"Street Fighter" and Your Favorite NBA Player: A Side by Side Comparison

D. Wade does look a lot like Cody, now that you mention it.

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Image via Complex Original
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Comparing current NBA players to video game characters from a storied fighting game franchise is not something to be undertaken lightly. No, wait, it totally is.
Still it's possible to move beyond facile physical similarities and think some about what these characters mean and represent and how we choose to understand players in the NBA and what they mean to us. 
Basketball players are, after all, more than just an accumulation of stats and highlights, and more-at least to fans-than flesh and blood: they embody hopes and dreams and ideals. And characters like Ryu and Ken have grown from sprites to polygonal models and in the process have developed stories and unique characteristics, even if those stories don't always make total sense. We're talking about Japanese video game continuity here, after all.
This is more than just a skin deep comparison. So let's start with a Street Fighter character and an NBA player who look EXACTLY ALIKE.

20. Carmelo Anthony = Guile

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19. Kevin Durant = Ken

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18. LeBron James = Ryu

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17. Kenneth Faried = Blanka

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16. JaVale McGee = Dan

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15. Anthony Davis = Dhalsim

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14. Derrick Rose = Chun Li

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13. Steph Curry = Vega

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12. Tim Duncan = Gouken

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11. Zach Randolph = E Honda

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10. Russell Westbrook = Fei Long

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9. DeAndre Jordan = M Bison

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8. Dwight Howard = Sagat

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7. Blake Griffin = Dee Jay

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6. Chris Paul = Makoto

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5. Kyrie Irving = Guy

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4. Dwyane Wade = Cody

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3. DeMarcus Cousins = Balrog

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2. Kobe Bryant = Akuma

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1. Nikola Pekovic = Zangief

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