Building an NBA title contender from Star Wars characters

internationally recognized as Star Wars Day</a>, we’re going to evaluate the characters from the Star Wars universe to determine who would make for the best basketball team. This will be based on personality traits, talents, attributes, athleticism and measurables.</p> <h2>In honor of Star Wars Day, we’ve compiled the ultimate NBA title contender comprised of characters from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.</h2> <p>By combining these factors, we’re going to create an NBA title contender based on the lore of a galaxy far, far away. Keep in mind that this is all for fun and games, so take it with a grain of salt. Before listing our starting five and sixth man, let’s show love for our fearless leader and head coach.</p> <h2>Star Wars NBA contender Head Coach: Jedi Master Yoda</h2> <p>Guessed this one, you probably should’ve. If you didn’t do a Yoda voice in your head while reading that, go back and try again.</p> <p>Let’s keep it real — Yoda is already pretty much every great Jedi’s head coach. With hundreds of years of experience under his belt, Yoda not only knows how to extract the best qualities of his disciples, but he helps them become better people. He’s as wise as could be, serving as a leader for the Jedi over hundreds of years.</p> <p>Is he stubborn? Absolutely. Will he get on his disciples’ nerves? Almost certainly; but everyone who trains under Master Yoda is better off because of it and you best believe that kind of leadership would carry over to sports. With a level head and a wealth of knowledge, he’s ripe to lead a team to a championship.</p> <p>Yoda’s head coaching comp is easy — He’s a less aggressive, similarly sarcastic Gregg Popovich.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Sixth Man </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_428010" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-428010" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1116,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F101271339.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1116" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/101271339.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/101271339-768x536.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Star Wars, NBA (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Star Wars NBA contender Sixth Man: Han Solo, Guard/Wing</h2> <p>An intergalactically renowned smuggler turned war hero, Han Solo makes a strong case as the best character in the Star Wars franchise. However, his hot-headed temper and cocky demeanor swing in both directions; helping him in some scenarios and causing his downfall in others. The same idea applies to basketball, which is why Master Yoda opts to bring him off the bench.</p> <p>Han is definitely a sharpshooter who can rain some triples off the pine. Standing at 6-foot-1, he can play either guard positions and handle the ball or score off the bench. His greatest asset, however, is his chemistry with the team’s starting center, Chewbacca.</p> <p>Over the years, Han has gotten into it with almost every teammate, but he and Chewie are best of friends. When these two get in the pick-and-roll, they look like LeBron and AD — A guaranteed bucket.</p> <p>Since Han is so sure of himself, he’s never afraid to get to the bucket and absorb contact, so he’s sure to rank near the top of the stat sheet in free throw attempts and makes. That kind of efficiency goes a long way, so long as he doesn’t get himself thrown out of games.</p> <p>In this equation, Han Solo’s best comps would be somewhere in between a less-athletic <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Russell Westbrook</a> and Lou Williams if he were a better defender.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Point Guard </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_428012" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-428012" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1086,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F896079542.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1086" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/896079542.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/896079542-768x521.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Star Wars, NBA (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Star Wars NBA contender Starting Point Guard: Luke Skywalker</h2> <p>Undersized and underrated, nothing Is going to stop Luke Skywalker from being an all-time player. The saving grace of the Star Wars galaxy, Luke is the key to everything that unfolded surrounding nine world-changing films. He did so with incredible willpower, a drive to compete and an otherworldly commitment to his craft.</p> <p>Skywalker is undersized for the league at 5-foot-9 but makes up for it with incredible athleticism. I’m not sure if you’ve seen him jumping around in Dagobah, but Luke has HOPS. I’m talking Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon levels of hops.</p> <p>Beyond that, Luke is a fearless leader with natural guard instincts due to the way people are drawn to him. He can facilitate a game or take over by driving to the rack and either laying the ball up acrobatically or slamming on his opponent. However, he’s a league-average shooter who misfires wildly at times and has trouble locking up on defense against bigger guards.</p> <p>Luke’s player comp is interesting because he draws qualities from many different players. He shows a similar personality to Steph Curry in the sense that they each work tirelessly to be the best versions of themselves, but always have a chip on their shoulders.</p> <p>However, Luke’s best player comp in this scenario is if Ja Morant was Isaiah Thomas’ height.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Shooting Guard </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_427665" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-427665" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2126,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1187565482.jpeg" alt="Mandalorian" width="3200" height="2126" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1187565482.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1187565482-768x510.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Star Wars, NBA Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney</p> </div> </div> <h2>Star Wars NBA contender Starting Shooting Guard: Din Djarin/The Mandalorian</h2> <p>A comparative newcomer to the Star Wars franchise, Din Djarin (more commonly known as ‘The Mandalorian’ or ‘Mando’) is an absolute badass. He was saved by the Mandalorians at a young age and was raised by them, learning their creed and following it during his quests as a bounty hunter. The Mandalorians are widely considered some of the most fierce and powerful beings in the galaxy, and Djarin is amongst their strongest.</p> <p>The actor who portrays Mando is Pedro Pascal, who is listed at 5-foot-11. However, I don’t know any pro athlete who’s 5-foot-11 that doesn’t just round up to six feet even, so I’m going to try this again. The actor who portrays Mando is Pedro Pascal, who is listed at 6-feet-tall <em>*wink*. </em></p> <p>Despite being a bit of an undersized two-guard, Djarin packs a mighty punch. He’s a cerebral competitor, a noteworthy athlete and is deceptively strong for a man of his stature.</p> <p>Even better than that, The Mandalorian is one of the best shots in the galaxy. Whether it be up-close with a blaster or at long range with a cannon, Mando rarely misses. With that being said, the assumption here is that his shot would translate to the basketball court. Additionally, Mando can take down a whole gang of villains with a single blaster, so we’re qualifying him as a volume shooter.</p> <p>I’m picturing a true 3-and-D skill set here. Maybe a better version of Danny Green or a worse version of Klay Thompson.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Not-so Small Forward </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_427668" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-427668" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2191,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1194750164.jpeg" alt="Darth Vader" width="3200" height="2191" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1194750164.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1194750164-768x526.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Star Wars, NBA Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney</p> </div> </div> <h2>Star Wars NBA contender Starting Small Forward: Darth Vader</h2> <p>Formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader is the single most iconic character to stem from the Star Wars universe. A powerful force user who has training as both a Jedi and a Sith Lord, Vader is widely regarded as the most powerful character in the series. However, that isn’t what gives him his basketball skills.</p> <p>Vader is an enforcer on the court who leads by example. He’s a killer on the low block and knows how to create for others due to his innate connection to the force. For that, he can thread the needle anywhere on the court with the flick of his wrist. Considering he’s led entire armies, Vader is certainly a floor general.</p> <p>He isn’t without weakness, however. Standing at 6-foot-7, Vader is tall and strong but lacks the mobility necessary to keep up with some faster players at the small forward position. Needless to say, the guy in a big, clunky suit is known to get beat off the dribble here and there. However, he provides a layer of lineup versatility that’s necessary to a modern championship team.</p> <p>Whether it be at the three-spot, as a small-ball five, or anywhere in between, Vader is going to make an impact on his team. If I had to estimate the type of player he’d be, I’d place him somewhere between Draymond Green without the chatter and Scottie Pippen without the quickness.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Power(ful) Forward </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_428013" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-428013" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1160,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F963062252.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1160" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/963062252.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/963062252-768x557.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Star Wars, NBA (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Star Wars NBA contender Starting Power Forward: General Grievous</h2> <p>A jack of all trades, master of none, General Grievous projects to be a unicorn of sorts. An alien warlord who was transformed into a cyborg after sustaining serious injuries, Grievous had a short yet important run in the main Star Wars movies. His character arch was expanded through extended lore in comic books, animated television shows and literature.</p> <p>General Grievous isn’t a clunky or stiff cyborg either. In fact, he’s an incredibly agile character who uses his cyborg nature to his advantage. Also noteworthy: General Grievous has four arms, so in basketball terms, he’s an absolute menace as a perimeter defender. Unfortunately for him, he’s tall, thin and lanky at 7’1″, so he’s viable to get outmuscled in the paint or on the drive.</p> <div class="related-categoryright"><div class="related-main-title">More from <span class="related-name">NBA</span></div><ul><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/22/nba-opening-week-matchups/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">NBA Opening Week features 3 of the league’s most anticipated matchups</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/21/nba-can-make-mid-season-tournament-hit/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">How the NBA can make a mid-season tournament major success</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/20/potential-first-time-all-star-2023/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">4 rising talents who could become a first-time NBA All-Star in 2023</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/20/teams-sign-fa-carmelo-anthony/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">4 teams that should jump at chance to sign free agent Carmelo Anthony</a> </li><li> <a class="related-link" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/08/18/timberwolves-analyzing-towns-gobert/" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="related-category-shortcode">Timberwolves’ new twin towers could change the NBA’s blueprint yet again</a> </li></ul></div> <p>He’s not much of a facilitator and is about a league-average shooter, but Grievous makes his money on defense. Just as he collects the lightsabers from slain Jedi, Grievous gets inside opponents’ heads when locking them up on the perimeter. In that sense, he’s got some Kevin Garnett in him as the mind games and mental fortitude make him a tough opponent.</p> <p>With four arms, Grievous is a tenacious rebounder. While he may not always be able to box his opponent out, his elusiveness allows him to slither in between bodies and time his rebounds excellently.</p> <p>I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Grievous is on a strict minutes limit in the NBA due to what I refer to as ‘space asthma.’ If you’re a fan of the Star Wars movies, you’ll recall that Grievous coughs a lot due to the trauma sustained in his accident. With that being the case, he’s generally not allowed to play more than 5-8 minutes at a time without a breather in between.</p> <p>His player comps are a bit all over the place. One player that comes to mind is Tayshaun Prince, who didn’t put on a ton of muscle but managed to be an effective offensive player and a competitive defender. However, the two other players that come to mind most certainly are incomplete.</p> <p>General Grievous’ playstyle would mirror that of a more grown and polished Bol Bol or Aleksej Pokuševski without the guard skills.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Center </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_428014" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-428014" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1194419291.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1194419291.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1194419291-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Star Wars, NBA (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Star Wars NBA contender Starting Center: Chewbacca</h2> <p>Recorded at 7-foot-2, many many lbs, we’ve got good ol’ Chewie starting at center! When he’s not busy exploring the galaxy with his best buddy Han or pulling arms out of sockets, Chewbacca is one of the galaxy’s best rim protectors. For better or for worse, he suffers from Bill Lambier syndrome: He plays an old school, physical, borderline dirty style.</p> <p>There are pros and cons to this. On one hand, players are afraid to drive to the basket with a Wookie prepared to block them. On the other hand, the guy fouls like a madman.  However, when you get him in the zone, there’s no stopping Chewbacca.</p> <p>He’s also a pretty fantastic floor spacer from the five, considering Chewie is one of the most accurate shooters in the Star Wars universe. The Wookie’s jumper is just like his bowcaster — right on the money. He makes for an excellent screen setter as his physicality and stature make him a brick wall on the court. However, Chewie can gently gravitate beyond the arch for a pick-and-pop 3-pointer or roll hard to the paint for a dunk.</p> <p>Plus, he smells gnarly, so it throws his defender off their game and makes it difficult to guard him up-close and personal.</p> <p>Chewbacca is like the secret weapon for this team. His player comp would be a much tougher version of Kristaps Porzingis or a less skilled version of prime Demarcus Cousins.</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA stars and their Star Wars counterparts" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-day-nba-counterparts/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-nba-title-contender/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/05/04/star-wars-day-nba-counterparts/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA stars and their Star Wars counterparts </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">