15 Olympics sports these NBA athletes would dominate

After months of buildup, the Paris 2024 Olympics are finally upon us. The best and brightest athletes from around the world will be taking their talents to France for the next few weeks, where they'll be competing in a variety of events, including men's basketball. The chance to see longtime NBA rivals like LeBron James and Steph Curry competing on the same team for a change is just one reason that Olympic basketball is so popular, but we thought it would be fun to imagine an alternate reality in which NBA stars competed for their countries in something other than their preferred sport.

NBA players are often considered the best athletes in the world, for good reason. Their size, speed, dexterity, and leaping ability make them stand out, but not every NBA player is created equally. There are many ways to succeed on basketball's biggest stage, so for every speed merchant like Ja Morant or crafty shotmaker like Jalen Brunson, there's also a towering physical presence like Joel Embiid or an athletically explosive specimen like Anthony Edwards. Squint a little and I think it would be easy to see each of these 15 players representing their country in another sport.

Jared McCain, Breaking

Let's begin with a couple of rookies. Jared McCain spent a year at Duke before declaring for the NBA Draft, and his selection by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 16th overall pick was frequently cited by draft experts as one of not only the best value picks in the first round, but one of the best fits between team and player.

Just as McCain will be making his professional debut this year, so too will breaking be getting a chance to shine for the first time in the Olympics. Better known as breakdancing, the sport involves choreographed routines set to music that involve a variety of skills to be scored by a panel of judges.

McCain has gained notoriety not only for his sweet outside shot, but his frequent TikTok dances that he posts online, making him the perfect NBA player to try the newest Olympic sport.

Training for the Olympics is grueling work, and McCain clearly has a long way to go to challenge the current world champ, American Victor Montalvo. Crazier things have happened, though!

LeBron James, Rugby

Football fans have long pined for LeBron to pull a Michael Jordan and give up basketball for another sport. There have been more sports talk segments dedicated to envisioning LeBron as the starting tight end for the Cleveland Browns than there has been for, well, the actual guys that have played tight end for the Cleveland Browns (sorry Gary Barnidge), but there's just one problem: football isn't an Olympic sport, at least not for us uncultured Americans that call it soccer instead.

That means we need a new sport for LeBron, but you can't do an exercise like this and not include one of the greatest players in history, especially when he's still going strong in Year 22. Let's go with rugby for LBJ then, since it's the closest we can get to seeing him play football. Rugby players are known for their physicality, and the sight of LeBron barreling through a group of Scotsmen the way he barrels through the lane for an and-1 could single-handedly make rugby a must-watch sport in America.

LeBron is famous for the amount he spends to keep his body operating at peak efficiency. Rugby would be physically demanding, but would it be tougher than the Western Conference? I think not.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Handball

Handball has never really caught on in this country like it has in Europe, which is a shame because it's a super entertaining sport. NBC's Olympics site says that the five basic handball skills are dribbling, passing, shooting, defense, and position, which makes it tailor-made for an NBA player, but which one would be a perfect fit?

We'll go with Giannis as the pick to represent his native Greece. The Greek Freak more than earned his nickname with his one-of-a-kind combination of size and athleticism, and the image of him bearing down on the goal would be just as terrifying for handball players as it is for would-be defenders in the NBA. Giannis has the stride and leaping ability to be unstoppable in handball, and he'd also be impossible to score upon when playing defense. His enormous hands already make a basketball look small; an Olympic handball would seem like a tennis ball to him.

Jalen Brunson, Wrestling

This past season vaulted Jalen Brunson not only to stardom in NBA circles, but to the top two of the current beloved New York athlete power rankings (a showdown between Brunson and Aaron Judge for the top spot is too close to call). The Knicks were ravaged by injuries this past postseason, yet Brunson still was able to drag them to within a game of the Eastern Conference finals through sheer toughness and an unwillingness to back down in the biggest moments.

Brunson isn't the most physically impressive NBA star out there. He's not a high-flier, and he doesn't have the size to cause mismatches on the offensive end. Instead, he thrives thanks to a ground-bound game that is like the omega version of your dad playing pickup at the YMCA.

Brunson's low center of gravity and ability to manipulate his opponents would make him a great wrestler if he ever decided to give up dribbling for grappling. He has one of the highest basketball IQs in the league, which would help him out-think his opponents, and his patented arsenal of feints and changes of both speed and direction would have even the stoutest Uzbekistanian flat on his back.

Mikal Bridges, Rowing

Let's stick with the Villanova Knicks for our next selection. Mikal Bridges is the newest member of the Madison Square Garden Wildcat alumni group, joining Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart following his off-season trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

Bridges is the ironman of the NBA, which surely has noted bench-hater Tom Thibodeau salivating at the prospect of running him out there for 48 minutes a night. Bridges hasn't missed a game in three years, and in fact he played more than a full regular season, 83 games, two years ago due to the timing of an in-season trade from the Suns to the Nets.

Bridges is the ideal NBA fit for the Olympic rowing team. The famously grueling sport demands exceptional endurance and durability from its athletes, and the former First Team All-Defensive player has both in spades. Bridges would hardly break a sweat as he helped the American team to four gold medals in the men's pair, men's double sculls, men's single sculls, and men's four events.

Victor Wembanyama, Fencing

I'll be honest, it was fun coming up with all of these, but there's nothing I would like to see more than this one. Victor Wembanyama wielding a foil, epee, or saber would be even more unfair than it is for him to take two steps from under the basket and block a three-pointer into the third row. They might enact rules the way they did for Wilt Chamberlin back in the day, or just get rid of fencing altogether because Wemby would be so laughably dominant.

Wemby lived up to the hype and then some in his rookie season by showcasing a skill set that we've never seen before in a man of his size. The 7'4" Frenchman earned the Rookie of the Year award with the offensive array of a guard and an often spectacular defensive presence. There's a reason he's been dubbed "The Alien."

Wemby is poised to usher in a new era of dominance for the San Antonio Spurs. Not to be reductive to the skills of Olympic fencers, but I don't imagine it would take much training for him to easily win gold year after year. The man has an eight-foot wingspan! No other fencer could get close enough to touch him, let alone be able to reach high enough even if they did.

Jimmy Butler, Rhythmic Gymnastics

Sometimes you scout athletes based on measurables. That's how we ended up with Giannis playing handball and Wemby fencing. Sometimes, though, you just need to go on vibes. Jimmy Butler is as intense a competitor as there is in the NBA, but he has the soul of an artist and the sense of whimsy that judges would just lap up. That's why I present to you Jimmy Butler, rhythm gymnast. Don't pretend like you wouldn't watch it!

Butler's yearly tradition of debuting a new look on NBA Media Day has become one of the most consistent sources of joy in the whirlwind of the NBA beat. As a fantasy basketball player, seeing "Emo Jimmy" or "Dreadlock Jimmy" never ceases to tickle me when I click his name.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a female-only Olympic sport for now, but there has been a push in recent years to include men in the action. Men's rhythm gymnastics are thriving in Japan, and Spain has a men's national championship. Butler still has time to go in his NBA career, but after that, who knows? New sports are being added all the time. Let's give Jimmy Buckets a shot.

Draymond Green, Boxing

Here's one pairing of an athlete and a sport that needs no introduction. Draymond Green just can't stop getting involved in altercations on the court, but whereas the NBA frowns upon that kind of thing and voices its disapproval by frequently fining and suspending him, the boxing ring would allow the former Spartan to let loose.

Green would need to work on his technique before putting on the gloves, as the Olympic judges wouldn't award him any points for headlocks, such as the one he put Rudy Gobert in, or cheap shots, like the one he hit Jordan Poole with.

Green has the tools to become a good boxer. He's one of the toughest players in the league. He's not afraid to get in a scrap. And his elite wingspan, which has helped him be named to the NBA's All-Defensive Team eight times, would give him a reach advantage over pretty much anyone he would face in the super heavyweight division.

Green has earned his reputation as a hothead, but beneath his antics, he's one of the smartest players in the league. If he could resist the urge to fight dirty or just throw Clubber Lang-style bombs, he could be formidable.

Anthony Edwards, High Jump

The high jump is one Olympic event that many NBA players could excel at. If we have to pick one, though, give me Anthony Edwards, who has the belt as the most ferocious dunker in the game. Edwards can get UP to posterize even the best defenders, and he seems to delight in hammering it down on his defenseless foes.

Edwards has experience in more than just basketball, as his first love was football. He could use that versatility to master the Fosbury Flop, but who are we kidding — it would be way more entertaining to see him just pretend he's dunking it on Nikola Jokic and clear the bar while upright. The Olympics isn't ready for the Ant-Man track & field experience. Bring ya ass to Paris.

Nikola Jokic, Dressage

Speaking of Nikola Jokic, let's get him into the Games with his own first love. The equestrian competitions are typically a buttoned-up, stuffy affair, but something tells me that seeing the three-time MVP atop a gray Andalusian while being cheered on by his cartoonishly large brothers would change that.

Jokic has spoken frequently about his love for horses, and he keeps several back home in Serbia. His game is shockingly graceful for a man of his size, a skill that could translate well to the world of dressage, where competitors are judged by the movements their horses are able to complete in a choreographed set. Essentially, it's the horse version of the floor exercise or ice dancing.

Jokic's balletic movements and creative expression on the court, combined with his passion for horses, could make him an unlikely two-sport superstar. Just make sure he's riding a horse strong enough to support his 284-pound listed weight.

Joel Embiid, Soccer

Here's one that could have actually happened. Joel Embiid was a soccer and volleyball player growing up in Cameroon, and he didn't discover basketball until the age of 15. A year later, he was discovered by now-former NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute and moved to the U.S. to pursue it in earnest.

Nearly two years ago, Embiid became a naturalized U.S. citizen, which is why he's playing basketball for the U.S. and not his native Cameroon. As talented as Embiid is on the basketball court, this stacked American team would be just fine without him. U.S. soccer, on the other hand, could use an injection of energy after falling flat at the Copa America and firing Gregg Berhalter just 10 months into his second tenure.

Embiid has some real skills with his feet, and his size and strength would make him an unstoppable heading machine in front of the net. His conditioning may preclude him from being more than a late-game sub, but there isn't a team in the world that would have an answer for him on defense.

Back in the 90s, Allen Iverson was the most popular answer to the question of which NBA player could have been a soccer superstar. It would be only fitting for his heir apparent on the Sixers to also inherit that mantle.

Luka Doncic, Shot Put

Luka Doncic doesn't have a prototypical NBA body. He's not particularly cut, and in fact the only six-pack you could ever hope to find on him is one that has aluminum pop tabs. Doncic is a sweaty mess on the court, but he'd look right at home spinning around and heaving a 16-pound orb.

The way that shot putters let out a yell at the moment they release the shot put is right in Doncic's wheelhouse. He's never been shy about showing emotion on the court — just ask Rudy Gobert after he was victimized by Doncic in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

I can't back this up with hard data, but it just makes sense to me that someone from the Balkans should be good at the shot put. Doncic is one of the most competitive bastards the league has ever seen, and there are few players better than him at manipulating a defense with his strength. Give him a year to train and he'll do what he fell short of this past season: win a title.

Chet Holmgren, Volleyball

The skill Venn diagram between basketball and volleyball has plenty of overlap. Height is a must, both to be able to spike the ball more effectively and to be able to block the other team from doing the same. Strength, wingspan, and leaping ability are also integral in both sports.

NBA fans that tune in to the Olympics in the coming weeks might see a familiar name bumping, spiking, and setting. Former NBAer Chase Budinger has pivoted to beach volleyball, and he'll be half of one of the two teams representing the U.S. in the event. How sweet would it be to pair him up with a a fellow hooper?

Chet Holmgren would be outstanding. He finished second in the NBA in blocks this past season, and that swatting ability would play just as well in Paris.

Tell me that wouldn't translate to the volleyball court! Chet may have been left off the U.S. Men's basketball team, but he's got a career as a volleyball player if he wants one.

Ja Morant, 100-meter dash

No Olympic event is as exciting as the 100-meter dash. Some of the most memorable Olympic performances in history have taken place in the 100-meter, from Jesse Owens and Bob Hayes to Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt, so we have to have an NBA representative try to claim the title of World's Fastest Man.

Offensive efficiency in the NBA is at an all-time high, in part because the level of athleticism in the league is higher than it's ever been. Who's the fastest player in the league, though? I'll take Ja Morant. Ja has had a rough couple of years, both on and off the court, but at 24 years old, he still hasn't even reached his prime.

Ja can get the ball up the court in a flash. He can go from 0-60 in the blink of an eye when catching it at the top of the key. Once in the lane, he can blow by even the best defenders before exploding for a rim-rocking slam. Let's hone his straight-line speed to challenge Noah Lyles. He is a Murray State Racer, after all.

Steven Adams, Weightlifting

Saturday Night Live used to run a skit about Bill Brasky, a mythic Paul Bunyan-like figure whose friends extolled his outsized virtues while slamming beers at a bar. If there's a Bill Brasky in the NBA, it has to be Steven Adams, whose feats of strength are legendary. This YouTube video regaling Adams' feats of strength is over 15 minutes long and has over 2.5 million views.

Adams sets the hardest screens in the league. He throws grown men around underneath the basket when boxing out. Smaller players just bounce off him. One time, he even picked up 250-pound Tony Bradley and carried him to midcourt like a misbehaving toddler.

Adams is the strongest player in a league full of strong players, and he could put his native New Zealand on the weightlifting map. The Kiwis haven't fared better than seventh in any Olympic weightlifting event. With Adams in the fold, that could change.