Top 10 J.J.’s of All-Time: Where Does Timberwolves Barea Land?

I’m sure you have heard by now that the Minnesota Timberwolves recently acquired guard J.J. Barea from the world champion Dallas Mavericks.   Barea will no doubt provide the Timberwolves with some much needed depth in the backcourt, and a lot of valuable experience and grit.   Barea’s signing prompts us to ponder what it would be like to play in the NBA at 5’8 (his real height), but also to ponder the Top 10 J.J.’s of all time.

10.  J.J. Jackson – One of MTV’s 5 original VJs, who is also well known for his work as a DJ in the Los Angeles area.   Jackson was the host for MTV when they unmasked the band KISS.

9.  J.J. Stokes – A former All-American wide receiver at UCLA, Stokes was picked 10^th overall in the 1995 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers.   Stokes was considered a possible replacement for Jerry Rice at the time.   He turned out to be somewhat of a bust, but did manage a couple of decent season with the Niners.   He is also in the running for Top 10 Gap-Toothed celebrities.

8.  J.J. Hardy – Hardy is a current Baltimore Orioles shortstop who conveniently blasted 30 home runs in 2011, the year after he was supposed to do the same thing for the Minnesota Twins.  Hardy bombed in his one year with the Minnesota Twins.   He was probably more famous for his Zac Brown Band walk-up music and his injuries than he was for his play on the field.   Nevertheless, Hardy is a solid player who has hit over 24 homers in a season three times.   Not bad for a shortstop.

7.  J.J. Abrams – He is probably best known for being the Executive Producer, co-creator, writer, and director for the TV series Lost.   He was also a writer for the movie Armageddon, as well as director and producer for the latest Star Trek movies.   I personally find it more interesting that he was a writer for the 1990 Jim Belushi move Taking Care of Business.

6.  J.J. Sheridan – A former Minnesota State University – Mankato legend who was known around campus in the late 90’s and early 2000’s for his charm, his unmistakable laugh, and a twinkle in his eye.  The man might have watched the most movies in American collegiate history.   Last we heard Sheridan went on to a successful career in the diamond business.

5.  J.J. Thomson – A highly successful nerd from the late 1800’s, Thomson was credited for discovering the electron from cripes sakes!  Thomson was from the United Kingdom and won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize in Physics for his discovery of the electron.  His great-great-great grandson went to star in the 1984 smash hit, Revenge of the Nerds.   We are unsure of which nerd he played.

4.  J.J. Barea – Barea will end up higher on this list once he has a few more seasons under his belt.   Barea is a 5’8 point guard (listed at 6’0) who continues to thrive amongst the giants of the NBA.   It is undetermined whether Barea will start or come off the bench for the Timberwolves, but he will almost surely be on the floor at the end of the game when it counts.  

3.  J.J. Evans –   The character from 1970’s hit TV series, Good Times, was played by actor Jimmy Walker.   If you don’t know about the series or the character, one word sums up why J.J. Evans makes the list – “Dyno-MITE!!”

2.  J.J. Redick – Redick is probably one of the best college basketball players of all-time.  One could argue that, but you surely can’t argue that he is one of the best three-point shooters in college basketball history.   Redick famously played at Duke, and is starting to become a very solid professional with the Orlando Magic.   In 2006, he won practically every significant NCAA Player of the Year award, including the Naismith Award.   Rumor has it he also enjoys wearing turtle necks by the fire, while drinking warm milk.   Sorry for the cheap shot Redick (I’m a North Carolina fan).   You have cost me a couple of bets with my college buddy over the years, but I have to respect your ability to make it rain from deep!

1.  Jimmy John’s – I have a cousin who drives 3.5 hours all the way up from Iowa to order two Jimmy John’s subs.  He eats one sub there, and then drives all the way back home and eats the other one.  (Only partially true).  That’s how good Jimmy John’s is.  They don’t have many Jimmy John’s in Iowa, which is not surprising considering they just got indoor plumbing.  Jimmy John’s speedy fast delivery is no joke either, had a sub delivered in under 5 minutes one time.   If you have an Iowa accent and you love delicious subs, then Jimmy John’s is no question the #1 J.J. of all-time.   Otherwise, it’s debatable.