First off, I’d like to throw a spoiler alert here just in case you read something that you didn’t want to know yet. I will be touching on some plot points and concepts established by the comic books as well as some knowledge regarding the Infinity War arc. I’ve been geeking out over this movie since the minute it was announced, so I’ve done a fair bit of research.
Now for the good stuff.
For ten years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has established a tremendous multimedia empire built on powerful storylines, groundbreaking visuals and meaningful characters. With the release of the third film in the Avengers series, Infinity War, coinciding with the NBA Playoffs, I figured now’s as good a time as any to combine two of my favorite things: Basketball and Superheroes.
Here are the NBA’s counterparts to the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but first, the villains.
Thanos and the Black Order: The Golden State Warriors
If you’ve ever read a Marvel comic before, you know that Thanos is far and away the most powerful villain in the MCU to date. Even before acquiring the infinity stones, Thanos conquered worlds using wicked manipulation, cunning intellect, superior strength and firm motives. I’m not here to say that Golden State is evil, but they’ve certainly been vilified since the addition of Kevin Durant to the lineup. The Warriors are the team to beat, even with a crop of rising stars in both conferences.
Good ol’ Dwight Howard led the NBA in technical fouls this season with 17, but right behind him are the ‘Rash Brothers’ Draymond Green and Kevin Durant with a combined 29 technical fouls. With a new chip on his shoulder, which has been a complete turnaround from the star’s previous timid demeanor, Durant has been ejected five times this season and Draymond has been ejected thrice.
After lots of deliberation, I’ve come to the conclusion that Stephen Curry, not KD, gets the role of Thanos for this list. While Durant’s skill, attitude and tenacity make him a strong candidate, Curry is still the figurehead of Golden State. Curry, like Thanos, has been the mastermind behind the Golden State empire since the beginning, so he takes the role of the Mad Titan.
Klay Thompson takes the role of Ebony Maw, Thanos’ most trustworthy and calculated lieutenant. Not only is Maw reliable and dedicated, but he thrives off of his intellect. Not only does Klay know his strengths, but he also knows his limits. He thrives off of opportunity and does the dirty work necessary to pull out wins.
Corvus Glave, on the other hand, is relentless. Not only is he a deadly hot head, but he takes pride in what he does. Infinity War did not do justice to the havoc Glave can wreck, just as the Warriors sometimes undermine what Durant is truly capable of. As a teammate, he’s a consistent contributor and one of the best in the galaxy, but he’s fully capable of doing it on his own.
Black Dwarf, renamed Cull Obsidian in the Infinity War film, is the muscle of the group. Dwarf is a swiss army knife of sorts, capable of doing damage in a multitude of ways. Once he’s angry, there’s little you could do to stop him, which is why this Draymond Green comp was so easy.
Together, Thanos and the Black Order are the biggest threat the galaxy has ever faced, just as the new Golden State Warriors dynasty could be the greatest threat to NBA competition.
Oh yeah, I forgot about Proxima Midnight. Honestly, I’m gonna have to give this one to Iggy because neither of them do much but under pressure, there’s always a chance that they could come up big.
Thor: LeBron James
To put it simply, Thor is a god. He’s capable of going head to head with anyone in his way, including Thanos. While he may not always have the greatest methods and he can let his ego get in the way of success, Thor reigns supreme when it comes to pure power.
The God of Thunder and the King of Cleveland have been noted as the most formidable opponent to face their respective threats. LeBron has proven that he can face anyone in the league with his resilience and unmatched skill. Both LeBron and Thor are capable of incredible things on their own, but prove themselves the most with a well-formed team around them.
Infinity War brings the power and might of Thor to the forefront as he pulls up to Wakanda with the Stormbreaker and turns the tide of the battle. This moment was the MCU’s equivalent of LeBron’s chasedown block on in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals. This was one of the most memorable moments in the past decade of basketball, but the Warriors came back next season and took him out in five games… with a snap of their fingers.
See what I did there?
Iron Man: James Harden
Joe and Anthony Russo have telegraphed the looming threat of Thanos inside the mind of Tony Stark since the first Avengers film, establishing a clear link between the Mad Titan and Marvel’s flagship hero. As Tony progressed through his own story through various MCU Films, Thanos grew closer to his final pursuit of the Infinity Stones in the far reaches of deep space.
Just as Stark’s story evolved concurrent with the early stages of Thanos’ plan, the breakout story of James Harden coincided with the budding dynasty in the bay. In both scenarios, the immeasurable contributions of the mortal is eclipsed by the sheer power of the Titan. Harden, like Stark, is often overshadowed by his peers despite his constant willfulness and ambition to be great. Civil War getting skewed as a Captain America movie instead of an Avengers or Iron Man film is the MCU equivalent of Steph stealing the MVP Trophy from Harden in 2015.
Both Harden and Stark recognize the importance of versatility and flexibility in their roles. For the last three seasons, Harden has adjusted his game to fit D’Antoni’s system and Houston’s personnel in a different style each year. He became a pure scorer, ball handling point guard, floor general and spot-up shooter at any time without batting an eye.
In many cases, the gauge for a player’s greatness is the way they affect their teammates. There’s not doubt that Harden has improved and even revived the careers of teammates throughout his career. All the way back in Oklahoma City, Harden provided a crucial role in moving the ball and setting his teammates up for success. Future Hall of Famers including Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and now Chris Paul have all experienced the significance of Harden’s leadership.
By the age 28, Harden has put together an unprecedented body of work that’s left lasting impacts on the careers of many players. Like Stark, his hunger for success has driven him to new heights as he gains new experience and his skillset expands. Neither Stark nor Harden would back down from a fight, especially when the stakes are high.
Now, the Beard is taking his battle to enemy territory in Oakland without a drop of doubt, just as Stark took the battle to Titan in Infinity War.
Captain America: Anthony Davis
As the golden boy of the Avengers franchise, Captain America could do no wrong. Even through the ruckus of Civil War and into the Nomad phase of his superhero career, Steve Rogers have been beloved by fans and supporters everywhere. The same goes for Anthony Davis, who’s just truly remarkable to watch.
Physically, Davis is the average run of the mill bigman at 6’11” and roughly 250 lbs (the same build as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 13th man off the pine, Ante Zisic, for reference.) He’s not the strongest, he’s not the tallest and he’s not the fastest bigman in the game, but he’s crucial to the success of his team and the entirety of the league.
Both Rogers and Davis come from tough backgrounds, the former from Brooklyn and the latter from Chicago, and came up a bit quirky and rough around the edges, but underwent transformations that made them great. Considering the high-stakes ending to Infinity War, Rogers is set up for a major role in the next Avengers film, just as Davis is set up for a historic career and a strong return to the playoffs in 2019.
Essentially, Anthony Davis is a super soldier.
The Hulk: Russell Westbrook
These are two incredibly unique characters to analyze, especially when you consider what they could be compared to who they are. Picture this:
An individual who is an unstoppable force of nature with immeasurable strength, speed and power. At their best, this is the most important member of a team. They can carry a team to victory on the back of their sheer will and competitive spirit, but will drag their team down at their worst.
Neither of these characters are particularly good at containing themselves and have shown in the past that they’re not the best collaborator. Sometimes, this individual loses control of themselves and makes poor decisions, which has driven them into isolation in the past. People fear this individual, but also respect them for their intensity and dedication to the primary goal: greatness.
This may sound a bit harsh to Russell Westbrook, but he’s really put himself in a poor spot. Coming off of a historic Game 6 against the Utah Jazz, Russ has a lot to reflect on after what may be considered a disappointing season. As the leader and figurehead of his team, Russ had the opportunity to do something great with the development as Steven Adams, who’s another contender for the Hulk based on sheer strength alone, as well as the acquisitions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.
Even so, he just couldn’t contain himself and ended up chucking air balls from behind the arc and committing unnecessary turnovers which led to a major loss against a ragtag group comprised of a bunch of specialists, a rookie and a really big guy.
Nevertheless, the Hulk and Bruce Banner eventually learn to coexist in the comic books. The brains of Bruce and the power of the Hulk combined make him the most powerful hero on the Avengers. If Westbrook can make some adjustments and adapt to his surroundings, he can achieve great things.
Spiderman: Donovan Mitchell
Nevermind the fact that he’s already marketed himself as “The Spida,” Donovan Mitchell is the perfect embodiment of Peter Parker in an NBA Player. The friendly neighborhood baller was drafted out of Louisville late in the lottery to a team that no one suspected would hold on without their star player, Gordon Hayward.
Fast Forward to the regular season, where this humble kid begins to light up the league with his dynamic scoring, incredible athletic ability and enthusiastic attitude. It’s not uncommon to find basketball fans who’ve found their new favorite player in Donovan Mitchell.
The most important parallel between the two is their youth. Not only is Mitchell going to be extremely important to the NBA going forward, but he’s only scraped the surface of his potential. The same goes for Peter Parker, who is roughly 18 years old during the events of Infinity War. Spidey’s only prominent villain introduced thus far was the Vulture, so they’ve got quite a bit of content to work with going forward.
The Shortlist:
With so many characters and so many NBA Talents, there are a ton of comparisons to make. Here’s the shortlist of some remaining characters and their NBA counterparts in condensed form:
Black Panther: Victor Oladipo
Dr. Strange: Sam Hinkie aka ‘The Incredible Hink’
Hinkie: I went forward in time... to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming rebuild.
Michael Rubin: How many did you see?
Hinkie: Fourteen million six hundred and five.
Brett Brown: How many did we process?
Hinkie: ...One.
Vision: Paul George
PG13 and Vision are both forces to be reckoned with, but were both easily dismantled in their respective conflicts. There’s strong reason to believe that the trajectory of these characters’ futures are going to be swayed by the outcomes of their most recent defeats.
Scarlet Witch: Lakers Fans
Madly in love with Vision.
War Machine: Chris Paul
Both individuals are explosive and dynamic in their own ways despite their shortcomings and failures in the past. They’re vital to the team’s success because of their talents as leaders. CP3 is the ultimate floor general while Rhody is literally the Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Air Force.
Oh yeah, and they’re both sidekicks to Iron Man in this scenario.
Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday
Similarly to Chris Paul, Jrue and Rondo are extremely important to the success of their leader, Anthony Davis. Their combined efforts in the backcourt elevated the Pelicans past Portland with relative ease. If Falcon and the Winter Soldier were translated to the basketball court, they’d be known as two-way players because of their aptitude for both defense and offense in a battle. Similarly to their counterparts, Falcon specializes in recon and more methodical combat while Bucky has a more hands-on approach to the offensive end.
Oh yeah, and they’re both sidekicks to Captain America in this scenario. This is too easy.
The Red Skull: Emeka Okafor
These guys both just suddenly appeared after looooooong absences from the big stage. I have two questions: Where the hell have you been and why have you suddenly returned in an important role?
This has nothing to do with Infinity War but I’m glad Emeka Okafor made his way back to the NBA.
Hawkeye: Kawhi Leonard
Clint Barton hasn’t been seen in any of Infinity War’s promotional material, just as Kawhi hasn’t been seen on the San Antonio bench during their five-game playoff stretch this year. Essentially, they’re both M.I.A.
