Ant vs Kobe vs Jordan athleticism (age 22)

[sikma42]

So basketball is the only sport on the entire earth where the best athlete in 1984 is more athletic than the best athlete in 2024? Very interesting. I wonder why this is.

Lebron was a better athlete than Jordan. Ant isn’t. I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.


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[ballzboyee]

The incessant Kobe comparison threads always devolve into "my dad can beat up your dad" illogical rantings. Ant is a great athlete no doubt about it, but how much better if at all of an athlete can he possibly be compared to Jordan or Kobe? Forget Jordan, there is no way Edwards is a better athlete than Jordan. It's not even really close. Jordan is in the running for the greatest athlete ever in the history of the NBA. His wingspan, standing reach, leaping ability, hand size, strength, and quickness at the two position are basically unparalleled. Jordan was basically the blueprint for the perfect modern basketball player.

Just taking Kobe for comparisons sake, he was no slouch. Kobe's estimated max leaping vertical was between 38 to 40 inches and he was taller and probably bigger in terms of physical frame than Edwards. Kobe's vertical is disputed. Some reports that Kobe's vertical was actually 44 inches when leaping (estimated). Edwards has a 41.5 inch vertical. Reported wingspan is the similar between Kobe and Edwards at around 6'9.5. However, some scouting reports put Kobe's wingspan at 6'11". In any case, they are similar in terms of measurables at the two position, but Kobe clearly was closer to a small forward in terms of size than Edwards. Edwards has a slight edge in his vertical and Kobe has the bigger and probably stronger body but also the agility and quickness of a guard. Let's not forget that Kobe was big and strong enough to legit play in the post in the NBA and guard a prime Lebron James. Kobe was not a little guy, especially later in his career when he had beefed up his upper body. Kobe was also a two-way player who was both a scoring champ and All-NBA First Team Defense many times in his career, slam dunk champ, etc. You have to be a really physical player to be an All NBA defender. Edwards has done none of these things.

I give Edwards his props. If he keeps progressing, he's going to be something special, but he has not proven that he is on the level of Kobe or Jordan yet in terms of overall athleticism. He has some measurables that are comparable to those guys, but ultimately athleticism is determined by performance. He has a lot of milestones to achieve before I will say that he is a better athlete than Kobe or Jordan.

[firedavidkahn]

Edwards is a better athlete than Kobe. He however is not close to the athlete that Jordan was. I want to mainly clear that up. He is a better pure athlete than Kobe but Kobe at that age had a better footwork and setup the triple threat to the rim package. And it also was more just a ferocity of style where he forced his way through things. Ant plays with a smoothness that’s different.

But mainly i want to clear up that Jordan is still a significant tier above Edwards as an athlete. Edwards reminds me more of like a Westbrook where he will sometimes have flat out explosion and then thunder. Jordan’s agility, foot speed, quickness pure cat like reflexes is on a whole different tier.

Agree or disagree?

What on earth do you even mean not close?

Ant so same athletic her is literally hitting his head on the rim with game saving blocks.

Ant is absolutely every bit the athlete MJ or even prime LeBron was... He is just smaller in a 6'4" frame

[cornchip]

Edwars is more D-Wade than MJ or Kobe and no one seems to notice.

I think Ant, Wade, and MJ are in the same category of explosive, fast twitch athletes (Westbrook and Wall are smaller but in that category too).

I've always felt like Kobe was more similar to Clyde, Nique, Vince Carter, SGA in that they're more gliders.

[pipfan]

I have it MJ, then Edwards, then Wade then Kobe and finally Drexler (Kobe being an incredible athlete-no shame in being 4th here)

[tdotrep2]

jordan was taller, faster and could jump higher than ant... i mean.

[elchengue20]

These Kobe comparison threads are getting silly. No, Ant is not a better athlete than 22-year-old Kobe or Jordan.

Watch on YouTube

What is that supposed to prove? Edwards has dunks as or even more impressive than that

[elchengue20]

Edwars is more D-Wade than MJ or Kobe and no one seems to notice.

I think Ant, Wade, and MJ are in the same category of explosive, fast twitch athletes (Westbrook and Wall are smaller but in that category too).

I've always felt like Kobe was more similar to Clyde, Nique, Vince Carter, SGA in that they're more gliders.

I think MJ is more in the mold of Kobe and Drexler, but he was a little more explosive than them.

Dwade and Edwards have a different biotype, they are built like a tank. They are much heavier and stronger and equally explosive. They are Lebron lite.

People have to be grateful that they are just 6'4 because it would be unfair if they we're taller.

[Biff]

I think Edwards and Kobe are closer in athleticism than Edwards and Jordan.

[BlacJacMac]

I very much doubt Ant is stronger than Jordan.



He's actually pretty small.

Tiny...

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[TheProdigy]

Read on Twitter

[IG2]

I have it MJ, then Edwards, then Wade then Kobe and finally Drexler (Kobe being an incredible athlete-no shame in being 4th here)

Yep, MJ, Ant, Wade, Kobe and Drexler is the proper ranking. I think we've seen enough from Edwards by now to proclaim him slightly better than Wade to take the #2 spot. And remember, he's going to get better. NBA athletes pretty much always hit their physical peak between 23-25 and Ant's only 22.

[LakerLegend]

I've always felt like Kobe was more similar to Clyde, Nique, Vince Carter, SGA in that they're more gliders.

Young Kobe was much more explosive off the dribble than any of those guys. He had knee surgeries in the summers of 2003, 2006, and 2010.

He was never quite as explosive post 2003 because of his first knee injury.

[DavidSterned]

So basketball is the only sport on the entire earth where the best athlete in 1984 is more athletic than the best athlete in 2024? Very interesting. I wonder why this is.

I don't know about it being the only sport, but yes this is correct. There's no conspiracy or whatever the hell you're getting at.

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Name any other sport, any other example where the best athletes of the 1980s are superior to the ones of the 2020s.

I mean, you realize that Flo-Jo (RIP) still holds the women's 100m and 200m records from 1988, right?

Genetic evolution doesn't happen over 40 years dude. Where we've improved is with sports science, which allows for athletes to extract just a little bit more from their innate genetic potential. But that doesn't mean that our entire biological/physiological capabilities have changed over a couple of generations.

And if we had the 22 year old versions of MJ or Wilt right now, then there's no doubt that they would probably also be a few percentage points closer to their innate genetic ceilings as athletes than they were at the time.

[queridiculo]

I don't know about it being the only sport, but yes this is correct. There's no conspiracy or whatever the hell you're getting at.

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Name any other sport, any other example where the best athletes of the 1980s are superior to the ones of the 2020s.

I mean, you realize that Flo-Jo (RIP) still holds the women's 100m and 200m records from 1988, right?

Genetic evolution doesn't happen over 40 years dude. Where we've improved is with sports science, which allows for athletes to extract just a little bit more from their innate genetic potential. But that doesn't mean that our entire biological/physiological capabilities have changed over a couple of generations.

And if we had the 22 year old versions of MJ or Wilt right now, then there's no doubt that they would probably also be a few percentage points closer to their innate genetic ceilings as athletes than they were at the time.

It's almost as if there are freak athletes whose feat transcend time, I wonder why... (hint, maybe they were once in a lifetime athletes?).

Edwin Moses won 107 consecutive finals in a 10 year span, he had no competition.

Are people going to argue that 50 years later, the 6 guys ahead of him on the all-time 400 m hurdles list are more gifted athletes?

[Hair Jordan]

So basketball is the only sport on the entire earth where the best athlete in 1984 is more athletic than the best athlete in 2024? Very interesting. I wonder why this is.

I don't know about it being the only sport, but yes this is correct. There's no conspiracy or whatever the hell you're getting at.

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Name any other sport, any other example where the best athletes of the 1980s are superior to the ones of the 2020s.

Longjumping. Bob Beamon’s world record jump of 29’ 2 1/2” was set in 1968. It’s been bettered only once by Mike Powell in 1991. In the 80’s, Carl Lewis could get out of bed at 2 am and jump 28+ feet in his pajamas. Every Olympic gold medal winning jumper in the last 25 years is jumping like 26 to 27 ft.

[Vampirate]

MJ had all time great body control. Ant himself has incredible body control, but the things MJ was doing in the air were downright ridiculous.

What MJ gives up in strength to edwards, he more than makes up for in body control, speed, and quickness.

Body control isn't really athleticism, it's more cognitive ability.

The other truth is Jordan is 6"6 and Ant is 6"4

Jordan has gigantic hands that allows him to do things others can't.

Here's another question, if Jordan was 6"4 without the hands but still had the same athleticism how good would he be?

[Hair Jordan]

Anyone who thinks Anthony Edwards is close or better than Jordan athletically is a casual. Watch Jordan highlights from 1984-1989 when he was in his young, athletic prime. It’s not even close. He’s quicker, faster, jumps higher, hangs longer and could do things with his body that you still don’t see today.

[BarryLird]

So basketball is the only sport on the entire earth where the best athlete is 1984 is more athletic than the best athlete in 2024? Very interesting. I wonder why this is.

This is not how the human body works though. Humans aren’t more athletic in 2024 than they were in 1984 we didn’t just evolve. Someone from 1850 could have been the most athletic person ever. These people are once in a lifetime type athletes.

What you can say is basketball has more exposure than ever and the talent pool is much larger. So overall the role player on every team is much much much better in 2024 than 1984. But you can’t do that with athleticism that’s just now how it works from a genetic and biological standpoint.

Tier 1
In my lifetime the 3 perfect athletes i’ve ever seen in basketball are:

Pre baseball Michael Jordan
Cleveland Lebron
Orlando Shaq

They were perfect 10 athletes. They had absolutely no flaw and their combination of power, speed, quickness, agility etc is unmatched.

After that there is tier 2 and tier 3. And those are all very debatable as to who fits where. Is Wades quickness better or Ants explosive westbrook type finishing? Is Vince dunking and air agility more important or Blake’s power thru contact.

Yeah, it's like they think biological evolution happens over the span of 40-50 years. Always get a laugh from that.

[Cavsfansince84]

MJ had all time great body control. Ant himself has incredible body control, but the things MJ was doing in the air were downright ridiculous.

What MJ gives up in strength to edwards, he more than makes up for in body control, speed, and quickness.

Body control isn't really athleticism, it's more cognitive ability.

The other truth is Jordan is 6"6 and Ant is 6"4

Jordan has gigantic hands that allows him to do things others can't.

Here's another question, if Jordan was 6"4 without the hands but still had the same athleticism how good would he be?

MJ was a tad below 6-5 barefoot, same as Kobe. If Ant is 6-4 barefoot he's pretty close which doesn't include things like standing reach and wingspan which are probably more relevant on a bb court. Agree tough that MJ's hands are another thing as are his handles which factor into how easily a guy can use his athleticism on the court.