5 Most Athletic Players from Each Decade in NBA History | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Other than Michael Jordan, LeBron James is the most athletic player to ever play basketball. His unbelievable combination of size, speed and hops is unmatchable. James is 6'8" and 250 pounds yet he can run the court from baseline to baseline as fast as anyone else playing today. There's a reason he gets so many blocks from behind on fast-break opportunities.

Then there's his jumping ability. If you had to create a model athlete in today's game (note: athlete, not necessarily complete basketball player), it would probably look exactly like LeBron. 

No. 2: Vince Carter

Vince Carter is the greatest dunker of all time, as he's proved numerous times in both Slam Dunk Contests and on-the-court exploits. His leaping ability is sickening and that's probably understating it. Air Canada, when he wants to be, is literally Half Man, Half Amazing. 

No. 3: Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin jumped over a car and dunked a basketball. Blake Griffin did this. Blake Griffin did this too. Hell, Blake Griffin did all of this! Oh yeah, that was in just one season. 

To some this may be a surprising inclusion, but as big as Dwight Howard is, he's still a ridiculous athlete. Howard's ups are simply outstanding, there's no doubt about it. He can run up and down the court with guards and doesn't even breathe heavily after. Howard may not actually be Superman, but is it possible that he's related to him?  

No. 5: Nate Robinson

If I'm going to put Howard on this list, I have to put the man who jumped over him: Nate Robinson. Like Spud Webb before him, Robinson capitalized off his shortness, but Nate also has a 48-inch vertical leap. That was the primary reason that he captured not one, not two, but three slam dunk titles, making him the only player in NBA history to do so. 

Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on  Twitter.