Generation Jalen: How one name dominates the NBA like few before

"Those players alone made up one-third of the Eastern Conference's representation. Jaylen Brown was an All-Star for the fifth time, Jalen Brunson made his third consecutive All-Star trip and Jalen Johnson and Jalen Duren received their first All-Star nods. The four players tied for the most same-name All-Stars in a single season in NBA history. Moreover, additional Jalens (and Jaylens, Jaylins and Jaylons) beyond that All-Star quartet are excelling in the NBA."

"There's also Phoenix Suns' Jalen Green (who has barely played this season due to injury, but averaged 20.9 points over the past three seasons), Minnesota Timberwolves' Jaylen Clark, Denver Nuggets' Jalen Pickett and Brooklyn Nets' Jalen Wilson. That's 14 players, with a balanced mix of stars and role players; guards, wings and bigs; and scorers, shooters, rebounders and defenders. In other words, a team made up of Jalens could win plenty of games."

"According to the projection system run by ESPN's Kevin Pelton, if these players all joined forces, Team Jalen would project for the best offense in the league and a 55-27 record. Clearly, the Jalens would be able to form the best same-name team in the modern NBA. But how do they stack up all time? We sought to answer this question with a wacky hypothetical: Let's imagine a magical -- a hoops fan version of Marvel Comics' Beyonder -- being staged as a tournament of every same-name team in NBA history."

The NBA All-Star Game used a new format featuring 16 Americans, eight international players and four players sharing the same name. Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Jalen Johnson and Jalen Duren were All-Stars, tying the record for most same-name All-Stars in a single season. Additional Jalens and variants — including Jalen Green, Jaylen Clark, Jalen Pickett and Jalen Wilson — produce a 14-player pool spanning positions and roles. ESPN projection metrics forecast that a combined Jalen team would generate the league's best offense and a 55-27 record. The analysis grouped nicknames and pronunciation variants, yielding over 1,000 eligible same-name teams in NBA history.

Read at ESPN.com