This. Production is what counts, whether its by aggresively (getting your own production) or defensively (stopping your opponents production). The superstars do those better than anyone else, and the legendary superstars do both better than anyone else in history (ex. Jordan and Hakeem). Yao IMHO has never been a superstar, except that one season when he broke his foot the first time. Before he broke his foot, he still had average speed which when combined with his height basically made him unstoppable offensively and defensively. However after he broke his foot he lost that quickness of his and fronting became a problem etc. etc. If we limited to superstars to the top 3 we'd have: 1. LBJ 2. DH 3. Wade/Kobe
In my opinion a Superstar is a player that can play 3 phases of the game at an elite score. For example: elite man to man/ position defender, elite scorer, elite rebounder, elite passer. etc. There are only a few in the league: -Bryant -Wade - LeDiva aka the Super sidekick Those are the only few who come to mind.
I would be with the double team camp. If the only way for a team to stop you is to leave someone open and force a 2 on 1, then you're a superstar. Yao is definitely a super star because that's the only way you can stop him, he can shoot over anyone just like Dirk (with less range of course).
Superstar = most popular, which definitely includes Yao when you get outside your bubble. There's a few other stars, but superstars....Kobe, Yao, Lebron and maybe Howard is the entire list. Even Wade/Melo aren't that popular in comparison.
A NBA superstar is a solid threat to score when down one on the last play of the game. Home town fans must feel confident in that situation, and opposing fans should be worried in that situation. It creates "drama" and excitement. "Can the superstar do it again?" When you are a superstar, you are under the most scrutiny. You can always fall. (See TMac). And don't tell me he wasn't a superstar. He did some amazing things, really amazing things. Just didn't get it done in the playoffs, and that dropped him, along with other details we are all familiar with. NBA superstars have displaced comic book superheroes. They "save the day". The opposite of a superstar is a "team". Too bad the NBA realized a long time ago, that superstars sell many more tickets than "teams" do. Hence, superstar calls. Yao is somewhat of a connundrum, because he is clearly superstar caliber, but also seems to more fit in with "team" than with "superstardom". No matter how dominant Yao is, he will epitomize team more than many of the other players. Although Kobe has kind of done that recently.
One cannot be called superstar if he is not the best at his position. I'd think the minimum requirement is to be in the NBA 1st team.
Why everyone is debating the question? just check Merriam Webster dictionary or Oxford dictionary, or Cambridge dictionary, you will get the answer. And these are the authorities, not you and me.
Yao Ming is the best center in the NBA it has showed every time we play the Magic, and he was good enough to be the best player on a title contender.... but he gets hurt. Yao has never been able to realize his potential, and probably never will. Yao turned a corner as a player in the 05-06 season, since then he has only gotten to finish the playoffs once. There will always be two conflicting issues with Yao, it will always be acknowledged that he was injury prone (obviously). But i think people allow those injuries to cause them to underestimate just how good he was when he was healthy. Combine that with the fact that he has played in the West, I will go to my grave believing that in the east with a healthy Yao. The Rockets would have made multiple trips to the conference finals, and even a finals appearence or two. (we were better than the Cavaliers and Magic when they went to the Finals) But he hasn't stayed healthy and were in the west, I'm hoping Yao has one last stand in him, and that the Rockets supporting cast is good enough to compete for a title, but I'm not putting money on it. So as it is Yao will probably go down as a real good player who was injury prone, but if the definition of a superstar is a player able to dominate and have his team compete for a title, IMO having watched virtually every game, he was a superstar who never realized his potential.
Bingo. People on here are always misusing the word "superstar" when they're referring to a player with elite talent. "Superstar" has to do with how they're regarded by the fans, not just how good they are. There are some players who aren't quite superstars but are more talented than some who are superstars. They just play in smaller markets or don't have the same charisma. That's why it's always funny to hear people saying, "The Rockets need another superstar." They really just need another great player, one who's elite at his position. That's what Morey's looking for -- a super talent, not necessarily a superstar. One thing that superstars do have that may come in handy is the ability to get calls.
some1 who makes all star team all the time and leader of the team and averages more than 20 ppg constantly not just 1 year but like 6 seasons and someone who hits buzzer beaters and cause double team
What make a player a superstar? When they got vote in by fans. The PEOPLE decide who you are in whatever you do.
when Shane Battier calls you super dooper then you are a superstar. too bad we could never have super and dooper playing together when in mattered (playoffs) while they were super dooper. otherwise perennial All-NBA 1st teamers, MVPs or players that you would never trade unless forced. "untouchables" list of previous and current superstars in the NBA post Jordan (supernova?) Shaq Kobe TMac (Orlando) Yao (healthy post 2006) Duncan KG Iverson Kidd (in his prime) Dirk Penny Hardaway (healthy in Orlando) CWebb Grant Hill (healthy in his prime) Nash (first few years in Phoenix) Lebron Durant Wade Dwight Howard borderline Gary Payton (was missing something) Alonzo Mourning (the last couple years before his illness) Chris Paul (still too early to tell, not sure if he's peaked) Carmelo (not quite there) Brandon Roy (same as Carmelo) Vinsanity (had glimpses of it) maybe a few others
rockets fans don't know b/c we haven't had a superstar since dream. we've had all-stars, but that's it.
I like this question. Because a argument I had with a friend we had was about the Miami Heat and having 3 superstars but I argue they have 2.. So is Chris Bosh a superstar?
A superstar is a player who immediately changes the tempo of the game as soon as they step on the court. Yao matured into a superstar because teams can't defend him.
Not picking on you by any means but does that mean you don't consider Steve Nash or Chris Paul a superstar and can put Rajon Rondo on the list?
