When Basketball Time-Trails Go Wrong: The NBA’s Most Riveting “What Ifs”

A flicker in time—a decision made differently—can rip through decades of narrative in an instant. The NBA’s tapestry is woven not just from games won, but from crossroads where a single “what if” could have rendered entire seasons unrecognizable.

Consider the image of LeBron James remaining in Cleveland in 2010. Without his move to Miami, history suggests the Bulls could have assembled a superstar trio, rewritten Eastern Conference power dynamics, and upended the era of the Heatles. It’s not just a fantasy—it’s a pivot from reality that ripples through franchises, legacies, and who we remember as heroes.

Stat Sheets Aren’t Destiny
Steph Curry might’ve been overlooked in the draft, but what if the Warriors had never drafted him at all? That franchise’s identity—built on snipers, spacing, and splash—would’ve collapsed before launching. The Minnesota Wolves passed on him twice; imagine the league without his gravity. Likewise, a healthy Derrick Rose… oh, a Chicago skyline transformed into championship banners, multiple MVPs, and a city redeemed through resilience. “What if Rose didn’t tear his ACL?” isn’t just speculation—it’s mourning, mapped in regret.

Each of these forks in the timeline reframes our understanding of power, chance, and design in the NBA. Who are we without the defining moves of superstars and generals alike?

A Universe Unmade
CBS Sports’ list of the 25 biggest “What ifs” in recent NBA history doesn’t just catalog hypotheticals—it constructs a cosmic gallery of near-misses. From KD’s foot stepping just behind the arc in 2021, to Chris Paul to the Lakers being vetoed, each scenario is a haunting corridor to a different present. What resonates isn’t the longing for a better world—but the recognition that every legend’s legacy is balanced on the edge of an untaken fork in the road.

These alternate histories magnetize us because they are real. They were almost lived. So the next time a shot caroms off the rim or a star chart looks uneasy, ask yourself: Which “what if” is still whispering its unfinished verse in your mind?