5QS HQ, Washington, D.C. – As the American people wrestle with how they should handle the war in Ukraine, a widespread political talking point has been, “well if it’s so important, why don’t you go over there and fight in the war yourself?”
As such an intriguing proposition, it begs the question of which NBA players might commit to fighting on the frontlines of the ongoing conflict. 5th Quarter Sports ran extensive analysis on all 560 active NBA players to determine who was most likely to make such a move.
The research showed that most players were disinclined to pause their careers to go fight in a war on foreign soil; however, a few players showed enough probability to create some uncertainty for their coaches and for the next NBA season.
Here are the Top 6 players who scored highest in this study:
6. Svi Mykhailiuk
Team: Utah Jazz
Likelihood to Enlist: 12%
Being from Ukraine, one could guess why Svi might be interested in fighting in the war. The issue seemed personal, so 5th Quarter Sports did not ask him about it.
5. Ja Morant
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Likelihood to Enlist: 14%
Ja Morant absolutely adores guns. He is also overdue for another multi-game suspension for glorifying firearms on social media. This raises the question of what the Grizzlies star point guard will do with his free time during his next suspension.
The War in Ukraine, an active crime against humanity by existing, has likely already gotten Morant’s attention due to its heavy use of guns. Should his entourage suddenly gain a politically vocal member, the two-time NBA All Star may choose to take his talents elsewhere.
4. Nikola Jokic
Team: Denver Nuggets
Likelihood to Enlist: 17%
This is one of the most surprising of the bunch. Jokic shows as much indifference to the war in Ukraine as he does to basketball; however, when it comes to love for horses, he scores very high.
The three-time MVP has been open about his admiration of the species, often praising their “underrated” role in the history of warfare. He has been quoted multiple times saying that “horses are the only animals that can smell war.”
Jokic is known to be extremely fond of his own horses, so the crucial variable is how his horses feel about the war. It all rests on whether Jokic’s love for these beasts will counterbalance the power of his disinterest in Ukraine and basketball combined.
3. Alex Len
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Likelihood to Enlist: 24%
Along with Mykailiuk, Len is the only other Ukrainian player in the league. His hometown of Antratsyt has actually been under Russian control for more like 11 years, but the 2022 invasion probably didn’t help.
Len is also a trained gymnast and a very strong swimmer.
2. Luka Doncic
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Likelihood to Enlist: 39%
Being from the Balkans, Luka Doncic is eager to fight in a sticky war between Eastern European neighbors. He is the player we are least sure about which side he would fight for.
Doncic’s score in this research is also considered to be highly volatile. The equations are strongly influenced by recent actions, so anything Doncic has done lately that might make him look like a backstabbing sellout could temporarily raise his score, even if he usually sells out at a pretty standard rate.
1. Kyrie Irving
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Likelihood to Enlist: 86%
No surprises here. This could prove to be the most logical next step for Irving’s career, considering his pattern of confusing convictions.
The veteran point guard is probably confident his recent knee injury will not affect how soon he can deploy, and it’s possible he will still return to the NBA after winning the war.
There’s really only two questions for the Mavericks: how will the team handle Irving’s exit, and would this be worse than Luka ditching them for the Lakers?
