Could Michael Phelps play NBA hoop if he wanted to?

[Reality]

Could Phelps play NBA level hoops?  Possibly.

Could Tim Duncan be a world class swimmer?  He was training to until a hurricane hit the Virgin Islands.

Could Michael Jordan play MLB?  NO!  Thus proving that excellance in one professional sport does not translate into success in another.

Here's a few more shots into the ole barrel. 
Bo Jackson.
Notable achievements baseball:
AL All-Star (1989)
1989 All-Star Game MVP
1993 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
20-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1987-1990)
30-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1989)
100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1989)

NFL
Joining the Raiders midway through the 1987 season, Jackson rushed for 554 yards on 81 carries in just seven games. Over the next three seasons, Bo Jackson would rush for 2,228 more yards and 12 touchdowns: a remarkable achievement, in light of the fact that he was a "second string" player behind Raiders legend Marcus Allen.

Jackson turned in a 221-yard rushing performance on Monday Night Football in 1987 against the Seattle Seahawks. During this game, he ran over Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth, who had insulted Jackson and promised in a media event before the game to contain Jackson. He also made a 91-yard run to the outside, untouched down the sideline. He continued sprinting until finally slowing down as he passed through the entrance to the field tunnel to the dressing rooms with teammates soon following. Jackson scored two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in the game.

In his four seasons in the NFL, Jackson rushed for 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns with an average yards per carry of 5.4. He also caught 40 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson's 221 yards on November 30, 1987, just 29 days after his first NFL carry, is still a Monday Night Football record.

[WayOutWest]

I guess Stupidity will never know the answer to his questions because those millions of dollars Phelps could get to play in the NBA is probably what is keeping him from trying, it can't be because he simply can not play.  Fraking moron!

[jemagee]

Oh dear lord seriously.

BO JACKSON DID NOT GROW UP SWIMMING - he grew up playing football and baseball (and probably basketball) and was a god damn freak of nature.

Natural Athleticism only takes one so far if it's not developed earlier in life, just like natural brain power

[westkoast]

No it doesn't.  He might be okay at basketball but to play in the NBA?  You need to have a basketball players mentality and be conditioned as a basketball player to be pro.  So in that regard, since he has not been, he wouldn't work out.

You should have told sophmore Michael Jordan he just started too late.  Might as well give up. 

Michael Jordan played in high school, as a child.  He didn't become a pro player until after going through high school AND college as a basketball player.  Michael Phelps is a grown man who has not played basketball on any level.  How the hell you think he could run point on any team in this league is a joke.

Give up what? Trying to talk to you like you have a brain?!

[Lurker]

Could Phelps play NBA level hoops?  Possibly.

Could Tim Duncan be a world class swimmer?  He was training to until a hurricane hit the Virgin Islands.

Could Michael Jordan play MLB?  NO!  Thus proving that excellance in one professional sport does not translate into success in another.

shooting fish in a bowl.
Not only did Deon play in both the NFL and MLB, he did it in the same day Cousin Lurker.
NLCS to boot.
Deon played in both the Superbowl and the World Series.
And since we can no doubt que you and Cousin WoWkoast to come back with some spin about how Deon sucked in baseball, here are some irrefutable facts:
Sanders played 641 games with 4 teams. During his most productive year, 1992, he hit .304 for the Braves, and stole 26 bases in 97 games. During the 1989 season, he hit a home run and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week, the first player to do so.
So i guess we need to take back Deon Sanders World Series ring. 

Most likely.  One year of .300 hitting (barely), a career avg of .263, and playing in less than half the games over a 9 year career.  Sounds like one heck of a baseball player.  I guess its a good thing he didn't count on making a living that way.

He was able to play in two sports at the professional level but it doesn't mean EVERY athlete could.  Bob Hayes was a world class athlete in 2 sports (use google).  Or go back and read about Jim Thorpe.  But you find more athletes that can't do 2 sports rather than those who can.

You are just so absolute in a relative world.  Go check 3 pt shooting percentages again to figure out who should have won the MVP.

[jemagee]

Deion was more flash than substance on the baseball field right?

[WayOutWest]

Deion was more flash than substance on the baseball field right?

Not to king dumbarse.  You have to understand that Stupidity thinks Brent Barry is a franchise player who is key to winning NBA championships.  Duncan, Parker and Manu are just ridding coat tails.   

[Skandery]

Ummm . . . I guess I'll throw out the obvious one.  

TIM DUNCAN






I'm not saying Phelps can or cannot play basketball.  But its not unheard for a swimmer to do exceptionally well at the game of basketball.  Seeing as how a swimmer is the greatest Power Forward Basketball has ever seen.  

[Derek Bodner]

I think a more compelling question is could Michael Phelps have been an NBA player (meaning had he pursued Basketball instead of swimming), rather than could michael phelps play basketball (mean if he started trying now).

Only slightly more compelling, because ultimately there's no way to predict the mental understanding playing PG demands, but more compelling than expecting a 23 year old who's never competitively played to pick up basketball at the highest level.

[Skandery]

Could Tim Duncan be a world class swimmer?  He was training to until a hurricane hit the Virgin Islands.

Lurker beat me to it, didn't see this . . . 

[Lurker]

I think a more compelling question is could Michael Phelps have been an NBA player (meaning had he pursued Basketball instead of swimming), rather than could michael phelps play basketball (mean if he started trying now).

Only slightly more compelling, because ultimately there's no way to predict the mental understanding playing PG demands, but more compelling than expecting a 23 year old who's never competitively played to pick up basketball at the highest level.

Good point bods.  Duncan switched from swimming to basketball in his teens.  If Phelps had done the same maybe he could have excelled at bball.  He has the mental drive to succeed and could possibly have developed the basketball skills necessary.

[jemagee]

Ummm . . . I guess I'll throw out the obvious one.  

TIM DUNCAN






I'm not saying Phelps can or cannot play basketball.  But its not unheard for a swimmer to do exceptionally well at the game of basketball.  Seeing as how a swimmer is the greatest Power Forward Basketball has ever seen.  

Yeah it would be obvious if tim duncan swam until his 20s and competed in 2 olympics, and then picked up basketball in his 20s

except that, he didn't.

[Reality]

I guess Stupidity will never know the answer to his questions because those millions of dollars Phelps could get to play in the NBA is probably what is keeping him from trying, it can't be because he simply can not play.  Fraking moron!

Hey already dead fish in barrel.  Check out how much Phelps is making from his Oly endorsments.
You know what, let me help you again.  It may be hard while you are sucking your thumb and backpedaling to navigate to the information:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Story?id=5612292&page=1
To get a sense of how much money Michael Phelps is likely to make in the next 10 years, imagine each of those eight medals around his neck as 1,000 pounds of solid gold.

Michael Phelps could make $100 million in his lifetime from endorsement deals and speeches but he's still nowhere near the level of professional athletes like Tiger Woods and Lebron James.
(ABC News)
That's roughly equivalent to the $100 million payday anticipated to come to the star swimmer during his lifetime, according to his agent and sports marketing experts.

With his stunning achievement in breaking Marc Spitz's 36-year-old record for most gold medals in a single Olympics and his ubiquity on TV, radio and the Internet, Phelps is expected to bank much more than previous Olympic champs such as "America's Sweetheart" Mary Lou Retton, decathlete Bruce Jenner and track star Carl Lewis.

[Skandery]

Duncan switched from swimming to basketball in his teens.  If Phelps had done the same maybe he could have excelled at bball.  He has the mental drive to succeed and could possibly have developed the basketball skills necessary.

Basically this is what I agree with.  Lurker do you remember the age Duncan switched.  I believe it was as late as 16, correct?

Yeah it would be obvious if tim duncan swam until his 20s and competed in 2 olympics, and then picked up basketball in his 20s

Agreed that its too late in the game for Phelps.  Had Duncan reached 24 and been training solely for swimming, he would have wasted the rest of his formative years.  Could Phelps have become an NBA star had he made the switch early, 15 or 16, who knows!  But there is a precedent.

[Reality]

I think a more compelling question is could Michael Phelps have been an NBA player (meaning had he pursued Basketball instead of swimming), rather than could michael phelps play basketball (mean if he started trying now).

Only slightly more compelling, because ultimately there's no way to predict the mental understanding playing PG demands, but more compelling than expecting a 23 year old who's never competitively played to pick up basketball at the highest level.

Good point bods.  Duncan switched from swimming to basketball in his teens.  If Phelps had done the same maybe he could have excelled at bball.  He has the mental drive to succeed and could possibly have developed the basketball skills necessary.  

Ah!  Some fresh air amidst the self-puffery barrel floaters.
Yes Dabods i think if Phelps plays hoop from childhood it triples his chances.  But i dont count him out starting 4 years ago.  He was only 19 then.  Still late, but with what he has displayed i believe the potential to translate his skills exists.