10 Greatest What Ifs in NBA History 

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The fact that you went straight into the count down without a silly intro or sponsorship was great.

to this day, i still wake up at night wondering what could have been a healthy prime derrick rose.

The thing about Len Bias that nobody talks about is the Reggie Lewis tragedy that followed seven years later. I know they're two separate things, but the Celtics were finally looking like they had a future - then tragedy hit them again in June. The Reggie Lewis story is just as tragic. Maybe more even.

A couple I can think of off the top of my head: - what if Shaq stayed in Orlando? - what if Drazen Petrovic never died? - what if Kobe played for the team that originally drafted him (Charlotte)? - what if Tim Duncan joined McGrady & Grant Hill in Orlando as they (the Magic) were aiming for? - what if Lebron never left the Heat?

The CP3 trade still pisses me off til this day

What if Arvydas Sabonis (The Original Unicorn) joins Portland when Drafted in 1986. Joining Clyde Drexler and an already deep Trail Blazers roster.

I'll remember the day Lenny Bias died as if it were a family member. I was crushed and still am. For people that aren't old enough to have seen him play, just go by this quote from coach K. "Michael Jordan and Len Bias are the 2 best college basketball players I've ever watched"

Yes I agree with number 1. If Len Bias and Reggie Lewis didnt pass away, I believe the Celtic winning tradition would have continued through the 90s.

What if Steve Nash never left Dallas mavericks in 2004

3:50 scared the hell out of me

What if I made good grades in school..

I think one of the biggest what-ifs that gets overlooked was when Dr. J was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks and was slated to play alongside Pete Maravich. That could have be a pretty dynamic tandem. Another HUGE what-if that most people aren't aware of was in the mid to late 70s the Buffalo Braves (now the Clippers) were pretty loaded. During that stretch they had THREE ROYs (McAdoo, Ernie D and Dantley), an MVP/3x scoring leader in McAdoo, an iron man in Randy Smith (all-star), monster rebounder in Swen Nater, HOF coach with Jack Ramsay and they actually had Moses Malone for about five minutes. Had this team had a good front office, they could have literally been a dynasty I feel that would have completely changed the landscape of the NBA for the next generation of players. Never understood why Ernie D had such a monster rookie season but then his minutes were immediately cut down to 20-something per game after that. If you look long term, and these trades probably wouldn't have happened, but within a season of the Buffalo franchise moving to San Diego, they also added World B. Free and an injured Bill Walton. Who knows what would have happened with that team.

What if Magic Jhonson never gets HIV

Once I learned about who Len Bias was, and what happened to him, I've always thought that he would've changed the entire NBA and we could've been talking about him as the GOAT and instead of having the Jordan & James GOAT convo, we could've made a case for Bias as well. Love your content!!!!

The Jordan never leaving basketball part was understandable after watching The Last Dance. He was basically exhausted mentally and, emotionally after the controversy surrounding his gambling scandal, his souring relationship with the Bulls management, and the death of his father. If there's a silver lining in that period , it was the much needed rest that he got and the hunger to win for another championship run. Most likely, if it wasn't for that season, we wouldn't have the 72-10 Bulls, or the Flu Game, or the sixth NBA championship (we never know).

What if the magic allowed Tim Duncan's family on the team plane that's an underrated what if

What if YAO and Mcgrady stay healthy

What if Brandon Roy never got hurt

Len Bias's death was the greatest WHAT IF by far, in my opinion. Nice video - and good catch acknowledging the amazing possible ramifications of a living Len Bias. One can only hope there are parallel dimensions where that possibility was realized (and two more titles for the Celtics!).

Rose was so fast and so good. I remember saying back then that no one could sustain that for a long period of time. He knees got to go and they did.

what if dražen petrovič didnt die

What if "The Malice at the Palace" didn't happen? Would Reggie Miller have a ring?!

Just found this channel and it's already one of the best basketball channels on the planet. No gay ass 3d intros, no overly suspenseful Korsemba type voice, and someone who actually talks about basketball past the 90s. Fire. 🔥

Melo would have learned how to play defense. Imagine what that would be like.

Why does nobody ever say what if Larry bird never got hurt

Len bias for sure he was gonna be great

Last year, I started getting into basketball and learning about it; started loving it. All I knew it that D Rose “used to be really good.” My buddy told me the story, showed me a highlight video and I CRIED.

I can actually think of one "what if" to rival Len Bias. What if BILL WALTON had been healthy for HIS career in the NBA? He had ONE mostly-healthy year at Portland (led them to a championship) and ONE healthy year with Boston (6'th Man of the Year award) which was also the ONLY year he managed to put in more than 65 games in a single season between injuries. Could we have been looking at the only player that DIDN'T play with Bill Russell to get 8+ rings or 4+ in a row?

i love how he just jumped into the vid

Jonny, I don’t know your age but I’m old enough to remember Len Bias. If he doesn’t die of cocaine overdose, here are some theories about events that may have taken place that would change basketball history. Tell me what your thoughts are on this... 1. Boston Celtics repeat as NBA Champions in ‘86 & ‘87 and not the Lakers in ‘87 & ‘88. 2. Detroit Pistons may not be repeat NBA Champions in ‘89 & ‘90. 3. Regardless of his Chronic Back Condition, Larry Bird concedes as the Alpha Dog to Len Bias and Bird’s career is extended in the process as he no longer is required to take on the primary role of the team. 4. Michael Jordan & the Bulls may not have won 6 NBA Championships during the 1990’s. 5. Len Bias’s direct rivalry to Michael Jordan would prevent his Airness from leaving the NBA to pursue Baseball during the middle of his prime years; remember, Michael did not have a direct rival after Bird & Magic retired. 6. Len Bias would have been a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team and not Clyde Drexler or Christian Lettner. 7. Celtics Fans would be collecting Bias Jerseys at the same rate as Bird’s 33; who is the best Celtic ever? 8. Celtics would be the team of the 80’s and not the Lakers. 9. Len Bias today would be in the conversation as the GOAT with Michael Jordan; sorry LBJ. 10. The Boston Celtics would be considered the best Franchise ever bar none; right now the Lakers are the best franchise by a nose.

Derrick Rose's injuries also hurt Jokham Noah's career, he was a really good NBA center but after Derrick and the bulls ended, everyone forgot about him, he too was a perennial all-star.

The most underrated what-if: What if Maurice Stokes didn't suffer the career-ending injury and was able to have a full career?

That will always be the #1 "What If" in basketball. I still remember it like it was yesterday . . . extremely heartbreaking!

Ya missed one, but you were close. In Hakeem Olajuwon's autobiography, he states that Portland wanted Ralph Sampson and was willing to trade their #2 pick and Clyde Drexler. Houston could've had Hakeem, Clyde, and Jordan!!

And i agree Len Bias living would have changed everything. Him and Reggie Lewis is the 90s would have made a tough match for Mike and Scottie in the 90s

Piston's defense + Carmelo's Dominance on offence would be really interesting

Another 1 is if DWade never had the injury issues like d Rose People underrate how injuries affected his career

The Detroit draft pick was so insane. It was not even like a risk/reward scenario. It was blindingly obvious there was no way the reward would have been greater the next few players. That one really upset me for years.

Damn. That number 1 blew my mind

Johnny the what ifs about Hardaway, Hill, and Rose, reminded me similarly to Brandon Roy, then way back to Bernard King. What if Bernard had the benefit of modern arthroscopic knee surgery, let alonewhat if he never gets injured? All these guys were unstoppable prior to their injuries.

1. Maurice Stokes (early version of Charles Barkley) I never has his catastrophic brain illness. The Rochester-Cincinnati Royals become a powerhouse in the middle 60s and interrupt the Celtics dynasty. 2. In spring 1979, the Lakers accepted the Pistons offer of the entire team (except for John Long and Terry Tyler), including Bob Lanier, ML Carr, Chris Ford and Kevin Porter, for the draft choice that became Magic Johnson. The Lakers turned down that offer, but it was not a ridiculous offer: Lanier was still averaging 20 ppg, Porter had just led the NBA in assists, and Carr and Ford became solid rotation players for the early seasons of the Bird Celtics. So it's not like the Pistons were offering a pile of trash for Magic Johnson.

what if len bias was signed by nike and making the "Air" Bias brand.....and Jordan went to adidas?

The way Tracy Mcgrady played during that 2 or 3 year stretch with Orlando, I thought he was going to come out the best SG of his generation. So big and strong with an unstoppable scoring set.

Rest in peace Kobe Bryant. Mamba out 😪

Just started watching your channel. Great content! Awesome stuff! It’s tough to put a bigger what than Len Bias. If would’ve filled in a big spot in NBA history: Wilt vs Russel Magic vs Bird MJ vs ____ LeBron vs Kobe

So we not gonna talk about the ball flying towards our faces 😂😂 3:50

I think the OKC trade of Harden is the biggest and most impact full "What If," in this series. The Bias what if has a lot of working parts such as what if he was a bust or was injury pron, or what if his addiction hindered his career and marketability. The Carter/McGrady "What if," though they were very successful independently, only cover two people. The fact that you had this dynamic trio which could have lead to a major dynasty that rivaled GS and slowed down LaBron as he has made it to, or won in the playoffs a significant amount of consecutive years is more interesting to me. Overall what is more tantalizing is to think, "What if Shaq was on the Bulls with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin and Dennis Rodman?

And my #1 what if.... What if MJ never injured his knee in the 2002 season, when he was averaging 25-6-5 and the wizards were #2 in the East behind the Nets???? And Richard Hamilton even missed 19 games. Could have been a Kobe vs Mj final

You should've added (on #6)... Imagine seeing Carmelo Anthony win a college national championship then see him win an NBA championship the very next year! That would've completely changed how we view C. Anthony!!

As far as the number 3 choice with Derrick Rose, we should mention not just that he was the youngest MVP but also who he beat that year. LeBron, Wade, Bryant, Howard, and Durant all had monster seasons that year too and he won it as a 22 year old with one year nba experience.

Another What-If: Charles Barkley was going to be traded to the Lakers circa '88 - '90 for a declining James Worthy and a couple of other players. It is said, Magic realized he needed to reinforements and worked hard to get the Lakers to get the deal done. Unfortunetely, the 76ers backed out at the last moment. Barkley played the following game drunk.

The CP3 deal still upsets me

CP3 and Kobe would of had a chip easy. Stern screwed CP3

Great video!!! Very informative!

Great video bro. You've got a new subscriber. I was living in New Hampshire when Boston selected Len Bias as the number 2 pick. Everybody was fucking losing their minds with excitement of the prospect of adding him to an already amazing Celtics Squad. Also everybody was blown away that somehow Red Auerbach put us in that position. Easily one of the top GMs ever. The same guy that drafted Larry Legend a year before he was actually able to play in the league! Anyways dude good luck great video.

I honestly think Daugherty would have been a better fit in Boston and why Cleveland passed on Bias is beyond me. Who knows, maybe he wouldn't have OD'd had a different circumstance occurred and Cleveland would have been the team of the future. It would have made more sense for a superstar to start out on a young and up coming team like that and build around him. I'm sure Bias would have played a couple of seasons in Boston and then traded somewhere else when he realized he wasn't getting the minutes or touches he wanted on a stacked Boston team.

What if: the 3 point line was a semicircle with no corner 3? What if: the 3 point shot had existed since the 60s? What if: the ABA & NBA merged in 1967 instead of 1976?

What if the Rockets traded Ralph Sampson to Portland for the No. 2 pick in 1984? The Rockets would have picks 1 and 2 and taken BOTH Jordan and Olajuwon and been the absolute dominant force of the NBA for the rest of the 80s and 90s. The only thing stopping such a team would be the egos of both MJ and Hakeem possibly clashing, like Kobe and Shaq.

DOPE VIDEO....ENJOYED THIS A LOT

What if the 1988’ Pistons never got hosed in the finals against the lakers... 3 peat 🤔💭💭

The greatest what if in NBA history is what if Red Auerbach had stayed working in his parents' deli!

I like your videos. You put a lot of thought into your videos.

This Segment has Completely Amazing !!!

That thunder team could have took over the 2010’s through 2020’s I honestly feel like they could have won like 5,6,7 or more in a row with that team, who knows. Not to mention they also had one of the best rim protectors in the league at the time in serge ibaka and had Reggie Jackson who was a star player for the pistons, he could have played 6th man and made okc even more dangerous

#5 It's not just that they passed on Jordan for Bowie, it's the other guys they passed on too. They could have defended not taking a rookie Mike since they had current star and future HoF Clyde Drexler if they had drafted a different big man in Charles Barkley. Hell, if they had taken Jordan UNC teammate and borderline HOF Sam Perkins it wouldn't be so bad.

This video just popped up after all these years… great video, even way back then.

Glad you started this channel

What if Reggie Lewis didn't die and what if penny hardaway didn't suffer nagging injuies

Great vid. Another what if could be, what if Magic didn't contract the HIV (virus) and retire early?

Awesome video. Great content. Keep it up brother

Dope!!! Very good list and presentation 💯

Should have mentioned Drazen Petrovic. That said, solid video.

The one nobody talks about is Seattle trading Scottie for Olden in 87 draft. Scottie could of been a Sonic and played with Kemp and Payton. Jordan might not have won anything.

Great video man

Great video. Straigten out the mj poster lol. Great list. I never got past Len Bias. I hope the celtics took care of his family

What if the nba 2020 season was never cancelled?

What if the 2002 WCF weren't fixed by the NBA?

The video we never knew we needed.

Penny and Grant were both up and coming when I was a kid and really into NBA basketball. It bummed me out that they had injuries.

Game 6 2010 finals What if. Kendrick Perkins doesn't get injured an the Celtics don't lose that game. due to lack of a big man to replace him .

What about if Magic stayed healthy?

Great channel and great videos

Honorable mention: what if sprewell sign that contract, what if Malik Sealy didn't die, what if Patrick Ewing wasn't injured in the 1999, what if Alonzo mourning stayed healthy, what if KG & stephon marbury stay together, what if Nick Anderson hit those damn free throws, what if Amar'e stoudemire stayed healthy, what if Drazen Petrovic didn't die in that car crash, what if that referee didn't call all those fouls on the Kings, what if the Knicks drafted Curry😢😢

The league owned the Pelicans at THAT time but now a SINGLE INDIVIDUAL does own the Pelicans.

I never knew about len bias before this, it's absolutely heartbreaking. Holy shit

As a bulls fan since the late 80s...#3 hits me a little different. That team at the time could've done great things

What if players were allowed to go play professionally after high school instead of after college back in the '50s and '60s? What would Wilt Chamberlain's statistics look like if that existed in his day? Or, steals and blocked shots?

Penny Hardaway such a underrated passer second to no one if u watch not just his highlights but his games

1.What if the bulls 1998 remain intact for the following year. 2.what if kobe didn't trade by the hornets in 1997 draft.

I have one: What if Dominique Wilkins stayed with Utah Jazz after getting drafted by them? Could have been a Big 4 in the late 80s with Mark Eaton, John Stockton & Karl Malone. If he worked well with Adrian Dantley in the mid-80s, Dantley wouldn’t have gone to the Detroit Pistons to have an eventual All-Star starting 5? Could he have led the Jazz to a Finals a decade earlier than they eventually did before Mark Eaton was forced to retire due to injury?

Johnny's Intro: Number 10

The obvious what if that you forgot, what if Drazen Petrovic never died.

Can’t see Len Bias being as good as Jordan. Jordan had a focus to win unlike any player at that time. He certainly wouldn’t be snorting lethal doses of cocaine days after being drafted.

This is a fantastic!!! Well done you do know your basketball.

nice video man!!!!!

What if Maulbury and KG stayed together

Out of Jordan LeBron and Kobe. Kobe was the one who had the biggest chance to win more rings

Grant Hill was always my favorite. Especially after he battled back from all those injuries. Most players couldn't deal with all of the ramifications of being tagged as injury prone, especially franchise players. A lot of people look at Derek Rose in the same light, but Derek didn't possess Grant's work ethic after leaving the Bulls.

What if the Portland Trailblazers had not traded Moses Malone in 1976? Walton was injury prone, and Malone would have been the leader of an already championship, team for years to come.