When
Tyran Stokes of
Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) caught a touchdown pass in his team's win over Culver City last week, he immediately sparked comparisons to other former basketball stars who spent time on the gridiron, like LeBron James, Allen Iverson and Charlie Ward.
Stokes, listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds on the Notre Dame football roster, is regarded as the No. 1 high school basketball prospect in the country by multiple media outlets.
While highly-recruited football players who play basketball are not uncommon (think Jim Brown, Joe Montana or Tony Gonzalez), it's rare for a basketball superstar to participate in football.
MaxPreps has compiled a list of the top 10 basketball standouts who also found time to shine on the football field. Perhaps Stokes will one day join their company. The players below are ranked by their football prowess.
Tyran Stokes makes his way to the end zone during his high school football debut Friday night. (PHOTO: Greg Fiore)
1. Charlie Ward
School: Thomas County Central (Thomasville, Ga.), 1988
Basketball resume: First-round draft pick by the New York Knicks, played nine seasons for the team.
Football bonafides: The
only player on the list to win the Heisman Trophy, Ward was the Region
AAA Player of the Year after racking up 2,898 yards of total offense
with 24 touchdowns.
2. George McGinnis
School: Washington (Ind.), 1968
Basketball resume: Parade All-American and Mr. Basketball in Indiana as a prep, McGinnis was a three-time NBA All-Star and the ABA MVP in 1975.
Football bonafides: Also a Parade All-American in football, McGinnis gained 418 yards receiving with six touchdowns while recording 77 tackles on defense.
3. Quinn Buckner
School: Thornridge (Dolton, Ill.), 1971
Basketball resume: An
All-American in college on the last undefeated NCAA champion, the 1976
Indiana Hoosiers, Buckner played 11 seasons in the NBA.
Football bonafides: A
Parade All-American in football and basketball, Buckner was a standout
as a kick returner and a defensive back, scoring two touchdowns on punt
returns, three on kickoff returns and three on interception returns.
4. Allen Iverson
School: Bethel (Hampton, Va.), 1992
Basketball resume: The 2001 NBA MVP was a four-time scoring champion in 14 seasons.
Football bonafides: Named
the Daily Press Player of the Year after making the All-Area team as a
quarterback, defensive back and kick returner. He had 2,024 yards of
total offense with 21 touchdowns, including five on kick returns. He
also had 10 interceptions on defense. Iverson was also the Group AAA Player of the Year as a defensive back and kick returner.
5. Jalen Suggs
School: Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.), 2019
Basketball resume: One
of the top defensive players in the NBA, Suggs was Mr. Basketball in
Minnesota as a senior and scored 2,945 points in his high school career.
Football bonafides: The
quarterback of the St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake Co-Op
football team, Suggs led his team to the Class 4A state championship
game and was named Mr. Football for Minnesota. He is the only athlete in
Minnesota to be Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball in the same year and he was also the MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year.
6. Danny Ainge
School: North Eugene (Eugene, Ore.), 1976
Basketball resume: Won the John Wooden Award while at college at BYU and was a two-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics.
Football bonafides: Ainge
twice earned all-state honors in football, making the team as a
receiver during his junior season and as a defensive back his senior
year.
7. Matt Barnes
School: Del Campo (Fair Oaks, Calif.), 1997
Basketball resume: A 14-year NBA veteran who won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2017.
Football bonafides: Caught 17 touchdown passes as a junior and broke a Sac-Joaquin Section record with 26 touchdown catches as a senior.
8. LeBron James
School: St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio), 2001
Basketball resume: NBA's all-time leading scorer with 42,184 points and a 21-time All-Star.
Football bonafides: James
earned all-state honors as a sophomore after catching 42 passes for 752
yards and 11 touchdowns. He did not play football after his sophomore
season.
9. Nate Robinson
School: Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.), 2001
Basketball resume: At just 5-feet, 9-inches, Robinson was a three-time NBA slam dunk champion.
Football bonafides: Named to the Class AAA all-state team in football after rushing for 1,200 yards as a senior with 21 touchdowns.
10. John Havlicek
School: Bridgeport (Ohio), 1957
Basketball resume: One of the all-time great Boston Celtics, Havlicek won eight NBA championships and was a 13-time All-Star.
Football bonafides: Havlicek
earned second team all-state as a quarterback to go with his second
team all-state pick in basketball and all-star selection in baseball.
