Soccer Icon Neymar Jr. Picks His Top 5 NBA Players of All Time

By: Fatima Roshni Image Credit: Instagram

[{"selector":"#anim-dcbd3954-956e-47ba-9476-099953dcc725 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-64.11130973347133%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-38efa009-0c57-4f64-873d-71185bdfb629","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-03d89653-823c-4da9-9a0d-2f5e0a322214","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -479.87112%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Soccer icon Neymar Jr. has been an avid fan of basketball, making several appearances in NBA games and sharing a long-time bond with Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler.

[{"selector":"#anim-7037b519-e6de-4bc6-b9df-ee5b5b904ea6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(66.2957584751229%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-197356af-12da-476f-b2fd-2919f3f244fe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a3a4d5d2-b019-486f-9af3-3ee7c1195ea4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.79935%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-00a2e5ce-39e0-4e7a-96cd-71c56a7c2274","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-38831f9e-0c80-4dbf-beb7-4815d4ce687b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-154.58516%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] During a recent discussion, the Brazilian star revealed his top 5 list of NBA players. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been a good friend of Neymar, was surprisingly not on the list.

[{"selector":"#anim-297aaefc-e278-4e68-bbbc-db65d4639771","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-cfdf76ae-826c-4e4c-b4d1-02fc49fda432","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1b813262-6576-4014-b8e6-ff3726c0e73b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.84984%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0f98a2c6-50b0-482d-af94-2f8383ce0eb4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-64.95238086306814%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Giannis has been a soccer lover and played the sport before starting his basketball journey. His bond with Neymar started with their admiration for one another and their attending each other's games.

[{"selector":"#anim-1f4baeae-2f91-489e-91b5-25a9f506998c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22810dad-b83c-47ed-9441-d4aaad192102","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 65.11352%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9cf5a74b-774c-45a5-8eff-2b23d5272145","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9155c73f-11b6-4088-87ac-0504ed338de1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(70.52348364809711%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Neymar's top 5 NBA players include a star-studded list of former and current players like Michael Jordan , Kobe Bryant , Shaquille O’Neal , LeBron James , and Stephen Curry .

[{"selector":"#anim-299897d8-27e8-4043-8106-f4dc4bd58182","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-934ab482-b181-4ddf-a480-d1fb9c2a405d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 69.41458%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4dae436a-6dca-4979-ad68-122b84fd8427","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f1134af7-fadf-4dfd-9e04-3b2acb15473a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-58.52065819123442%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Besides this, he also added Jimmy Butler to the list, making an exception for him. “Jordan, Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron, Curry, and Jimmy. Jimmy deserves a spot because he is making history.”

[{"selector":"#anim-596d0ec8-13b6-496f-b7ba-816c039664c4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-70.50993342772357%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f1c66f5-5d7d-4b3d-aa8e-65149a119c6b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-774b5e1c-b3ed-4a02-bf16-afefa14a0d04","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -417.63888%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Neymar also mentioned, "I love Jimmy Butler. He's an amazing guy. Curry is my idol, LeBron. The Lakers were the ones that stuck in my mind. I had the opportunity to meet Kobe, and I talked to him."

[{"selector":"#anim-8e81f3ea-d65d-4c14-9c22-0e3f80550cf1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(57.206054491132484%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-842ea3ca-f35c-4e55-a0f9-dfd93661676d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8e9106a6-87c1-411d-9960-ff9e1a5da4aa","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-be780f15-977a-4fa6-b753-7cf061220344","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9bb17532-12c4-4138-a7da-f57f65ebdf8c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-112.76595%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Neymar's exception was based on Jimmy leading the 8-seeded Miami Heat towards the NBA Finals carrying a doubtful phase along with his performance averaging 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

[{"selector":"#anim-ab7dc055-608b-4a51-837c-f183e2e65f3a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-19985388-dff4-4283-9b01-447c526e4306","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e2cadd2a-1d5e-4850-82f4-c41390055064","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.79522%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9f7fdc84-6c77-41c8-9601-c84beb631f96 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-60.5718009467212%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Neymar and Butler's bond seems to be growing, with Butler making recent appearances at Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals in support of Butler and the Miami Heat.

Soccer Icon Neymar Jr. Picks His Top 5 NBA Players of All Time

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