Who I'd Pay to See Play

Having seen quite a few live NBA games over the past years, I decided to look at who is left that I would pay to see play. (Note that I've seen Kobe play in L.A. and MJ play in Chicago. Saw Sprewell and Houston play in New York. Saw Yao, Melo, Lebron and D-Wade each play vs. the Celtics. Saw Nash dish out 17 assists to guys like Amare, Marion and Q-Rich against the Clippers. And have seen my main man, favorite player, Vince Carter play several times, for Toronto and NJ). So who's left?

1 - Dirk Nowitski, Dallas Mavs
I place him atop the list mainly because he's probably one of the top 3 power forwards around right now. He's not exactly Mr. Flashy or a great dunker, but he's a sharpshooter and has understanding of the game. Seeing him play you get the added bonus of seeing a title contending team and how well it operates on the court.

2 - KG, Minnesota Twolves
Kevin Garnett, "The Kid" has generated countless highlight plays on Sportscenter, and he's the real deal. Paying to see him play, you're guaranteed to see an all out full effort from him on both ends of the court.

3 -Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Last year's Rookie of the Year, he really impressed me when I saw him play for Team USA this past summer. He will be taking the reigns of the league from guys like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. Crazy passing ability and court vision to make plays happen.

4 - TMac, Houston Rockets
He let me down when I went to see his Orlando Magic play the Knicks several years ago. He was on the bench, injurred. Luckily the fact that Jay-Z and Beyonce were in the house at Madison square made up for it. T-MAC is considered injury-prone now in fantasy leagues, but he still can dazzle a crowd or light it up at any moment.

5 - A.I., Philadelphia 76ers
I didn't want to do it, but have to give him his respect. I always said that two guys I don't really like in the league are Tim Duncan and AI. But I have to respect their games and note that AI hustles hard on the court. He's just 6'0 and makes incredible plays vs. bigger and stronger players in the league.

There it is, and of course, I would always pay to see Vince play, because you never know what he's gonna throw down next.