Game of Thrones & NBA Collab

This past weekend was the premiere of the new (and last) season of Game of Thrones. It also happened to be the beginning of the NBA playoffs. Watching these events got me thinking, what NBA players/organizations are the equivalent of characters and families on Game of Thrones?

The Lannisters/The Warriors: There are many parallels between the Warriors and the Lannisters. In terms of their relation to their competitors, as well as how the fans perceive them in their respective universes. They’re both currently the most powerful franchise/family that almost everyone hates and wants to see lose. There are also similarities between the individuals in those two groups. For instance, KD and Cersei. They’re both hated by most people, and disrespected despite them both being at the top of their respective universes. The decisions that they both have made, have set in motion events that brought bad things to their respective universes. Also, just like the Lannisters, the Warriors have a couple of players that could be fan favorites if/when they end up separating from the team (Klay/Tyrion, Steph/Jaime), but for now we love to hate them.

Daenerys/Giannis: Giannis is the Daenerys of the NBA. With her Dragons, Daenerys is basically unstoppable, just like Giannis. Both are strong contenders for the throne. Both are also removed by most of the drama that surrounds their peers in their respective universes. While the Lannisters were causing trouble and starting wars, Daenerys was on her island burning people alive. While trade rumors and various player drama was happening in the NBA in places like LA and Boston, Giannis was dunking on people in Milwaukee, which is about as far removed from things as you can get in the NBA.

Rob Stark/James Harden: Both had all the tools necessary to be the king in their respective universe. Rob Stark was on the fast track to be the new king. During the 5 kings war, he proved himself in battle by getting the better of the Lannisters on multiple occasions. Much like James Harden against the Warriors in the playoffs last year.  However they were both knocked off course by terrible, tragic, unforeseen circumstances. For Rob Stark, it was the Red Wedding. For James Harden, it was Chris Paul getting injured. They both seem to have missed their window to be on top.

Sansa/Kyrie: Both come off as a little arrogant. Both seem to think that they’re the smartest people in the room. Both turned on their family/team to try to gain power. Sansa tried to marry into the Lannisters in order to become the new queen. Kyrie left the Cavs to not be in LeBron’s shadow and be perceived as a superstar player. Sansa wrote a letter saying that her father committed treason, Kyrie did interviews saying how he didn’t like playing with LeBron. Both went on to see the error in their ways and try to make amends.

Arya/Russell Westbrook: Both are fighters at heart and fearless. Both seem to be angyr most of the time. They both can be hard to be around, and may not be the best in group settings, but they’re both loyal to their family/team. Neither one gets the respect that they deserve from a lot of their peers. Neither is a contender for the throne right now, but are both forces to be reckoned with.

Jon Snow/Damian Lillard: Jon Snow is the most righteous character on Game of Thrones. He always seems to do the right thing no matter the cost. He’s also a great leader who’s respected by pretty much everyone on the show. Damian Lillard fills that role in the NBA. He’s respected as a leader by his teammates, and respected as a player by his opponents. Whether it be refusing to kneel to the Lannisters, or choosing to compete instead of joining a super team, they both embrace various challenges, and never take the easy way out.