This weekend was perhaps the greatest weekend in the history of sports and entertainment. In the sports world, we had the MLB regular season in full swing, NBA Playoffs, Stanley Cup Playoffs and the beginning of the NFL season at the NFL Draft. On the entertainment side, the biggest blockbuster series in television and cinema both rolled out their greatest accomplishments with Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” opening and “Game of Thrones” airing their much-anticipated Battle for Winterfell episode.



We as viewers may never have this opportunity again, so what is the best way to make the most of it? Combine the sports and entertainment universes with theBRKDWN’s very own official NBA and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) crossover event. Enjoy!



Thanos –> LeBron James



Last year, Thanos became one of the greatest villains in cinema history after “Avengers: Infinity War,” with the lone goal of saving the universe by annihilating half of it. He was the first being in the MCU to wield more than one infinity stone, and after obtaining all six, he became the most powerful being in the universe. After his infamous *snap*, Thanos retired to a peaceful and sunny place to “look upon a grateful universe.”



LeBron James has been the best and most dominant basketball player on the planet for most of his NBA career. Like Thanos, he seemed to have a lone goal in his career of winning a title for the city of Cleveland. He did so overcoming the greatest deficit in NBA Finals history against the best regular season team in NBA history. Then the Warriors added Kevin Durant to the squad — queue the “all that to beat this” memes — and the Cavs never could top Golden State again. Now, LeBron has moved on to sunny Los Angeles, where he seems to care about anything but basketball at the moment and is watching the NBA universe from afar.



Tony Stark / Iron Man –> Steph Curry



Tony Stark was the one chosen to kick-off this 11-year excursion into the MCU with “Iron Man” in 2008. It feels like a lifetime ago when all this kicked off with Stark fighting his way out of some caves in the desert. After 11 years of character development, Stark is still the cocky and show-boaty — or douchebag as Doctor Strange put it — genius we all fell in love with, but has grown into one of the true leaders of Earth’s mightiest heroes.



Similarly, Steph Curry was the first selection of what would become the strongest team in NBA history, when he was drafted by the Warriors in 2009. Steph is about as cocky a player as they come, but he’s earned it after three rings and two MVPs. He has also grown into the leader of the Warriors dynasty who continue adding more and more weapons to the arsenal.



Steve Rogers / Captain America –> Kawhi Leonard



Captain America is one of the few survivors of the super soldier serum. He is highly skilled in all facets of combat. He possesses superhuman strength, reflexes, and durability. Finally, he is a great leader, never gives up, never leaves a fallen comrade behind.



Kawhi is the last survivor of the multi-decade Spurs dynasty, he has gotten better every season and is now mentioned in the veins of best player in the world. He boasts a complete and refined game, his presence makes his team better on both ends, his scoring game is multi-dimensional and efficient, he’s a premier perimeter defender, he’s a proven playoff performer.



Thor –> Kevin Durant



Thor has always been 1A or 1B when it comes to who is truly the most powerful Avenger. For many years, I believed it to be the Hulk, but ever since “Thor: Ragnarok,” my opinion has completely flipped to Thor. The God of Thunder learned to harness his true power after losing his hammer, giving him an edge over Hulk in their epic fight. Then, in “Avengers: Infinity War,” Thor unfairly gets a new axe to make him even stronger and brings him only a few inches from defeating Thanos before his snap.



Kevin Durant has always been one the the premiere players in the NBA, and has been cemented as the second best player in the league for many years now. His offensive ability is unlike anything the league had seen before his arrival and something we will likely never see again. KD pulled one of the most controversial moves in NBA history when he signed with the Warriors three season ago, unfairly pairing him with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, to make his offensive abilities nearly impossible to stop.



Bruce Banner / Hulk –> Russell Westbrook



The Incredible Hulk has unlimited power and somehow gets stronger as he gets angrier. He also has no self control — unfortunately for those in the path of his unlimited power — horrible decision making, and sometimes hurts those closest to him.



Westbrook possesses unlimited athleticism and skill — the guy is a walking triple double after averaging one for three consecutive seasons. Like the Hulk, the angrier he gets, the more effort he puts out, which leads to questionable decision making and causes him to hurt those closest to him by costing his team the game.



Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow –> Chris Paul



Natalia Alianovna “Natasha” Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, was one of the most talented spies and assassins in the entire world, and a founding member of the Avengers Leadership. She is highly skilled in espionage, stealth, disguise, infiltration, and demolitions. Her talents and years of experience have enabled her to reach a high ranking as a special agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.



Chris Paul is widely recognized as one of the best point guards ever, and a founding member of the banana boat crew. Highly regarded in league circles, his skills and immense abilities have earned him nine NBA All-Star nods, four All-NBA First Teams, seven All-Defensive First Teams, and constantly a league leader in assists and steals. He gets the job done without much fanfare.



Clint Barton / Hawkeye –> J.J. Redick



Hawkeye is one of the original Avengers introduced to us in the first of the four Avengers films and has been cemented as one of the core leaders of the group ever since. We haven’t seen him since “Captain America: Civil War,” but I believe he comes on as strong as ever in “Avengers: Endgame.”



J.J. Redick is certainly one of the players who comes to mind when you picture a shooter in the NBA. When he came to Philadelphia, the Sixers were a young team with no winning culture and I believe he is a big reason for their quick turnaround. He was the veteran leader the team needed to come in and help change the trajectory of the franchise.



James Rhodes / War Machine –> Vince Carter



War Machine, also known as Colonel James Rupert “Rhodey” Rhodes is an officer with the United States Air Force, and liaison between the military in the Department of Acquisitions and Stark Industries. Before he became War Machine, he had flown 138 combat missions. This veteran is loyal, dependable, and never walks away from a fight. With his huge arsenal of weapons, hardened battle experience, and courage, this is one iron warrior that you don’t want to run into.



In his prime, there needed to be a portable landing strip because “Air Canada” was ready for lift-off at any given moment. Vinsanity put on dazzling shows with his immense scoring ability and penchant for high flying acrobatics. After 23 years in the league, the highflying shooting guard isn’t the man he once was, but he can still provide some valuable coverage in a pinch.



Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier –> James Harden



Good ole Bucky Barnes has had one of the biggest character transformations in the entirety of the MCU. After seemingly falling to his death in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” we found out we was very much alive and was injected with super soldier serum and brainwashed to do Hydra’s bidding. After a few knocks to the head and a recovery stint in Wakanda, Bucky has found a new home with the Avengers, alongside his best friend Captain America, and is set to become a perineal force in the MCU.



James Harden began his career alongside Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, coming off the bench as one of the best young sixth men in the NBA. Once he found a new place to call home, he truly stepped into his own, averaging 29.0 points, 7.7 assists and 6.8 rebounds in his seven seasons in Houston. He has become his best pure scorer in the NBA and has become one of the best players in the league.



Sam Wilson / Falcon –> Eric Gordon



Falcon is one of the most battle-tested characters outside of the original six Avengers. He is a former USAF pararescue pilot who flies around in a wingsuit which has been outfitted by Stark Industries to make smarter. What he lacks in power, he makes up for in experience and brains and has become one of the great role players in the Avengers squad.



Eric Gordon has seemed to find his calling in his three years in Houston, coming off the bench as one of the premiere sixth men in the NBA. Gordon will not overpower any of the strongest players in the league or out-talent them. Like Falcon, however, he has the experience to get his shots up and has averaged 16.8 points in his time as a role player in Houston.



Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch –> Giannis Antetokounmpo



Wanda Maximoff has been one of the MCU’s top-five most powerful characters since her introduction in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” She was able to tear apart the entire Avengers team with her mind games and has only progressed her powers since joining the squad later in the film.



Giannis is similar in he had so much upside when he was drafted by Milwaukee in 2013. Every year since, “the Greek Freak” has only gotten better and is likely on his way to an MVP award after his best season to date. Time will only tell, but if he somehow keeps progressing, we could be watching one of the best players in NBA history before it is all said and done.



Vision –> Andrew Wiggins



Vision. What an absolute tease Vision was. He has one of the six most powerful stones in the universe — IN HIS HEAD — and all the guy can do is shoot lasers out of his head and fly around. In the three films he appeared in, he never truly lived up to his potential as one of the most powerful Avengers and did absolutely nothing to help defeat Thanos.



Like Vision, Andrew Wiggins has been a conundrum I cannot explain after five full seasons in the NBA. He came in with a lot of hype — deservedly so — and looked to be on the right track after three seasons, but he never made that next leap. Unlike Vision, Wiggins still has time, but he needs to get a lot better if he’s going to come anywhere close to his $155 million contract value.



T’Challa / Black Panther –> Damian Lillard



The leader and protector of Wakanda is a powerful and proud king. While he was a relative unknown upon his first introduction into the MCU, his relentless will and amazing physical attributes — enhanced by the heart shaped herb — with increased strength, mobility, stamina, and instincts, he is a force to be reckoned with.





Coming from a small school, critics were unsure of how is game would translate to the NBA. Suffice to say, he has more than acquainted himself in the league. With his air tight handles, limitless range, and heart of a lion, Dame “Ice In His Veins” Lillard has put the world on notice. With a 4-1 series victory over OKC, to the tune of a resounding 50-point game and barrage of three’s from the logo, he is a force to be reckoned with in these NBA Playoffs and beyond.



Okoye –> CJ McCollum



Okoye is the General of the Dora Milaje, thus, she is extensively trained and highly proficient in various forms of combat, with her skill marking her as one of the greatest martial artists in Wakanda only behind T’Challa. She is loyal to the throne and her king. Don’t let the fact that she is a woman fool you.



Like Okoye, people disregarded him due to his small stature, but after a five inch growth spurt during his sophomore year of high school, he was placed squarely on the radar of the NBA. A four year collegiate athlete winning numerous awards, he became a top-NBA prospect due to his scoring prowess and maturing physical profile. He is fiercely loyal and can definitely turn the tide of battle in favor of his team.



Scott Lang / Ant-Man –> Draymond Green



Ant-Man — whatever you need, he can do. Fighting an alien invasion? He can grow up to 65-feet-tall. Sneaking into different dimensions? He can shrink to the size of an ant, or smaller. He never takes himself too serious, which is why he always seems to find himself in some sort of danger.



Draymond Green is a swiss army knife — he can do it all. While not great in any one area, he does a little bit of everything and is a tenacious defender winning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, as well as numerous First Team All-Defense accolades. He is the heart and soul of the Warriors, and while his style and personality may rub some the wrong way, he is fiercely loyal to those he considers comrades.



Peter Parker / Spider-Man –> Devin Booker



Young, energetic, and full of potential. Your friendly neighborhood arachnid while extremely talented, has a long way to go before fulfilling his vast potential. He has increased agility, superhuman strength, can climb walls, shoot webs, and his spider sense always helps him avoid danger. In a few years, he could be earth’s mightiest Avenger.



Like Peter Parker, Devin Booker arrived to the league with a lot of untapped potential, and the early returns have yielded positive results. Getting ready to enter his fifth year, this young flamethrower just averaged a shade over 26 points per game. Like Spider-Man, he has a vast array at his arsenal, but is still trying to put it together. With more seasoning, he may start to be mentioned with the greats in the league.



Peter Quill / Star-Lord –> Kyrie Irving



When Peter Quill was introduced to the MCU in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” he was an arrogant, selfish and talented thief who knew how to get what he wanted. Then he was forced to team up with other powerful beings to save the galaxy. He is now the head of the Guardians squad, and he still has a little arrogance in him, but he has really matured into a good leader.



Like Quill, Kyrie came into the league with a lot of talent and a combination of handles and finishing ability we haven’t seen in awhile. After being teamed up with LeBron for a few years, Kyrie has now ventured out on his own where he has become the leader of this young and extremely talented Celtics squad. The Celtics will go as far as Kyrie takes them, just as the Guardians only go as far as Quill will take them.



Gamora –> D’Angelo Russell



Gamora, like many of the other members of Guardians, were introduced in the original “Guardians of the Galaxy.” She really struggled being part of a team at originally, because she was so successful on her own. After settling in with her new team, she found some success and helped save the universe not only once, but twice.



D’Angelo Russell, like Gamora, struggled finding his place in a team setting at first. He learned the hard way of how to become a good teammate and was traded away from the Lakers — stupidly — and has found a new home in Brooklyn as a young leader of the Nets. After an All-Star Game appearance and a trip to the playoffs for the first time in his career, D-Lo looks to have found a lot of success with his new squad.



Drax –> Ben Simmons



Drax is quite possibly the funniest character in the MCU with his brilliant and well-timed one liners in any film he appears in. He is also one of the most stubborn characters. He rarely listens to any form of a plan or advice from other Guardians in the heat of battle. He is the muscle for the Guardians and strictly sticks to close-quarter combat with his two swords.



Ben Simmons has not displayed the same type of humor Drax has thus far in his career, but he has displayed his stubbornness. Simmons is without a doubt the most stubborn player in the NBA because, not only does he refuse to shoot, but he refuses to shoot with his CORRECT HAND. This guy is so clearly right-handed and seeing his unwillingness to actually shoot right-handed after three seasons in the league is so disheartening. Just shoot correctly, coward.



Rocket Raccoon –> Donovan Mitchell



Rocket Raccoon has matured a lot from the arrogant, selfish, smart-ass sidekick we met in the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” film. He has become one of the most beloved characters in the MCU for his comedic relief in the films and his leadership among the Guardians. Aside from being a talking raccoon and a great pilot, Rocket doesn’t have any powers so he must rely on his guns to fight the threats to the MCU.



Donovan Mitchell has been forced to mature a lot in his two seasons in the league. He has become a young leader of the Utah Jazz and a budding star in the league. He has the respect of his teammates as a leader, as demonstrated by Kyle Korver, who took extra time to praise him following a playoff game. Like Rocket, Mitchell has to shoot A LOT as the team’s best scorer, but has taken some heat for it after a 4-22 performance from the field when his team was eliminated by the Rockets. Hopefully with more experience under his belt, Mitchell can become as accurate a sprayer as Rocket.



Groot –> Rudy Gobert



Groot, in any form, is as funny and lovable a character there is in the MCU. He is the perfect sidekick to Rocket Raccoon because for all the talking Rocket does, Groot is a being of few words — well three to be exact — “I am Groot.” He is a powerful defender and a perfect aid alongside Rocket and the rest of the Guardians and Avengers.

Rudy Gobert has been a great #2 alongside Donovan Mitchell in their time together in Utah. He is one of, if not the, consistently great rim protectors in the league. He and Mitchell seem locked at the hip for the time being in Utah, and if they could get some real help like Rocket and Groot have, Utah could become one of the great powers in the NBA.



Doctor Strange –> Paul George



Doctor Stephen Strange was introduced to the MCU as one of the best young surgeons in the world, then catastrophe struck. Strange was the victim of a horrific car accident, causing him to lose the use of his hands, the things most important to him making a living. After running out of medical options, he sought a different form a treatment, which lead to him becoming one of the most gifted sorcerers of the mystic arts and one of the most gifted being in the MCU.



Paul George was a budding star for the Pacers and in the NBA when his gruesome injury occurred. Many speculated he would never be the same player after his injury, but George has found a second calling in OKC and has become one of the most dominant players in the NBA with his best season to-date by far.



Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel –> Zion Williamson



Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel is the latest hero we were introduced to in the MCU. She has all the potential to be one of the strongest heroes in the universe and carry “Phase 2” of the MCU for years to come, as her predecessors did before her. She is sure to face her toughest challenge yet against Thanos in “Avengers: Endgame,” but Fury contacted her for a reason, and I believe she’ll be up to it.



Zion Williamson put together one of the best collegiate seasons by a freshman this decade and has the most hype around him entering the draft that we’ve seen since Anthony Davis. He has the all the potential to be one of the faces of the league for years to come and be one of the all-time greats. However, he will face one of the biggest challenges in the NBA when he is likely drafted by James Dolan and the incompetent Knicks organization. Whether or not he can fix all the Knicks’ problems is still to be determined.



Director Nick Fury –> Bob Myers



This one was maybe the easiest of the whole bunch. Director Nick Fury is the one who created the concept of bringing together Earth’s mightiest heroes to defend it with the “Avengers Initiative.” After the team suffered a horrible defeat, he called upon one of the strongest forces in the MCU, in Captain Marvel, to help the remaining heroes avenge the loss.



Bob Myers assembled a homegrown team strong enough to put up the best record in regular season history at 73-9. After the team’s improbable squandering of a 3-1 lead to the Cavs, Myers and the Warriors called upon the second best basketball player on the planet to avenge their loss the following season.



We hope you enjoyed and agree with all of our crossover characters, and be sure to enjoy the rest of NBA Playoffs going on over the next month and a half. More importantly, go see “Avengers: Endgame” because it is the best the MCU has offered us to date is the perfect ending we needed for “Phase 1.” Just don’t be an asshole like LeSean McCoy and spoil it for everyone.



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