This thread is going to be totally stupid, but dammit, I love the NBA and can hardly the wait the 20 or so days until the season starts. After recently describing Crystal Downs as the Tim Duncan of golf courses to a friend (an analogy that I'm second guessing now because of the lack of length, but that was originally based on the course's elegance, wily-ness, and exceptional but understated beauty that doesn't rely on flash but a more timeless and fundamental appeal mixed with quiet but extraordinary talent that borders on perfection within the system for which it's designed), I started wondering what other players are analogous to which courses or holes.
Since there are only 17 NBA fans left in the world, I won't limit discussion to that league. I'd love to hear what someone thinks is the Mike Tyson or Peyton Manning of golf holes, for instance. But here's a few:
Russell Westbrook - Athletic, brash, controversial. Big for his position. Fundamentally rooted but unique in his application of them. Accused by critics of stealing attention from those more elegant with pure flash and brawn, but possessing plenty of elegance of his own. Naysayers originally said you couldn't have a point guard in this package, but early workouts proved him just too compelling to shackle with conventionality. Yep, he's the 16th at Cypress Point.
Lebron James - Big, strong, and cerebral. Able to play almost any role. Possessing virtually every tool in the game. Scary to look at but defined even more by performance. Extremely durable. Stands out even among the best. I was torn between the 6th at Pebble and 13 at Lawsonia for this one, but I'll take 6 at Pebble since Lebron can create highlights for others that make him look even better in the same way that 6 at Pebble did when it wasn't a fair fight.
Kobe Bryant - A touch undersized, tremendously gritty, and completely fearless. Has lost a step defensively, but can use trickeration to convince people he still has it. An icon that has played second fiddle at times in his own neighborhood. Seems like he should be full of guile, but at a closer look his ability to continue performing at his age is more related to sheer will. Still, it always feels a bit like he games the system a bit to overperform his statistical expectations, and might actually be better if he could accept a role of subtle facilitator instead of iconic A-list gunner. This one is too easy. The apple didn't fall far from the tree. Lower Merion's finest is Merion East.
Anthony Davis - Long and athletic. Packaged in an elite physical package. Was perhaps a bit disappointing when he first entered the league, and had to miss more games than we would have liked. Some of the areas we expected him to thrive ended up being areas where he showed a lack of discipline. Still, the potential is absolutely there and we can expect him to evolve considerably in the next few seasons before finding his niche as a sterling, spectacular, broad shouldered beast that resists scoring like no one else. Also, eyebrows. He's Erin Hills.
I could go all day, but I'll stop for now and let some others weigh in.