Can You Identify These NBA Players If We Make Them Look Like Babies?

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By: Jonnathan Chadwick

7 Min Quiz

Image: Wiki Commons by Cyrus Saatsaz / aabejon / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

The greatest athletes in the world grow up in front of our eyes. We might not hear about them until they've already become adults, but once we do, we usually dig into their background. True fans know everything about their favorite athletes. We know the name of the college they attended and the state where they attended high school. We know when they started playing their favorite sport and even where they were born. We may have even seen their high school yearbook photos or family videos of their childhood. Only a very, very select few, however, can identify their favorite athlete based on a baby image.

With the advent of the Internet came the explosion of information. We can get our hands on almost everything that's ever been recorded. And for the stuff we can't get our hands on, we have the power to simply make it. If you've seen your favorite athlete's baby photos, you're probably a diehard fan, but if you haven't, it's alright, because we have them. De-aging technology is all over the web these days and it's one of the hottest trends of the decade, so we took the best basketball players in the NBA and turned them into babies. Take a look at these NBA stars and see if you can identify them based on a baby photo.

Who's this dunk champion who recently moved from Hollywood to The Motor City?

Blake Griffin is listed as a power forward and a center, but he's played his entire career with two of the best centers in the league, so he mostly plays power forward. He played with DeAndre Jordan in LA and plays with Andre Drummond in Detroit.

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This all-star watched his big brother Pau win two championships with Kobe. Who is he?

Marc Gasol hasn't had as much success in the league as his brother Pau, but he's well on his way. In 2019, he helped lead the Toronto Raptors to the team's first championship. He's also made three NBA All-Star games in his career.

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Can you name this Spanish point guard who won multiple European championships before joining the NBA?

Ricky Rubio won at least four championships and was named the player of the year in Europe before he joined the NBA in 2011. He began his American career with the Timberwolves before going to the Jazz and then the Suns.

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This triple-double machine was already a natural athlete as a baby. Who is he?

Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the entire 2017 season and has accomplished the feat every season since. He's the first to do so since Oscar Robertson did it in 1962. Nobody in the NBA has recorded a quadruple-double since David Robinson in 1994.

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Do you know this Atlanta Hawk who's been compared to Steph Curry ever since high school?

Trae Young and Luka Doncic were neck and neck for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2019, but Doncic ultimately came out on top. Young is known for his three-point range and quick style of play that has been getting comparisons to Steph Curry for several years.

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Today's NBA defenders fear his beard, but here he is clean-shaven. Do you know him?

Before James Harden was known around the world for his beard, he was a baby-faced student at Arizona State University. He credits his time at Hassayampa (his freshman dorm), for turning him into a man. He declared for the NBA draft after his sophomore year.

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Can you recognize "The Claw" with baby hands?

Kawhi Leonard's hand size compares to seven-footers like Shaq and Giannis, but he's only listed at 6'7''. He's one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and one of the best basketball players in the world.

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Who is this baby who grew up to be a "Splash Brother"?

Klay Thompson is the quintessential definition of a shooting guard. He barely dribbles and isn't known for having great handles. He once scored 60 points in a game while taking only 11 dribbles and holding the ball for less than 90 seconds.

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This athlete grew up to be the most hyped basketball phenom since LeBron James. Do you know him?

Zion Williamson lived up to all the hype when he had a spectacular season at Duke University. He hasn't played a second in the NBA, however, due to injury, but fans around the world are hopeful to see him play soon.

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Who's this "Big Baller" with an outspoken father?

Everybody and their mother has heard about Lonzo Ball because his father went on an international press tour the year his son joined the NBA. Ball was drafted by the LA Lakers but then traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Do you know this three-point "sniper" with a 7'5'' wingspan?

Kevin Durant was next in line to take the throne from LeBron James a few seasons ago, but injury set him back a bit. He's currently playing alongside Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn and has yet to return from injury.

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Can you recognize this NBA all-star center without his signature unibrow?

At 6'10'' with a 7'6'' wingspan, Anthony Davis is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. He actually started playing basketball at the point guard position and only became a center later in high school after a growth spurt.

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Who's this all-star point guard and slam dunk champion who went from Kentucky to D.C.?

John Wall was a standout point guard for the Kentucky Wildcats where he was named the best player in college basketball. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards in 2010 and has played in the city his entire career.

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Who is this superstar point guard who likes to question whether the Earth is flat?

Kyrie Irving helped LeBron James lead the Cavaliers to the team's first and only championship in 2017, but today he's known as the guy who said the Earth was flat. Irving said he was just trolling with the comment and later apologized.

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Can you name this shooting guard traded from Toronto right before they won a championship?

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry made up one of the NBA's best back-court duos for several years. DeRozan was traded to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard in 2018. Leonard and Lowry helped lead Toronto to its first championship in 2019.

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This baby grew up to be the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history. Do you know him?

Steph Curry and LeBron James have been the NBA's two marquee players for the better part of the last decade. Coincidentally, the two were born in the same exact hospital in Akron, Ohio. They were born four years apart. Curry's father played for the Cavaliers at the time.

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Can you name this "King" from Akron who skipped college ball and went straight to the NBA?

LeBron has been the most talked about thing in basketball ever since he was a sophomore at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first and only NBA championship against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

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Who is this baby who grew up to be an NBA "Unicorn"?

Kristaps Porzingis was dubbed a "Unicorn" by Kevin Durant because he can do a bunch of impossible stuff. He's 7'3'' and can dribble and shoot like a guard. He's big enough to bang with the centers and has footwork fancy enough to fake out the forwards.

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Who's this legendary Duke Blue Devil known for his three-point shooting?

JJ Redick is one of Duke's most beloved players even though he never won a title with the team. His No. 4 was retired by Duke and he was considered the best NCAA basketball player in the country for the 2006 season.

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Who's this Bay Area native who recently started a rap beef with Shaq?

The NBA is known for having its fair share of entertainers, and Damian Lilliard is one of the most popular in today's game. Lillard has been rapping for several years and has made songs with some of music's biggest names. In 2019, he released a series of diss tracks aimed at Shaq.

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This all-star has been trusting the process ever since he was born. Do you know him?

The Philadelphia 76ers coined a phrase called "Trust the Process" to describe the team's plans for the future. When fans started losing trust in the process, Joel Embiid nicknamed himself "The Process" and fans began to trust the process again.

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Do you know this "Greek Freak" who skipped high school ball and went straight to the pros?

Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Greece but didn't actually become a citizen until he was 18 because of immigration laws. His parents came from Nigeria, but he began playing basketball in Greece when he was just 13. By the age of 17, he was playing for the country's semi-pro team.

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Who's this UConn champion drafted by Michael Jordan and later traded to the Celtics?

Very few basketball players go on to win an NCAA championship and an NBA championship, and Kemba Walker is halfway there. He helped UConn win the championship in 2011 and declared for the NBA that year. Today he plays with Boston Celtics and the Celtics have the most championships in history.

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Do you know this Cali native who played in the Midwest before returning home in 2019?

Paul George was born and raised in California but played most of his ball in middle America. He was drafted by Indiana, where he spent most of his career, and then played two seasons in Oklahoma City. He finally returned home in 2019 when he joined the LA Clippers.

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This little cub grew up to be known as "BIG KAT." Who is he?

Karl-Anthony Towns played on one of the most hyped Kentucky Wildcat basketball teams in history. The team was stacked with five-star recruits and was expected to go undefeated. The only loss of the season came to Wisconsin in the Final Four. Towns declared for the draft after the season.

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At 42 years old, this is the oldest active player in the NBA. Do you know him?

Vince Carter was drafted in 1998 and quickly became a fan favorite. He won the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest in one of the best dunk contests in history. In the summer of that year, he jumped over 7'2'' Frederic Weis in what's considered one of the greatest dunks of all time.

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Who's this defensive specialist known for being one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders?

Back in 2008, the world saw Patrick Beverly's mom perform one of the most dominant games of "Price is Right" in history. She won not one, but two cars on the game show, spun $1.00 on the Showdown wheel and raked in a total of $41,000 cash by the end of the show, so talent clearly runs in the family.

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Who's this Indiana native who moved to Boston and reunited with his college basketball coach?

The Butler Bulldogs almost stunned the world in 2010 when the Cinderella story, mid-conference major made it all the way to the NCAA Finals to face the big bad Duke Blue Devils. Duke won by two points. Gordon Hayward missed the buzzer shot that would've given the Bulldogs the win. Brad Stevens was the coach.

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Do you know this New Zealand native known for being one of the league's toughest players?

Every team needs an enforcer, and Steven Adams is one of the league's best. He's a throwback to the likes of Charles Oakley and he talks a lot less than Draymond Green. He's played his entire career in Oklahoma City.

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This baby didn't grow much taller and is currently the shortest player in the NBA. Who is he?

With John Wall being injured, the 5'9'' Isaiah Thomas secured the starting position for the Washington Wizards in 2019. He's the shortest player in the NBA. Thomas shared the title with Key Felder last season, but Felder is playing in China this season.

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Shaq is the original NBA Superman, but who's this high-flying center who also calls himself Superman?

Shaq has a Superman tattoo on his arm but that didn't stop Dwight Howard from claiming the nickname for himself. In 2008, Howard donned a Superman cape and costume as he flew through the air and won the dunk contest. The two quickly became rivals.

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Do you know this NBA All-Star recognized as one of the best two-way players in the league?

Jimmy Butler was picked with the last pick in the first round of the NBA draft and has played with a chip on his shoulder ever since. He's played for four teams over his career and has made four All-Star team selections.

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Do you know this all-star point guard who went from Cali to New York back to Cali in just a few years?

D'Angelo Russell entered the league with high expectations but has since fizzled. He caused controversy in the Lakers locker room his rookie season and was ultimately shipped across the country to Brooklyn. When Brooklyn got a better point guard, Russell was sent back to California, this time to the Golden State Warriors.

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His mom stole the show at the NBA Draft and he won the Rookie of the Year Award. Who is he?

Leave it to Andre Iguodala to shout out a rookie's mom on draft night. Iguodala's tweet spread around the sports world like wildfire, but Doncic was able to burst out of the shadow with ease. He won the Rookie of the Year Award and is today one of the league's best players.

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Do you know this all-star point guard who once scored 63 points in a game in honor of his grandfather?

Chris Paul never scored 63 points in an NBA game, but one of the most moving stories from the sports world came when he was in high school. He scored 63 points in a high school game to honor his grandfather who had just died. The story turned him into a national star.

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Do you know this West Coast point guard who Kanye West called underrated?

When Mike Conley was still playing with the Memphis Grizzlies, he received a late-night phone call from none other than Kanye West. The rapper went on to tell Conley how much he loved his game and that he was underrated. Conley relayed the story to reporters during practice one day.

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Only six NBA players have ever scored 70 points in a single game. Can you name the only one currently in the league?

Devin Booker joined a very exclusive group of players when he dropped 70 points against the Boston Celtics in 2017. Ironically, the Celtics won that game by 10 points, but Booker became just the sixth player to score 70 points in a game and the youngest to do so.

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Can you name this Rookie of the Year from Australia?

The NBA becomes more international every year, and Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving were actually both born in Melbourne. Simmons lived in Australia until his sophomore year of high school. He moved to Florida and began honing his basketball skills.

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Do you know this old-school center with the longest wingspan in the NBA?

Rudy Gobert is the typical NBA center of the 1990s. He doesn't play on the perimeter or take fadeaway jump shots like many seven-footers today. Gobert specializes in blocks and rebounds and is one of the league's best defenders.

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Can you name this all-star point guard who helped Toronto win its first-ever NBA championship?

Kyle Lowry became an NBA All-Star as a Toronto Raptor, but his career actually began in Memphis and then Houston several years earlier. Along with DeMar DeRozan, he made up one of the league's best back-courts. DeRozan was traded in 2018.

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