The Stanger Things Characters: NBA Comparisons

JJ Lamb
5 min readJul 15, 2019

PG: Eleven: Talk about court vision. Eleven can find her teammates without even being able to physically see them. Now imagine her on a basketball court. She would set teammates up before they even knew that they were open. But not only can she find anyone on the floor, but she is also capable of being a dangerous scorer. Late in games, whenever her teammates need a bucket, she can get one. She is a Jack of All Trades on the floor. NBA comp: Magic Johnson.

SG: Lucas — Every great team needs a defensive specialist. Lucas is the cautious one of the group and steps up to keep the baddies away from his friends. On the court, he is very capable of being a disruptor and a shutdown guard. But the thing is, like his wrist rocket, he is not a great shooter. NBA comp: Andre Roberson

SF: Steve: Steve might be a little past his prime, but he can still get the job done. While the landscape of Hawkins changes around him and he finds himself in the uncomfortable territory of not knowing how he fits in he is still trying his old antics to get the job done, both with the ladies and on the basketball court. NBA Comp: Carmelo Anthony

PF: Dustin: It seems like Dustin can do it all. He is proficient in technology, sassy and can help out his friends when they need him. He is always in the right spot and is able to make the right move to save his friends. On the court, it’s not hard to imagine him doing the same thing, he can be in the right spot, make the right pass and shoot a little bit, but it is not his best skill. NBA comp: Draymond Green

C: Billy: Billy is crazy. He is real quick to anger and he can talk enough smack to get under the skin of anyone. We saw how he absolutely manhandled Steve in season two on the court but also did a good job of coaching him up after rolling through him. He wants everyone to know he is the best player on the floor and is not afraid of mixing it up, especially with Steve and his NBA comp Carmelo Anthony. NBA comp: Kevin Garnett

Bench:

Robin — Robin is the cog that led to Team Scoops getting into the Russian base. She was able to successfully translate the secret code, get the blueprints to the mall and negotiate with Erica. And she barely got any of the credit. She is not the star of the show, but she keeps it running, both on and off the floor. NBA comp: Andre Iguodala

Mike — Holy crap Mike is getting tall. And he looks out for his friends, especially Eleven. If Eleven is the ball handler and Mike will do anything for her including setting picks and doing all the dirty work that he doesn’t get enough credit it, their pick and roll offense would be amazing. He is truly what makes the offense flows by making sure all of his teammates are being taken care of. NBA comp: Al Horford.

Max — Being the sister of Billy, Max can often find herself overshadowed. As he gets all of the attention from their family, the school and the ladies at the pool, Max is free to be her own person even though she may never command as much attention as her brother. This makes her the perfect role player who moves the offense along, can make a shot and play above average defense without commanding too much attention: NBA comp: Seth Curry

Will — Will has been a victim to the times. He is not ready to move on from the way things were and is just trying to hang on to the innocence of childhood. He doesn’t know when things changed and he’s still trying to play the game of old with all of his friends. Still, he is able to anticipate what the Mind Flayer is doing just like he knows what the other team is running with his high basketball IQ. He knows where to be on the floor but might be lacking the athletism to get there nowadays. NBA comp: Vince Carter

Jonathan — Mercurial and shy, Jonathan is a bit of a black sheep. Even with his social limitations, he is still able to get the job done. He comes up big when the moment spotlight is bright and has a knack for coming through in the clutch. It is safe to say that attitude can come up late in games too, hitting the big shot in the biggest of moments. NBA comp: Kawhi Leonard

Nancy: Nancy is a savvy veteran in the show being part of the older generation of kids. She is someone who looks after the children and sets a good example for them. Plus she is proficient with a rifle and has a great shot. NBA Comp: JJ Redick

Erica — She might not add much to the team, but she knows how to get paid. Her speech on capitalism shows that she understands the value of supply and demand and how to negotiate a contract without providing much. NBA comp: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Coach: Hopper — He is notoriously short with the kids in the show and it’s either his way or the highway. He is tough with them to get his way but ultimately cares about them above all else. He just doesn’t know how to express it the right way. NBA comp: Gregg Popovich

Assistant Coach: Joyce — When Hopper isn’t seeing clearly or needs an attitude adjustment, Joyce is always there to help out. Plus she is a lot calmer with the kids and offers them comfort and care in a way that Hopper cannot. The kids can come to her with anything and she will help them out and communicate with the chief of police. NBA comp: Retired Tim Duncan

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JJ Lamb

Midwest teacher by day, exhausted and asleep by night. Teaching, Reading, Writing, Basketball.