With a massive fan base of millions, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has undoubtedly evolved to become one of the most popular professional basketball leagues in the world. Over the decades, the history of the NBA has witnessed numerous legendary basketball players, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird and many others. While a majority of these path-breaking and dominant basketball players have played the game of basketball since the beginning of their careers, a few of them have also made shocking transitions into the game from other sports yet delivered standout performances throughout their glorious NBA careers.
In this article we will take a look at the top four NBA players who have transitioned from other sports.
Top 4 NBA Players Who Were Also Great at Other Sports
Hakeem Olajuwon – Football
Often popularly referred to as “the dream”, the Nigerian-American former professional basketball player Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is at the first spot in our list of the top four NBA players who have dominated other sports as well. Throughout his star-studded NBA career that lasted from 1984 to 2002, Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon played for the Houston Rockets (1984-2001) and his last NBA season for the Toronto Raptors.
Often hailed as one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. Well, before dominating the world of the NBA with his explosive exploits, Hakeem spent his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, playing football for the majority of his childhood years. Absolutely phenomenal at footwork, Hakeem initially aspired to become a professional football player.
Tim Duncan – Swimming
At the second spot in our list of the top four NBA players who have transitioned from other sports, we have the legendary American former professional basketball player and coach Timothy Theodore Duncan, often popularly referred to as “the Big Fundamental”. Often hailed as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA history, Tim Duncan played for the San Antonio Spurs throughout his NBA career that lasted from 1997 to 2016 and later joined as an assistant coach for the team in 2019.
Well, before transitioning into the world of the NBA, Tim Duncan was a professional swimmer and specialized in the 400-meter freestyle. During his early teenage years, Duncan established himself as a top-notch swimmer in the Caribbean and even aspired to represent the United States Virgin Islands in the Olympics. However, unfortunately, his swimming aspirations were shattered after Hurricane Hugo completely destroyed the only Olympic-sized swimming pool on the island in 1989. Therefore, Duncan made a switch and fearlessly went on to become the cornerstone of the San Antonio Spurs.
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Allen Iverson – Football
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four NBA players who have dominated other sports as well, we have the iconic American former professional basketball player, Allen Iverson, also popularly referred to as “The Answer” by his fans. Well, throughout his glorious NBA career, Allen Iverson spent 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association as both a shooting guard and point guard for multiple teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006), Denver Nuggets (2006-2008), Detroit Pistons (2008-2009), Memphis Grizzlies (2009), Philadelphia 76ers (2009-2010) and Beşiktaş (2010-2011).
Interestingly, before taking on professional basketball, Allen Iverson also dominated the football field as a dual-sport high school superstar in Hampton, Virginia. In fact, in 1993, Allen was named the Associated Press High School Player of the Year in Virginia—in both football and basketball.
Wilt Chamberlain – Track & Field
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four NBA players who have transitioned from other sports, we have the legendary late American professional basketball player, Wilton Norman Chamberlain, who played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons and was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978.
Before entering the NBA arena and establishing himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, Wilt Chamberlain was a track athlete while attending the University of Kansas. During his track and field days at the University of Kansas, Wilt Chamberlain ran the 490m sprint in 49 seconds, a remarkable time for any athlete. Well, if it wasn’t for the National Basketball Association, Wilt Chamberlain would undoubtedly have a glorious professional career in track and field.
