a shame that we got robbed of seeing what couldve been. feels like brandon roy all over again
3 MVPs in a row. Rookie of the Year 63 votes to three for magic. Came in fourth and MVP voting his rookie year. Had a five-year stretch of 50 40 90
I can’t escape this video ,even when I watch it it opens back up after a random video
Lol, I’m sorry man 😂 YT algorithm can be pushy sometimes
@@jonnyarnett lmao it’s all love 🤣 I watched it twice myself now when it plays I already know what video is playing
Great what ifs Jonny!
This is already a classic video. Keep them coming bro!
This is amazing work. I can't believe I've never come across your channel before, I'll be bingeing your content!
Bruh, the Maurice Stokes story had me emotional low key
Damn that story made me tear up😢 a real friend
John Stockton never gets the respect he deserved.J is the GOAT look at the Star gaurds and apl forwards in his day and see how much work it took to gaurd them. One of the best defenders everost definitely
Danny Manning needs to be on this List. Possibly top 5. Dude jump started what KU basketball has turned into. Number one pick in 88’. He tore his acl his rookie year. Had 3 major knee surgeries but still played like 15 years. This was back in the day when an ACL ended good players careers. 2 ACL surgeries was a death sentences. To have 3 of them and still be productive for more than a decade is insane
What if Tim Duncan never got his knee injury in college. It’s the reason why he walks with a limp to this day, it’s a miracle he walk let alone have a 20 year in the NBA. The knee injury took away a lot of his explosiveness and athleticism he had in college. Even Pop jokes around about how he only plays basketball with one leg.
Can you imagine a more athletic Tim Duncan!!!
Lest we forget. Great 'tribute' video. Thanks for the reminders.
Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill are the biggest what ifs for me.
For me as well. Especially Penny he is favorite player of all time.
Great choices. Lots of them in this video. A good debate is which is the greater what if
Same, along with D Rose though.
Same. Although Len Bias, too.
Lets put T mac in there as well lol
One of the greatest videos in UA-cam history
What if: SUPER DUO?
Dr.J’s trade to the Atlanta Hawks is allowed, and he his paired with Pistol Pete, who go on to mesmerize the league with the telepathic chemistry that was sadly only ever seen during their far too few All-Star games together.
Love you detailed analysis
Well done.
So true what you found
What if Shaq wasn’t lazy, gave more effort on D and actually cared about his physical fitness? He would be considered the goat right now!
Kobe himself said if Shaq had the same work ethic as himself, Shaq would be the greatest player in all of basketball history
He could have also pushed his 150kg frame to early retirement with increased exertion. Nobody knows.
54:36 In this graphic, you have to also remember that MJ was DPOY that year, so you would also have about 4 Steals and 3 Blocks per game. However, I'd say Kareem, Magic and Bill Russell all have the best looking stat lines, along with Jordan.
Also, in the buzzer beaters section, there was one of the finals games between the jazz and bulls where Howard Eisley made a 3 that should've counted but didn't and Ron Harper made a 3 that shouldn't have counted in the same game
Really interesting idea for a follow-up on the Wilt Minutes video. Would be superstars whose numbers wouldn't be affected as much. For example, iverson. Who was a career 41.1 minutes per game. With his best season occurring when he was over that at 42 or 43 minutes per game.
On the list of ruined potentials, Sam Bowie, Greg Oden, Reggie Lewis, Drazen Petrovic,Shaun Livingston,Danny Manning, Brad Daughtery, Bernard King, Shawn Kemp, Mark Price, Arvydas Sabonis and so much more.
Prime klay Thompson was the ultimate glue guy. He was the ideal 3 and D player.
Man I loved Brandon Roy. Look up the stars he dunked on and crossed.
I will never recover from D Rose, the crazy thing is he was still athletic after his ACL injury, it was his meniscus in 2014 that ruined him so that’s technically 2 what if in one
Makes sense that Len Bias makes the list but I was surprised Reggie Lewis did not. I always felt he was an echo of Bias.
Bias was a top tier talent and should have been among the best players in the league, if he could have made it to the league. Reggie Lewis was a good player, but I sure don't think had the level of talent Bias had.
Not even close. MJ wasn't even his caliber at the time.
@@reno419rockstar dude lol. That’s crazy. Len wasn’t as good as MJ in college. MJ could do EVERYTHING well as a Junior. Offense aside, mj was a better defender. Much better. He was all of the place in college. Averaged more blocks than Len despite the height difference. Steals too.
@@reno419rockstar Jordan did win player of the year in college, while Bias did not, so even in college Jordan was better than Bias although it was pretty close, and Jordan was not even half the player in college that he was in the NBA, not even remotely close. His improvement to college to the NBA was like nothing ever seen before. There were several players in history better in college than MJ was, but it doesn't matter because Jordan destroyed them in the NBA when it mattered, and it showed you how hard he worked and how much he was able to improve from college to the NBA and in the NBA as well. His work ethic was insane, and Jordan was always working on his game. Bias was a really really good player for sure, and he had a lot of potential, but it's silly when people act like he had a chance to be anywhere near MJ in the NBA. Not saying you're saying that, but I have heard people say that, which is extremely strange. It's almost impossible to have anywhere near the career MJ, or play anywhere near as good him. Jordan was better than everyone by far, the GOAT. If Bias even became a top 20 or top 30 player of all time, that would have been an incredible accomplishment for him honestly. Impossible to say if he could have though, we just have no idea how he would have done. Very tragic what happened to him.
Great video as always!!
Johnny a guru, historian, and a purist all in one...
Damn that stocks and twyman story is special.
That Horry shot in ‘03 might be bigger than we think . If he makes that and they go on to win the title, They most likely don’t break up Kobe and Shaq. Thus resulting in DWade never turning into a champion and who knows maybe LeBron never goes to south beach because of that .
Well they had their chance in 04....
He goes, they are besties....
@@reimixo it's different. If Lakers won their 4th straight, even if they didn't win in 2004, I doubt Shaq would've left.
@@yellowbones shaq left for Money lol
@@reimixo and again, the money issue would've been solved if they got a 4th ring. That would be monumental for the league and for the franchise because it had never been done before. Lakers' situation would've been so different and money would not have been an issue coming in 2004-2005 and onwards.
What shot are you referring to? What minute in the video is it?
Penny and Grant Hill hit really close to me as they represented my early teenage years. I remember one of the NBA Live games on the Sega Genesis where Penny's numbers basically suggested that he was better than MJ because of his 3 point shooting. MJ wasn't in the game but I remember how bad he did in the 3 point contest and it made me think that as a kid. Also Larry Bird mangled his index finger before playing any NBA game and he said he never felt the basketball the same. Can you imagine his shooting with health at 💯? Len Bias makes me so sad. Reggie Lewis also, I remember the news on his passing. A Healthy Bill Walton could have been a top 5 Center All Time.
Imagine Lillard a healthy Roy,Aldridge and Oden.
The biggest what if in Blazers history
I wad looking for this comment!! My favorite squad on 2k8-9 , don't forget Travis Outlaw
If they are healthy the blazers are good and don't get lillard.....
@reimixo This is true, but they would very been able to acquire a veteran point guard or develop a lesser talent through the draft...who knows
@@vittiriowashington5211 he is talking about All 4 together.......
@@reimixo huh?
Thank you Jonny for this great video!
As a rockets fan I never heard of the trade for Jordan and Clyde. Damn. Just damn!
Dude love your video! You got my sub!!!! Much love from China.
This video dope af
JONNY WITH ANOTHER COMPILATIONNNNNN
Derrick Rose is the only MVP in NBA history that won't be in the hall of fame for his NBA career.
14:30 crazy to see that Kawhi hit his game 7 game winner against the Sixers lol crazy how things work out , it also remind me of Drik’s revenge against the heat because a lot of people honestly thought the Mavs were robbed that 06 series
Grant Hill is easily #1 on this list, he was so good he was being considered as "carrying the torch" of the NBA
Derrick Rose should be half of this video. My guy had GOAT potential
Wouldn't say goat potential
@@citris_mario5224youngest MVP ever bro, won it over prime LeBron.... He did...
I’d say he was actually due for injuries as going completely all out on his legs every game has to take a huge toll
@@jarface993Isn’t that the whole point of a “what if” scenario?
@@reimixoother guys had better seasons at that same age and didn't win MVP and still went on to have a HOF career but didn't end up as a "GOAT". so rose being the youngest MVP doesn't prove anything . Penny and grant hill didn't win any mvps and had way more GOAT potential than rose
I absolutely love this background beat!
I think Bill Walton’s injuries are the biggest what if in history. Bill would’ve probably have been a top 10 player of all time at the very least.
I think Walton had a congenital foot/bone condition, so I don't think he would have ever been injury-free
I think in his prime he really could’ve avg 26.13.7 with 2.8 bpg
Love these compilation videos
How do you not have Reggie Lewis on this list because of him and Len bias had been able to team up together for the Celtics holy crap could have been the team of the '90s too
Derrick rose gotta be on this list for one reason……..if he never got his acl torn his career and possibly the future of the bulls at that time probably wouldve been way better now.
Man, T-Mac was incredible. A prime, healthy Tracy McGrady was one of the most dangerous scorers EVER. He was fun to watch because he was one of those guys you just felt had found exactly what it was they were supposed to do in life. If there was one player i could build a team around, hed certainly be one of the ones id look to pick. Dude was special.
Jordan & Bias were never rivals. Both men played each other four times overall. The first two in '83, Bias wasn't a starter yet. The last one was on February 19th the next year where Jordan scored 25 and Bias had 18. Their most famous game against each other was on 01/12/84 (stats provided in the description of starks23's highlights video):
Bias = 24 pts, 4 rebs
Jordan = 21 pts, 12 rebs (7 off), 2 blks, at least 4 stls
There've also been players who were great in college but not in the pros. For example (senior year stats):
Bias = 23.2 ppg (.544 fg%), 7.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.8, spg, 0.4 bpg, 37.0 mp
Laettner = 21.5 ppg (.575 fg%), 7.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.1 spg, 0.9 bpg, 32.2 mp
Yes but you also have to understand it's two very different games.Bias was going to be a HOFer. You could see that easily. Plus coming into such a great franchise...I don't think the Celtics would have fallen off so quick after Bird retired. Good chance they have more then 17 championships as well. Even if it was one.
@@stephendees-lu4yq Two games don't make a rivalry. Christian Laettner is a Hall of Famer, but not due to his NBA career.
There was a guy that played for Akron. He ended up being the girls' coach at St. Vincent- St. Mary's. He was a better than MJ in their college years. 😂
Isiah, magic, bird, Mike, as Mike or magic or bird, would have said there where others dealing with things
@@nicandrogomezalvarez ???
Had to do it in 3 session. But another great video.
Another great video. I have a name for my dudes
*****What Dreams May Never Come ™
Imagining that Drexler, Jordan, and Olajuwon tandem. They would’ve murdered the league. Geesh🤯🤯🤯
Before I hear your list, Connie Hawkins, hands down. I have heard so many anecdotes about how great he was in Rucker Park. Then the dude got banned from playing in College and the NBA due to the 1961 point shaving scandal which he had nothing to do with. Then got an ABA MVP before getting hurt in a training camp and losing his athleticism.
Then, after all that, he was allowed in the NBA.
David Thompson too, but he gets way more recognition than the Hawk.
Time well spent.
A few more noteworthy seasons:
Russel Westbrook ‘16-‘17 per 48 mins: 43.8 pts, 14.8 Reb, 14.4 Ast
Nikola Jokic ‘21-‘22 per 48 mins: 38.8 pts, 19.8 Reb, 11.3 Ast, 58%
Nikola Jokic ‘22-‘23 per 48 mins: 34.9 Pts, 16.8 Reb, 14 Ast, 63%
Bird had a triple double, and was only 1 steal away from a quadruple double, IN 3 QUARTERS. The Celtics were winning in a blowout, so Larry Legend checked himself out of the game at the end of 3rd quarter. He never did return to the game to get his last steal. Bird and the entire arena, was well aware of the situation, but he said he wanted to watch his teammates that usually ride the bench all year, get to play some good quality minutes.
Regarding the point of considering the accomplishments in ABA for the players, I understand it was a weaker competition than the nba, and it is a bias, but on the other side the NBA was also weaker as some of the best players were in the ABA and we rarely mentioned that part.
They definitely should include the ABA statistics. If they merged, why do you only keep one?
"many NBA legends have referred to Grant Hill as the LBJ before LBJ." I remember when Hill 1st entered the NBA. They said he was the next MJ then.
Well obviously because LBJ wasn’t around when Hill was drafted. Now they call him “LBJ before LBJ.”
@hi-ls6lt sorry but I'm not seeing it. The closest thing to Hill IMO wouldn't even be MJ, it would be T-Mac who like LBJ came after Hill. Same height and weight, good in both offense and defense, explosive dunkers, similar on ball handling. LBJ is 1" taller, 30+lbs heavier, more explosive than both, handles slightly worse than both with T-Mac having the best, and LBJ is a much better passer/play maker than both.
IK it seems redundant to say this since I mentioned height and weight but his explosiveness makes up for it, Julius Erving is LBJ before LBJ but Julius was more explosive, 2" shorter, 30+lbs lighter, and not as good a passer.
What if David Thompson, Michael Ray Richardson, Toy Tarpley, Richard Dumas, and Chris Washburn hadn’t been drug addicted?
What if Ralph Sampson, Bernard King, Penny Hardaway, Danny Manning, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Brandon Roy, Isaiah Thomas (Sac, Boston, Cleveland, LAL, Den), Marques Johnson, and Bill Walton hadn’t suffered career-altering injuries?
What if Fennis Dembo, Jay Edwards, Michael Graham, and Charles Smith had had their heads screwed on correctly?
What if Bobby Hurley hadn’t been in that car accident?
What if Dwayne “Pearl” Washington hadn’t had a kidney problem?
What if Stephon Marbury had landed with the Miami Heat with Pat Riley or the L.A. Lakers with Phil Jackson, coaches who would have understood how to better relate to him?
What if Howard Schultz hadn’t sold the Sonics to a buyer he knew intended to love the team?
What if Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn, and Jimmy Jackson had gotten along better?
What if Wally Walker hadn’t disrespected Shawn Kemp by signing Jim McIlvane to a better contract?
What if the Sonics hadn’t traded Scottie Pippen for Olden Polyniece?
What if Charles Barkley had had a better offseason work ethic?
What if Kobe hadn’t gotten charged while he had Shaq, Karl Malone and Gary Payton on his squad?
What if Ray Allen had stayed another year or two in Boston?
What if Alonzo Mourning hadn’t developed kidney disease?
What if Chris Bosh hadn’t been forced to retire?
Man, at 19:35 that was offensive basket interference or offensive goaltending 🤣😆
Greg Oden, Yao Ming, Brandon Roy and Derrick Rose all without injuries are the biggest what ifs that truly make me sad
As a die hard knicks fan, born and raised NYCer, who was born in 78 and watched the Knicks since 1989, I pretty much know those teams, who did what in which season, etc... ...but you're right at 19:23 cuz I still can't even remember which playoffs that was, if it was game 6 or 7, the lineups, all that shit...its not only the angriest I've been wirh the Knicks/basketball, but all of my sports watching life (though their baffling, seemingly unbreakable commitment to Randle is giving my all time knicks anger a run for my money--- and honestly, you can't understand why so many knicks fans want him gone unless you watch at least 90% of Knicks games since that surprise 1st playoff season when they lost to the Hawks. His stats do not nearly tell the whole story).
I had to buy the shirt.🎉🎉🎉
Just wanna help the video 🎉🎉
What if Boogie stayed healthy in New Orleans. Rajon Rondo, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, and Demarcus Cousins was absolutely ridiculous, it had been the most athletic and driven Boogie and AD had ever been, and I wholeheartedly believe they should've won championships.
Cousins couldn't control his emotions that's why he's not playing now.
What if sim bhullar played more than 1 minute in the NBA. Stats show evidence that he would average 96 points a game, 48 rebounds, 48 assists and 48 blocks on 50% shooting. I think we missed a hall of fame career to say the least.
That's how u know Jonny is on the spot. I still believe it was a great tragedy in Bball careers when Kerr took out Klay. I believe that inside on of why he was not consider as top 75 and passed over by players with 0 rings, 1 finals ( in which some played together and against Klay, ahem!) and 1 won it twice with Klay (ahem!).
Bro! You and some others Need to be my new ESPN< Fox sports. always good stuff not on the negative shiiii and not trying for click bait which I just not interest at any time.
Jonny I don't have to agree with ya all the time, but u on the spot brah! appreciate you.
came into the vid thinking of penny, hill, tmac, drose... u had me at thompson😢
Detroit not drafting Melo still probably keeps some people up at night.
Bird's quad-double What If would have been ultra impactful
The ABA players were The Show without the money, as my uncle used to say. If ABA stats counted, a lot of players would have higher positions in the stats overall. Louie Dampier is one of those guys that exemplifies that fact. I wish ABA stats would count in NBA stats.
Larry Johnson not injuring his back is the biggest “what if “
Deffo not
@@xiamfinal571 cap
Penny was the greatest heartbreak in NBA history!!!! 😩
Its drose for me cause man he was getting better every year from roy to all star to mvp in 3 seasons
That dude on the bench with a 10 day is moving even further away…. He’s going to feel that $50k fine.
I'm from Cali but when Patrick H. Missed that lay up it hurt.