The Fastest Point A to Point B Player in History

[OldSchoolBBall]

I want to talk about point A to point B speed in the halfcourt. This is distinct from open court speed, or from quickness in changing direction, and even distinct from acceleration/first step (though point A-point B speed is aided by acceleration/first step).

Despite there being tons of super-fast players in the halfcourt over the years, I submit that Michael Jordan is the fastest point A to point B player in the halfcourt in history, both from a standstill and while already in motion. Jordan could get from 20-30+ feet out to a dunk or a layup faster than anyone - that is, he covered ground in the halfcourt faster than anyone in history. Some evidence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPRyG5bOOtY&lc=U_XO4bAPVN0mxp7Q2-c3L5CQUiXYiZ5wX1uFQOfhBEA&feature=inbox#t=12m33s (look from the point where he makes his initial hard move to the basket - he's 33 feet out and at the rim in an instant)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZhbHMe3A_s&feature=related#t=5m39s (one of my favorite plays ever - he gets from ~32 feet out to the basket in 1.5 seconds here. Blazing speed - watch from the point where he starts to cross over. You'll never see a guy cover that ground that quickly with the ball, period)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daaTrM7kLvs#t=2m27s (~40 feet out to a layup in 2 seconds)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT9P_OY5bpc#t=1m07s (from the 3-point line to under the basket in the blink of an eye)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT9P_OY5bpc#t=2m12s (from 40+ feet out to what would have been under the basket in ~2 seconds had he not made contact with another player - look at the initial speed when he crosses over and takes the next step or two)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xso1KXY7ok#t=1m18s (from when he crosses over to the dunk is like 2 seconds, from 32+ feet out)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dARp3MYkeQM#t=1m42s (instant explosion past the defender and at the basket in 1.5 seconds from the 3-point line for a dunk. Note that MJ is 33 years old here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYwn4I9JDuQ#t=0m32s (from 25 feet out to a dunk in 1-1.5 seconds)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMYzaW46a68#t=4m30s (from 40+ feet out to a dunk in under 2.5 seconds, while changing direction twice and doing an in-and-out dribble, crossover, and several juke moves - ridiculous speed)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVUXJ8Q7ehY#t=1m03s (look how quickly he gets from 23 feet out to inside the lane on his hop step)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD1n6R8pBuQ#t=0m36s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVUXJ8Q7ehY#t=5m09s (look at the obscene amount of distance he covers with the hop step, and how fast he covers it)


An endless number of such plays could be provided. Again, this is not about quickness (i.e., changing directions or changing of speeds), but about pure point A to point B speed covering ground in the halfcourt. And I don't believe that anyone has ever gotten from 23-35+ feet out to the basket faster than Jordan in the halfcourt.

Honorable mentions go to DRose, Drexler, Iverson, and Dr. J.

[hammer2010]

Jordan used to lose foot races to Kenny Smith regularly in college. Most pg's were and are faster than Jordan. Pg's literally have to rely on being faster than everyone else in order to play the game, think about it! So no, Jordan does not have the Fastest point A to Point B speed in history. He would be in the top 5-10 in shooting guards all-time though.

[pauk]

lebron... james...

i have not seen anybody faster from point A to point B... he builds up speed ive not seen from anyone...

ive seen players with better quickness(acceleration), like drose and those other small bunnyrabbits.... but not FASTER.... the dude can cover so much ground its crazy.... he grabs a defensive rebound and then starts running and then BAM he goes into overdrive mode, everybody else is like a statue... or when you run up and think you have an entirely open layup.... and lebron is 30 feet behind you... he stills seems to teleport behind you and swat that shot...

lebron gets so many chasedown blocks because those players just cant believe anybody could possibly catch up so god damn fast so they go up and lay it in even after looking back and knowing lebron is behind there somewhere, its like a surprise to all of them

and its pretty hilarous to watch.... because lebron doesnt even mind letting you go by him... you will get blocked... he just stays behind there and dares you to go up.... lol......

the funniest thing i saw was Rajon Rondo 2 times in a game just hitting the brakes under the rim in a breakaway basket attempt... entirely open... he could have easily layed it in..... but he just ran back to the 3pt line to wait for everybody to come down........ just because he saw lebron behind there somewhere heheheheheh

[theaussieguy]

lebron... james...

i have not seen anybody faster from point A to point B... he builds up speed ive not seen from anyone...

ive seen players with better quickness(acceleration), like drose and those other small bunnyrabbits.... but not FASTER.... the dude can cover so much ground its crazy.... he grabs a defensive rebound and then starts running and then BAM he goes into overdrive mode, everybody else is like a statue... or when you run up and think you have an entirely open layup.... and lebron is 30 feet behind you... he stills seems to teleport behind you and swat that shot...

lebron gets so many chasedown blocks because those players just cant believe anybody could possibly catch up so god damn fast so they go up and lay it in even after looking back and knowing lebron is behind there somewhere, its like a surprise to all of them

and its pretty hilarous to watch.... because lebron doesnt even mind letting you go by him... you will get blocked... he just stays behind there and dares you to go up.... lol......

the funniest thing i saw was Rajon Rondo 2 times in a game just hitting the brakes under the rim in a breakaway basket attempt... entirely open... he could have easily layed it in..... but he just ran back to the 3pt line to wait for everybody to come down........ just because he saw lebron behind there somewhere heheheheheh

perhaps there isn't a word for what jordan had, the closest i can think of is versatile?

He had the height, he had the skill, he had the first step and explosiveness, he had the top end pace and body control

its like god chose not to compromise with this dude (i don't believe in god jus sayin)

[LBJ 23]

lebron... james...

i have not seen anybody faster from point A to point B... he builds up speed ive not seen from anyone...

ive seen players with better quickness(acceleration), like drose and those other small bunnyrabbits.... but not FASTER.... the dude can cover so much ground its crazy.... he grabs a defensive rebound and then starts running and then BAM he goes into overdrive mode, everybody else is like a statue... or when you run up and think you have an entirely open layup.... and lebron is 30 feet behind you... he stills seems to teleport behind you and swat that shot...

lebron gets so many chasedown blocks because those players just cant believe anybody could possibly catch up so god damn fast so they go up and lay it in even after looking back and knowing lebron is behind there somewhere, its like a surprise to all of them

and its pretty hilarous to watch.... because lebron doesnt even mind letting you go by him... you will get blocked... he just stays behind there and dares you to go up.... lol......

the funniest thing i saw was Rajon Rondo 2 times in a game just hitting the brakes under the rim in a breakaway basket attempt... entirely open... he could have easily layed it in..... but he just ran back to the 3pt line to wait for everybody to come down........ just because he saw lebron behind there somewhere heheheheheh


The problem people have with Lebron is visual effect. He's so big that visually he doesn't look as fast as he truly is. You have a truck and small car driving at the same speed and 99 out of 100 people will say small car is faster when watching them driving separately on the road.


Still, it doesn't change the fact that Lebron is noticeably slower than previous years.

[OhNoTimNoSho]

mmmmm michael jordan your ***** is so delicious

[get these NETS]

Barbosa, formerly of the Suns is the quickest player that I've ever seen


point A to point B....blur

[KevinNYC]

perhaps there isn't a word for what jordan had, the closest i can think of is versatile?

He had the height, he had the skill, he had the first step and explosiveness, he had the top end pace and body control

its like god chose not to compromise with this dude (i don't believe in god jus sayin)

One thing Jordan had was incredible balance and he was able to get very low, take a long step and generate some much "traction" it was very hard to stay with him. He could be by you with his first step

[eliteballer]

Jordan used to lose foot races to Kenny Smith regularly in college. Most pg's were and are faster than Jordan. Pg's literally have to rely on being faster than everyone else in order to play the game, think about it! So no, Jordan does not have the Fastest point A to Point B speed in history. He would be in the top 5-10 in shooting guards all-time though.

Seriously...this delusion is what happens when you watch too much of one player. We've seen it with this poster countless times, he'll post up some Jordan move amazed at it and we'll post 10 other players doing the same thing...and players look faster in highlights vs real time because its just a montage of their SUCCESSFUL plays.

Can someone honestly say Jordan is quicker than a guy like Derrick Rose? NO.

[HylianNightmare]

didn't devin harris win something like this a few seasons back?

[pauk]

Barbosa, formerly of the Suns is the quickest player that I've ever seen


point A to point B....blur

o yea barbosa was-is super fast aswell..........

i think SLAM had a top 10 fastest players in the NBA.... gona see if i can find it brb...

[brownmamba00]

mmmmm michael jordan your ***** is so delicious
:oldlol:

[Bigsmoke]

Drose

[Orlando Magic]

lebron... james...

Correct.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNaLIhzSYDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyBT7xEdnAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhlO7Z-ozug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wScz47ctcis

[purplch0de]

sagana diop, idunno some african ass name... i'm sure the dudes fast based solely off of that.

[pauk]

Correct.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNaLIhzSYDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyBT7xEdnAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhlO7Z-ozug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wScz47ctcis

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

[caliman]

Cleveland LeBron.

[DuMa]

vince carter in his rookie year was amazing

[bdreason]

A few guys off the top of my head that have great open court speed.


LeBron James - If he has a head of steam, he goes from halfcourt to hoop in a blink of an eye.

Leandro Barbosa - He's called the Brazilian Blur for a reason. For a guy who can't dribble, he has some incredible straight line speed.

Russell Westbrook - He doesn't have great lateral speed, but when he's a full sprint he's certainly one of the fastest in the NBA.



And for the person who said PG's are all the 'fastest', I have to disagree. Guys with a little size, and a longer stride, often make better sprinters. In Basketball it also reduced to the number of times guys have to bounce the basketball. A guy like LeBron can literally take 2 dribbles from half court and finish.

[az00m]

Wilt

[PowerGlove]

Why does Jordan have to be argued as the greatest everything? SMH.

Iverson was faster.

[Indian guy]

I'd reserve that title for little guys. MJ's the quickest I have seen for players around his size, but he doesn't have the overall quickness of guys like Rose, Parker, Baron Davis, Tim Hardaway, Marbury, Van Exel and so on. It's not really possible at that size.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Hysterical trolls are hysterical. :oldlol:

I say MJ is the fastest point A to point B player in history in the halfcourt, and you have people posting Lebron James OPEN COURT BREAKAWAY videos. :oldlol: Reading comprehension fail. Lebron James isn't even close to MJ in the halfcourt in terms of covering ground - his acceleration isn't nearly what it would need to be.

Love trolls talking nonsense about losing footraces. Tell you what - you find me a single clip of Kenny Anderson getting anywhere in the halfcourt faster than Jordan and I'll drop this. That statement is just a joke. It also ignores that MJ matured physically a ton throughout college and in his first few seasons in the league. His halfcourt speed was at its peak during the '89-'91 period.

All this nonsense trolling, yet I still have yet to see a single clip of any player going from 25-30+ feet out to a dunk/layup faster than Jordan. Sad. Trolls just aren't what they used to be.

[BigBalla44]

Too many morons posting here. First of all, being the fastest is not the same as being the quickest. I personally dont think Rose is faster than LBJ from point A to B. LBJ has a bigger stride, is taller, and probably produces more force in legs. See the Usain Bolt article in Yahoo about how being taller benefits a person's speed.

And second of all, SI reported that MJ ran a 4.3 40-yard dash at UNC. Google it. There are a few articles that refer to it. I dont think Loki is far off in saying MJ was one of the fastest to ever set foot in the NBA.

[OldSchoolBBall]

I'd reserve that title for little guys. MJ's the quickest I have seen for players around his size, but he doesn't have the overall quickness of guys like Rose, Parker, Baron Davis, Tim Hardaway, Marbury, Van Exel and so on. It's not really possible at that size.

None of those players get from point A to point B in the halfcourt as fast as Jordan. They may accelerate faster, but MJ's combination of acceleration and stride length/size is unmatched, and that's what gives him the edge. Of the guys you listed, only DRose and AI even compare. Marbury had INSANE acceleration, but was too small to match MJ in point A to point B speed. DRose is actually the closest imo, better than even Iverson in terms of covering ground quickly in the halfcourt.

Guys like Van Exel and Baron Davis shouldn't even be mentioned - they're not in the same universe.

[PowerGlove]

Hysterical trolls are hysterical. :oldlol:

I say MJ is the fastest point A to point B player in history in the halfcourt, and you have people posting Lebron James OPEN COURT BREAKAWAY videos. :oldlol: Reading comprehension fail. Lebron James isn't even close to MJ in the halfcourt in terms of covering ground - his acceleration isn't nearly what it would need to be.

Love trolls talking nonsense about losing footraces. Tell you what - you find me a single clip of Kenny Anderson getting anywhere in the halfcourt faster than Jordan and I'll drop this. That statement is just a joke. It also ignores that MJ matured physically a ton throughout college and in his first few seasons in the league. His halfcourt speed was at its peak during the '89-'91 period.
All this nonsense trolling, yet I still have yet to see a single clip of any player going from 25-30+ feet out to a dunk/layup faster than Jordan. Sad. Trolls just aren't what they used to be.
IVERSON.
Come on son.

[OldSchoolBBall]

IVERSON.
Come on son.

Show me. That's all I ask.

[Indian guy]

Lebron James isn't even close to MJ in the halfcourt in terms of covering ground

From standstill, sure. But LeBron has incredible quickness with a live dribble in the half-court, LOKI. Very comparable to MJ. I can post plenty of clips.

[PowerGlove]

Show me. That's all I ask.
Show me where Jordan's speed was even comparable to AI's. How bout that? This is ridiculous.

[BigBalla44]

Show me where Jordan's speed was even comparable to AI's. How bout that? This is ridiculous.

If Iverson's 40-yard dash is in 4.2-4.4 range (I dont know his 40 time) and MJ ran a 4.3, then its safe to say Iverson would be a hair faster than MJ at most.

The difference is negligible. Find another argument troll.

[PowerGlove]

Past prime AI.:oldlol:

http://youtu.be/oaXZc5RXa9c

Some good clips in here...

http://youtu.be/X_9YJMaVrIo

Cant believe I'm getting trolled by this loser.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Show me where Jordan's speed was even comparable to AI's. How bout that? This is ridiculous.

Again, who me clips of Iverson getting from point A to point B in the halfcourt faster than Jordan in the clips I posted. Thanks and have a good day.

[PowerGlove]

If Iverson's 40-yard dash is in 4.2-4.4 range (I dont know his 40 time) and MJ ran a 4.3, then its safe to say Iverson would be a hair faster than MJ at most.

The difference is negligible. Find another argument troll.

The difference is negligible in this completely made up bullshit scenario. What are you trying to prove? that you can say ridiculous shit too?

[OldSchoolBBall]

Past prime AI.:oldlol:

http://youtu.be/oaXZc5RXa9c

Some good clips in here...

http://youtu.be/X_9YJMaVrIo

Cant believe I'm getting trolled by this loser.

Yawn. Another open court/fastbreak play, and without the ball at that. Find me clips of Iverson getting from 25-30+ feet out to the basket IN THE HALFCOURT faster than Jordan in the clips I posted.

[BigBalla44]

The difference is negligible in this completely made up bullshit scenario. What are you trying to prove? that you can say ridiculous shit too?

How is this bull? You cannot prove one or another is faster on the basketball court therefore you must take the most scientific sample available. Their 40 yard dash times have been recorded therefore that's our only way of measuring their speed. Comprende???

[PowerGlove]

How is this bull? You cannot prove one or another is faster on the basketball court therefore you must take the most scientific sample available. Their 40 yard dash times have been recorded therefore that's our only way of measuring their speed. Comprende???
You are stupid. No one is going to use 40 yard dash times to determine who's faster on the BASKETBALL COURT. Go play some sports or something.

[BigBalla44]

You are stupid. No one is going to use 40 yard dash times to determine who's faster on the BASKETBALL COURT. Go play some sports or something.

OP was talking about who's faster from point A to point B. That's pretty much asking who's the fastest. No one is asking who's the quickest basketball player. 40-yard dash is similar in that you can mathematically predict their speed in proportion to the basketball court. Its wont say the whole the truth but its much more valid way of measuring speed rather than judging with your eyes.
Reading comprehension and logical deduction are your friends. Quit trying to redefine what was asked.

EDIT: Looks like I need to work on my reading comprehension. lol. Powerglove is still a p.hag though.

[PowerGlove]

You are a moron. OP was talking about who's faster from point A to point B. That's pretty much asking who's the fastest. You are not very bright. No one is asking who's the quickest basketball player.

Reading comprehension and logical deduction are your friends. Quit trying to redefine what was asked.
SMH.:oldlol:

He said that Jordan was the fastest point A to B player in *drumroll* HALFCOURT!!!!!!

You know...like half of a basketball court. Do you get it now?


I want to talk about point A to point B speed in the halfcourt. This is distinct from open court speed, or from quickness in changing direction, and even distinct from acceleration/first step (though point A-point B speed is aided by acceleration/first step).

Despite there being tons of super-fast players in the halfcourt over the years, I submit that Michael Jordan is the fastest point A to point B player in the halfcourt in history, both from a standstill and while already in motion. Jordan could get from 20-30+ feet out to a dunk or a layup faster than anyone - that is, he covered ground in the halfcourt faster than anyone in history. Some evidence:

An endless number of such plays could be provided. Again, this is not about quickness (i.e., changing directions or changing of speeds), but about pure point A to point B speed covering ground in the halfcourt. And I don't believe that anyone has ever gotten from 23-35+ feet out to the basket faster than Jordan in the halfcourt.

Honorable mentions go to DRose, Drexler, Iverson, and Dr. J.

Its clear as day you are wrong.

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: @ your pretentious display of idiocy.

[Indian guy]

None of those players get from point A to point B in the halfcourt as fast as Jordan. They may accelerate faster, but MJ's combination of acceleration and stride length/size is unmatched, and that's what gives him the edge. Of the guys you listed, only DRose and AI even compare. Marbury had INSANE acceleration, but was too small to match MJ in point A to point B speed. DRose is actually the closest imo, better than even Iverson in terms of covering ground quickly in the halfcourt.

Guys like Van Exel and Baron Davis shouldn't even be mentioned - they're not in the same universe.

I've watched pretty much every game Rose has played and there's no doubt in my mind his speed in the half-court is a level above. Same goes for peak Wade. I have a couple of plays Rose plays for now, I'll post more when I get free later:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSHhkL2NdOY&t=1m32s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D54U63ldVcQ&t=2m24s

[rule1223]

I've watched pretty much every game Rose has played and there's no doubt in my mind his speed in the half-court is a level above. Same goes for peak Wade. I have a couple of plays Rose plays for now, I'll post more when I get free later:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSHhkL2NdOY&t=1m32s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D54U63ldVcQ&t=2m24s
this, rose is on another level in terms of speed, his spin move is almost as quick as jordans first step

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOSp7xF2rJs

[bdreason]

James can get from the 3pnt line to the hoop as fast as anyone in the NBA. Don't get it twisted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAF8zTq7XA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAyKv5UznxU

[BlackJoker23]

Yawn. Another open court/fastbreak play, and without the ball at that. Find me clips of Iverson getting from 25-30+ feet out to the basket IN THE HALFCOURT faster than Jordan in the clips I posted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-SW60AmNh0
3:32

actually u should watch from 2;30 to 3;30 but the play im looking at specifically is the one where he blows by kidd. ai>rose,wade and mj.

[Samurai Swoosh]

The only people who can compete with MJ in terms of speed and quickness in the half court off the dribble is Derrick Rose, and Allen Iverson. That should tell you something too. Both are PG's. One is 5'11 and the other is 6'1. MJ did this @ 6'5.

So you take comprable speed and quickness and put it on a frame that is significantly longer than both of them, and you have the FASTEST point A to Point B player in the league history. In the half court or full court set. Only player in full court I can think of that is comprable is Dr. J or LeBron from 2004 - 2010.

I remember reading about teams testing MJ's 40 yard dash time, and it was on the level of modern super athletes in the NFL. The Mike Vicks of the world, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkRzE8oroMs

Just watch these plays where Jordan recovers from significant distances to make plays ont he ball.

Look @ that play v.s. New York in game 7. Where he starts off from to where he catches up with the IN BOUND pass.

:eek:

Then look at the recovery in the open court to get IN FRONT of Xavier McDaniel to swipe the ball.

:eek:

But let's not just talk about point A to point B in terms of moving vertically.

MJ was one of the fastest players of all-time LATERALLY. That's why he was such an insane defender. I mean, Scottie Pippen had 3 - 4 inches on MJ in height, and a signicantly longer reach ... MJ flustered players more with his ridiculous foot speed than with his length. And if you don't believe me, watch some tape. He was incredible at bouncing side to side with anticipation and speed, moving his feet laterally.

[bdreason]

I'm not claiming James is as quick as Jordan was, but if we're posting chase down blocks, check out LeBron chase down Monta Ellis... twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HeKnaqn4fA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpSUQhsGg6c




As a Warriors fan, these were painful. :oldlol:

[Samurai Swoosh]

As a Warriors fan, these were painful.
I knew you had to be a Warrior "super fan" the way you were arguing for Monta Ellis overrated ass the other day. And claiming Stephen Curry was already an All Star PG.

:oldlol:

[Da_Realist]

The only people who can compete with MJ in terms of speed and quickness in the half court off the dribble is Derrick Rose, and Allen Iverson. That should tell you something too. Both are PG's. One is 5'11 and the other is 6'1. MJ did this @ 6'5.

So you take comprable speed and quickness and put it on a frame that is significantly longer than both of them, and you have the FASTEST point A to Point B player in the league history. In the half court or full court set. Only player in full court I can think of that is comprable is Dr. J or LeBron from 2004 - 2010.

I remember reading about teams testing MJ's 40 yard dash time, and it was on the level of modern super athletes in the NFL. The Mike Vicks of the world, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkRzE8oroMs

Just watch these plays where Jordan recovers from significant distances to make plays ont he ball.

Look @ that play v.s. New York in game 7. Where he starts off from to where he catches up with the IN BOUND pass.

:eek:

Then look at the recovery in the open court to get IN FRONT of Xavier McDaniel to swipe the ball.

:eek:

But let's not just talk about point A to point B in terms of moving vertically.

MJ was one of the fastest players of all-time LATERALLY. That's why he was such an insane defender. I mean, Scottie Pippen had 3 - 4 inches on MJ in height, and a signicantly longer reach ... MJ flustered players more with his ridiculous foot speed than with his length. And if you don't believe me, watch some tape. He was incredible at bouncing side to side with anticipation and speed, moving his feet laterally.

Amazing end-to-end speed here with the ball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MC4On7E088&t=2m20s

[Samurai Swoosh]

Amazing end-to-end speed here with the ball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MC4On7E088&t=2m20s
I was going to post that too ... forgot it was from one of your mixes. Awesome one too, by the way.

[bdreason]

I knew you had to be a Warrior "super fan" the way you were arguing for Monta Ellis overrated ass the other day. And claiming Stephen Curry was already an All Star PG.

:oldlol:


I'm a Warriors fan, but far from a fanboy. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks both Monta and Curry are borderline All-Stars.

[knickswin]

It'd be completely delusional homerism to even begin to argue that MJ was the fastest full-court player of all time. Most point guards are probably faster than him.

But if we're talking about quickness in the half court he's at the very top. His first step was blazing, I would argue that it was his biggest physical advantage. He could beat any defender off his first dribble and then get a good look at the basket.

Lebron's first step isn't that great. I don't think it's even as good as Carmelo's. He's incredible in the open court and he's great at accelerating once he's already in motion, but you rarely see him blow by guys on the first dribble. Maybe it's a matter of coaching rather than ability for him though.

[Simple Jack]

I'm a Warriors fan, but far from a fanboy. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks both Monta and Curry are borderline All-Stars.

You aren't. Monta was playing all-star level ball this past year and Curry is right around the corner.

[OldSchoolBBall]

I've watched pretty much every game Rose has played and there's no doubt in my mind his speed in the half-court is a level above. Same goes for peak Wade. I have a couple of plays Rose plays for now, I'll post more when I get free later:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSHhkL2NdOY&t=1m32s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D54U63ldVcQ&t=2m24s

Rose's speed is CERTAINLY not a "level above" - that's just absurd. I will say that Rose was the guy who I feel covers ground second fastest after Jordan (Rose is faster at covering ground than Iverson imo). His acceleration may be even faster than MJ's (off a live dribble, at least), but MJ's stride length/size (he has 3+" on Rose) makes the difference. Neither of the clips you posted show him covering that distance any faster than Jordan did. The second clip is almost as fast as MJ in terms of the time it took for him to cover that distance.

Again, MJ's first step speed (plus the length of his first step) coupled with his stride length/size makes him the fastest in the halfcourt at covering ground, ESPECIALLY from a standstill.

[NuggetsFan]

Not sure where he'd rank All-Time but a guy like Ty Lawson has to be up there. Ridiculous the amount of buckets he get's on broken plays in the halfcourt simply because of how quick he is. Not many clips of him on youtube but as a guy who's missed about 10-11 games of his entire career thus far I can confidently say he's not slower than some of the guy's getting a mention like Rose, Westbrook.

Reminds me of A.I's quickness.

[eliteballer]

LOCO...how is this not as fast as any of the clips you posted?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5-VOk3kSpI&feature=related&t=0m26s

[theaussieguy]

that thing about how height is beneficial for sprinting, in theory may be true, but hey why would we use theory when we can use reality?

Its pretty obvious that the majority of sprinters are not tall tall guys. Usain is a freak of nature. He managed to keep muscle mass (drugs? who knows) whilst remaining at a very low body fat. But the most important thing i think which determines the quicks of someone is their dexterity and agility. Generally, as you get taller, you just get lankier and lose coordination, i think because in most cases, whilst your bones may be longer than the average person, your muscle mass and strength is not so your flopping round everywhere. In other words the shorter guys have less weight but similar amounts of muscle, helping in acceleration.

My mum was so suprised when i told her how tall MJ was. She thought he was like 6 foot, which just goes to show how awsome his proportions were. He didn't look like a lanky retard like most tall guys do.

[N0Skillz]

that thing about how height is beneficial for sprinting, in theory may be true, but hey why would we use theory when we can use reality?

Its pretty obvious that the majority of sprinters are not tall tall guys. Usain is a freak of nature. He managed to keep muscle mass (drugs? who knows) whilst remaining at a very low body fat. But the most important thing i think which determines the quicks of someone is their dexterity and agility. Generally, as you get taller, you just get lankier and lose coordination, i think because in most cases, whilst your bones may be longer than the average person, your muscle mass and strength is not so your flopping round everywhere. In other words the shorter guys have less weight but similar amounts of muscle, helping in acceleration.

My mum was so suprised when i told her how tall MJ was. She thought he was like 6 foot, which just goes to show how awsome his proportions were. He didn't look like a lanky retard like most tall guys do.


not true

[HB40TheNextStar]

The answer is Tiny Archibald, you tools.

[PHILA]

Iverson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D58UwufQYyI#t=1m5s



Washington Times - Feb 23, 1996

"[Allen] Iverson is the fastest human being on the planet in any sport," - Villanova coach Steve Lappas, speaking on ESPN at halftime.



Chicago Tribune - Dec 8, 1996

But the fastest man with the ball in the NBA today appears to be 6-foot, 165- pound 76ers rookie point guard Allen Iverson.



Sports Illustrated - January 13, 1997 (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1009349/index.htm)

Quickest First Step?

Not too long ago this poll of one representative from each of the league's 29 teams would have been a waste of time. Only one player would have received votes: Chicago's Michael Jordan, of course. But while Jordan's reign as the NBA's most explosive player continues—he topped our list with 13 votes, nine more than Philadelphia rookie point guard Allen Iverson—the responses from coaches, players and general managers show that His Airness has lost his overwhelming edge. "On the dribble, it's Iverson," says San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. "From a rocker step, live ball, I guess it's still Michael."

[hammer2010]

This thread is stupid. How many times have you seen a PG in the half court blow easily past anyone who is not a pg? And how many times do you see shooting guards post up pg's on the perimeter. The reason being that both on defence and offence *half court* point guards are by far the fastest players. Think about it!! Pg's literally have to rely on speed and quickness playing the game. They don't have any other advantage on the court other than to be the fastest player in the game. With the ball or without the ball. On offence or defence. Full court and halfcourt.. Pretty much in every facet of the game they have to be the fastest players to have any advantage.

[andgar923]

*sigh* some people just don't get what the OP means and has reiterated time and time again.

Sure... Rose and Iverson may be quicker than MJ, but due to MJ's length and speed, he gets to point A to point B faster than they do.

In other words....

It'll take MJ one less dribble and one less stride to get from point A to point B than Iverson or Rose, due to his combination of speed and length.

There isn't a player above 6'4 faster than MJ, and the players that are faster are usually smaller and need to take one more stride and one more dribble to reach point B than MJ.

I believe I've told this story before....

I knew a college player that played in the Space Jam games vs MJ. This dude was 6'4 thin and athletic with great speed. He said MJ was the fastest player he ever faced, including point guards.

There's another story from a friend that saw MJ play front court seats at the Forum, he said he's never seen anybody move so fast and cover so much ground. He said that if he took away anything, was MJ's amazing speed and how every move was executed with pin point precision almost military like (he's a cop).

[pauk]

Amazing end-to-end speed here with the ball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MC4On7E088&t=2m20s

close... but no.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNaLIhzSYDI

[andgar923]

close... but no.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNaLIhzSYDI


With the ball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuwIlcVsHmU&feature=related

[pauk]

With the ball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuwIlcVsHmU&feature=related

close but no... with the ball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhlO7Z-ozug

longer strides gives an illusion of less physical movement... but he is actually faster....

its like when you watch a spider.... it moves its limbs so freakin fast when it runs.... much faster than any human... but does it actually go faster than you? NO

watch USAIN BOLT (or lebron) and compare to those shorter guys next to him to see what i mean... they have to take two steps to reach the distance USAIN (or lebron) takes with ONE STEP.

LEBRON RAN A 4.35 SECOND 40 YARD DASH.......... USAIN BOLT RAN A 4.28 SECOND 40 YARD DASH..........

THATS FASTER THAN 99.9% RUNNING BACKS / WIDE RECIEVERS OR WHATEVER IN NFL OR 100 METER OLYMPIC SPRINTRUNNERS....

[knightfall88]

Jordan fastest? HAHA

[pauk]

Some top 40 yard dash times:

Usain Bolt - 6'6" - Fastest man on earth - 4.28 sec.

Lebron James - 6'9" - NBA forward - 4.35 sec.

Reggie Wayne 6'0" - NFL widereciever - 4.45 sec.

Roddy White 6'0" - NFL widereciever - 4.45 sec.

Larry Fitzgerald 6'3" - NFL widereciever - 4.63 sec.


think about that for a second............

you may see somebody moving & darting here and there changing directions quicker like CP3 and Drose and so on... but thats only because of their shorter strides.... lebron builds up a top speed nobody can match in the NBA or in NBA history probably

[Da_Realist]

close but no... with the ball: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhlO7Z-ozug

longer strides gives an illusion of less physical movement... but he is actually faster....

its like when you watch a spider.... it moves its limbs so freakin fast when it runs.... much faster than any human... but does it actually go faster than you? NO

watch USAIN BOLT (or lebron) and compare to those shorter guys next to him to see what i mean... they have to take two steps to reach the distance USAIN (or lebron) takes with ONE STEP.

LEBRON RAN A 4.35 SECOND 40 YARD DASH.......... USAIN BOLT RAN A 4.28 SECOND 40 YARD DASH..........

THATS FASTER THAN 99.9% RUNNING BACKS / WIDE RECIEVERS OR WHATEVER IN NFL OR 100 METER OLYMPIC SPRINTRUNNERS....

That's not as fast as the Jordan one I posted against the Knicks.

[Da_Realist]

And second of all, SI reported that MJ ran a 4.3 40-yard dash at UNC. Google it. There are a few articles that refer to it. I dont think Loki is far off in saying MJ was one of the fastest to ever set foot in the NBA.


LEBRON RAN A 4.35 SECOND 40 YARD DASH.......... USAIN BOLT RAN A 4.28 SECOND 40 YARD DASH..........

THATS FASTER THAN 99.9% RUNNING BACKS / WIDE RECIEVERS OR WHATEVER IN NFL OR 100 METER OLYMPIC SPRINTRUNNERS....

So Jordan at least wins the 40 yard dash test. :pimp:

[eliteballer]

LeBron did that carrying about 50 more pounds.

Another guy quicker than Jordan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugphPVQHaaw

[eliteballer]

Sure... Rose and Iverson may be quicker than MJ, but due to MJ's length and speed, he gets to point A to point B faster than they do.

In other words....

It'll take MJ one less dribble and one less stride to get from point A to point B than Iverson or Rose, due to his combination of speed and length.


Do you realize how stupid this sounds? They are quicker but Jordan gets there faster:roll: There is NO WAY Jordan zig zags in the halfcourt with the speed of Iverson.

[eliteballer]

Jim Cleamons said Kobe would beat Jordan in a footrace.

[LBJ 23]

Jim Cleamons said Kobe would beat Jordan in a footrace.


Željko Petrović said Wade is better athlete than Lebron

[hammer2010]

This thread is misleading. The op is first saying speed between point A and B which would be a straight line between any two points on the court. Then when he is presented with examples of players faster. He says half court speed without really defining what that is... When presented with players quicker and more agile, generally players who get between points a and b fastest in the half court he says something else.... :applause:

[Da_Realist]

Jim Cleamons said Kobe would beat Jordan in a footrace.

Al Gore said he invented the internet.

[Calabis]

This thread is misleading. The op is first saying speed between point A and B which would be a straight line between any two points on the court. Then when he is presented with examples of players faster. He says half court speed without really defining what that is... When presented with players quicker and more agile, generally players who get between points a and b fastest in the half court he says something else.... :applause:

I agree, this thread should have been titled Jordan most explosive first step....because I believe Barbosa had and I believe Rose beat his record, while dribbling from one end of the court to the other

This was when he was almost 34 yoa (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1009349/index.htm#ixzz1KgAFePuB)

[andgar923]

Do you realize how stupid this sounds? They are quicker but Jordan gets there faster:roll: There is NO WAY Jordan zig zags in the halfcourt with the speed of Iverson.

Let me break it down.

In sprinting, there's a thing called 'turnover' which is the acceleration/time it takes for a player to move, this is also what gives the illusion of being fast. A person with a fast turnover will not necessarily beat a person with a slightly similar turnover but with a longer stride.

While the person with the faster turnover can get to point B with 4 strides, it may only take the person with the longer stride 3 strides.

Runners work on their stride endlessly, just as much as they work on their turnover.

We also have to consider the takeoff factor, which is possibly the most important here, this is also known as 'explosiveness'. This can decrease your time tremendously and can be the deciding factor between getting to point B faster.

So suppose the players mentioned run the 40 in 4.3, and MJ runs it in 4.4. So yeah... those players are quicker/faster, but the difference isn't significant enough to the point where they'll get to point B faster considering MJ's longer stride.

And ROFL @ anybody believing Cleamons' story. Where is that from anyway? everybody knows that the entire Lakers staff always says things to please Kobe's ego. And sure... I'd believe it if he meant a young Kobe vs a mid 30 year old MJ, and even then that's still a close race. Kobe shouldn't even be in this condo.... stupid Kobe fans.... smh.

[The_Yearning]

Suprise surprise the OP is talking about Jordan...

[BigBalla44]

Let me break it down.

In sprinting, there's a thing called 'turnover' which is the acceleration/time it takes for a player to move, this is also what gives the illusion of being fast. A person with a fast turnover will not necessarily beat a person with a slightly similar turnover but with a longer stride.

While the person with the faster turnover can get to point B with 4 strides, it may only take the person with the longer stride 3 strides.

Runners work on their stride endlessly, just as much as they work on their turnover.

We also have to consider the takeoff factor, which is possibly the most important here, this is also known as 'explosiveness'. This can decrease your time tremendously and can be the deciding factor between getting to point B faster.

So suppose the players mentioned run the 40 in 4.3, and MJ runs it in 4.4. So yeah... those players are quicker/faster, but the difference isn't significant enough to the point where they'll get to point B faster considering MJ's longer stride.

And ROFL @ anybody believing Cleamons' story. Where is that from anyway? everybody knows that the entire Lakers staff always says things to please Kobe's ego. And sure... I'd believe it if he meant a young Kobe vs a mid 30 year old MJ, and even then that's still a close race. Kobe shouldn't even be in this condo.... stupid Kobe fans.... smh.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/jordan_retires/archive/831128/

MJ ran a 4.3 not 4.4

[bstickq1]

People actually belive MJ ran a 4.3? Dumb.

Guaranteed to have been timed with a stop watch imprecisely, if it even happened at all. The source is one guy. Only jlauber would take that as fact.

[madmax]

Some top 40 yard dash times:

Usain Bolt - 6'6" - Fastest man on earth - 4.28 sec.

Lebron James - 6'9" - NBA forward - 4.35 sec.

Reggie Wayne 6'0" - NFL widereciever - 4.45 sec.

Roddy White 6'0" - NFL widereciever - 4.45 sec.

Larry Fitzgerald 6'3" - NFL widereciever - 4.63 sec.


think about that for a second............

you may see somebody moving & darting here and there changing directions quicker like CP3 and Drose and so on... but thats only because of their shorter strides.... lebron builds up a top speed nobody can match in the NBA or in NBA history probably

preach it brah:bowdown:
These Jordan ******gers need to be put in their place with their incessant homerism. Lebron blows any 6'6 + NBA player in terms of end-to-end speed:applause:

[entropy35]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCtdtprg4bM#t=09m02s

Ridiculous speed.

[pauk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCtdtprg4bM#t=09m02s

Ridiculous speed.

no doubt.... john wall is deff in the mix..... i read an article where John Wall had a 40 yard dash time of 4.35........ same as lebron... but because of his shorter strides compared to bron he definitely has to move those limbs faster to reach that speed... just like in the video......

lebron... john wall... derrick rose... are most definitely the fastest sprinters in the NBA.... very safe to say....... quickness is a whole another thing tho... there i think CP3 wins probably.... he changes directions and spins and twirls and darts and hesitates like he is possessed or something (yes... while dribbling the ball) ALL AT THE SAME TIME.... hence gives him the best ballsecurity-ballhandling aswell......

[az00m]

Some top 40 yard dash times:

Usain Bolt - 6'6" - Fastest man on earth - 4.28 sec.

Lebron James - 6'9" - NBA forward - 4.35 sec.

Reggie Wayne 6'0" - NFL widereciever - 4.45 sec.

Roddy White 6'0" - NFL widereciever - 4.45 sec.

Larry Fitzgerald 6'3" - NFL widereciever - 4.63 sec.


think about that for a second............

you may see somebody moving & darting here and there changing directions quicker like CP3 and Drose and so on... but thats only because of their shorter strides.... lebron builds up a top speed nobody can match in the NBA or in NBA history probably

It's ok I know you're not very smart so I'll point out the differences of what it means to be an Olympic runner and a NFL/NBA runner.

The Olympic begins his dash with a gun starting them, which usually human reactions delays them .1 to .2 seconds at least. In the NFL/NBA they use a stop watch and they start it right when you take your first step subtracting a good .1 or .2 seconds.

So he isnt really close to Olympic runners at all.

[305Baller]

Jordan really used his wingspan well with that tomahawk.

[Phong]

LEBRON RAN A 4.35 SECOND 40 YARD DASH.......... USAIN BOLT RAN A 4.28 SECOND 40 YARD DASH..........

THATS FASTER THAN 99.9% RUNNING BACKS / WIDE RECIEVERS OR WHATEVER IN NFL OR 100 METER OLYMPIC SPRINTRUNNERS....:facepalm

First, where did you get the time for Usain Bolt? Is it some extrapolation based on his 100m races or did he officially run a 40 yard dash? I googled and couldn't find anything. And where did you get the time for LeBron?

Second, Olympic 100m sprinters train to gradually increase their speed to reach top speed around the 50-60m mark; way past the 40 yard line (36m). If they reach their top speed too quickly they will tire before the 100m/110y finish line.

Third, like mentioned above, track races are started by a starting gun which electronically starts a timer; the average reaction time to the starting gun is around 0.1-0.2 seconds. On his record breaking run, Bolt had a reaction time of 0.146 sec. 40 yard dashes are started with a some dude holding a stop watch after he sees the guy moving forward.. please.. :facepalm

If your 4.28sec for Bolt was extrapolated using the 30m and 40m splits, then take into account the reaction time to the starting gun, the fact that he was far from having reach top speed and the fact that he's saving energy to run the remaining 65m/70y of the race.

Only in your wet dreams does LeBron come close to Olympic sprinters.


Edit: after some maths/physics with data taken from this page: http://www.sportsscientists.com/2009/08/analysis-of-bolts-958-wr.html, I calculated a 36m/40y split of 4.20sec. Remove reaction time of .146sec and you get 4.05sec.

[lefthook00]

You can't take the first 40 yards of a 100 meter race and call it a 40-yard dash. Sprinters aren't even fully opened up until like 50 meters into the race. Any olympic sprinter would make LeBron and MJ look like retarded slugs.

[Phong]

I knew I had seen this argument before. :facepalm




Usain Bolt - 6'6" - Fastest man on earth - 4.28 sec.

Lebron James - 6'9" - NBA forward - 4.35 sec.

think about that for a second............




Lebron has officially the fastest 40 yard dash time at 4.3 sec... Thats the time Usain Bolt runs and Bolt is the fastest human on earth... think about it for a second.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4956675&postcount=46

[BigBalla44]

People actually belive MJ ran a 4.3? Dumb.

Guaranteed to have been timed with a stop watch imprecisely, if it even happened at all. The source is one guy. Only jlauber would take that as fact.

Prove it then. Most people are willing to believe SI than some random poster on ISH. I dont see how unreasonable it is to have people like MJ or LBJ running 4.3 in the 40 yard dash. These are some of greatest athletes ever. Are some of the MJ/Lebron haters just mad because Kobe will never be in the conversation? You guys are a f.ucking joke.

First of all, there are other sources that says MJ ran a 4.3. And based on your Jlauber comment, you seem to think EVERY incident reported based on one source is always false, right? How can your prove that? LOGIC FAIL. Go back to school.

[Phong]

First of all, there are other sources that says MJ ran a 4.3. The only source that I know of is Jordan's coach at UNC and that wouldn't be the first time a coach exaggerates a story to hype up his players the year before the draft.

What other sources are there proving Jordan (or LeBron) actually ran 4.3? Video footage? Official time trials? Hearsay? Method of timing used? etc...

[bstickq1]

Prove it then. Most people are willing to believe SI than some random poster on ISH. I dont see how unreasonable it is to have people like MJ or LBJ running 4.3 in the 40 yard dash. These are some of greatest athletes ever. Are some of the MJ/Lebron haters just mad because Kobe will never be in the conversation? You guys are a f.ucking joke.

First of all, there are other sources that says MJ ran a 4.3. And based on your Jlauber comment, you seem to think EVERY incident reported based on one source is always false, right? How can your prove that? LOGIC FAIL. Go back to school.
The Sports Illustrated article is literally Dean Smith, Jordan's college basketball coach, saying he got that time. It has nothing to do with Sports Illustrated's integrity, it's one guy. Provide another source.

And as far as I know, Jordan didn't compete in track and field, and I think it's safe to assume a stop watch was used. Considering the inconsistencies (even if slight) in when the stop watcher clicks the button drastically change the performance of a 40 yard dash, his time is basically null and void when comparing to the other great athletes in something like the NBA, where there are a lot of them likely within that inconsistency margin.

[nathanjizzle]

derrick rose is the fastest player in the league right now.

[Swaggin916]

i think it really depends on where point A and Point B are... A court is about 30 yards and most guys aren't going baseline to baseline to baseline so it's pretty much 25 yards max. there are a lot of guys who are really fast within the first 20-30 yards but then don't get any faster or maintain their speed well... but we are talking about basketball here so you have to base on it on that really. but i think we don't give the smaller guys enough credit... we just see the bigger guys go end to end and jump from the FT line... Smaller guys can't jump from the that far out so it doesn't make them seem like they are getting there as fast.

[therammingman]

Who gives a sht what the answer to this particular debate is. What difference would it make?

Jordan > all.

[LosBulls]

This thread can't be serious...

It is Derrick Rose..by far.

If you saw the Bulls-Heat series Rose was blowing by Wade and LeBron like nothing and half his points were from the open court. The reason the Bulls event kept the lead so close is because by the time the Bulls got the rebound and the Heat recovered Rose was already at the other end of the court about to score with 8 other players behind him.

[Round Mound]

Julius Erving, Drexer, MJ, Barkley or Lebron with the Ball

Karl Malone without the Ball