So after spending a fair amount of time and energy trying to figure out who the best player in the NBA is (or at least the most valuable), I decided to go in a completely opposite direction for my next basketball post. In general, athletes are a boring bunch. Sure, they probably come from interesting backgrounds, and they certainly live glamorous lives. But the fact is, the vast majority of them are basically interchangeable. But a select few stand out, not so much for their on the court presence but for the fact that they appear to be the kinds of guys who might actually be worth talking to even if they didn't make millions of dollars for playing a game in shorts. There's no one overarching theme to my picks, other than that they seem like guys who would, as I said, provide an interesting conversation. The players are listed in alphabetical order.

Gilbert Arenas - Washington Wizards

Agent Zero is easily my favorite NBA player, and for good reason. First, he blogs, regularly. That's a winner in my book, especially when your blog contains tidbits like these:

On his trampoline dunk in the All-Star game: "I used to practice those trampoline dunks back at Golden State. I can flip and everything. But I didn’t want to flip and crack my neck."

On the females in Los Vegas: "There’s a lot of women here. I’m going to try to throw that fishing pole out there and see what I can get. As long as I don’t get a tire…or a boot."

On busting out the one-handed shot (in response to his unbelievably compelling shooting challenge against DeShawn Stevenson) in the 3-Point Shootout: "You know, I looked up at the scoreboard and I was down nine and a full rack is only a possible six so I figured I might as well throw a couple one handed for my YouTubers."

Plus, the guy started wearing the number zero because that's how many minutes people said he'd play at Arizona, he's vowed revenge on the coaches who snubbed him from the US National team (though that didn't go so well against Portland), and he said he'd be willing to give up an entire NBA season to play against Duke (so he could get revenge on USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski). Basically, he's a modern day Edmond Dantes, except instead of sword fights he engages in shootouts.

Honestly, he might be crazy. He says "Hibachi!" whenever he shoots, he took a half-time shower in full uniform, plays video poker during halftimes, throws his jersey into the stands after every game, and calls himself "The Black President" and "The East Coast Assassin."

Oh, and he gives away $100 for every point he scores at home. Seriously, how can you not love a guy like that?

Brent Barry - San Antonio Spurs

First off, Barry is the son of one of the greatest players in NBA history, Rick Barry. As a fan of the early NBA and ABA, I'd have plenty I'd want to talk with him about. He's also the only white guy to ever win the slam dunk contest, shot his free throws underhanded (like his dad) until he reached the NBA, and is an avid surfer. During his time with the Sonics, he was always an interesting post-game interview: you never knew what he was going to say.

Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers

For a long time, I hated Kobe. Oddly enough, I only started liking him after everyone else stopped. He's got plenty working for him as an interviewee though. He grew up in Italy, thus giving him a much greater perspective on the world than your typical NBA player. His father, like Barry's, was a pro basketball player, so he grew up in that world as well. Bryant followed Kevin Garnett in taking the prep-to-pro path before it was well-trod, and he ascended to NBA stardom at a freakishly early age. He's one of the best players in the league, and he voluntarily nicknamed himself "The Black Mamba." Oh, and then there's the whole issue over what may or may not have happened in a hotel room in Colorado. In any case, I doubt we'd run out of things to discuss.

Luol Deng - Chicago Bulls

Talk about an interesting childhood. Deng was born into the Dinka tribe of Sudan. When a civil war broke out, his family moved to Egypt, where he met Manute Bol, who first introduced him to basketball. From there, the family moved to England, where Deng played for both the soccer and basketball under-15 national teams. He then attended high school in America where he teamed with Charlie Villanueva. After a year at Duke, he entered the NBA, where he was the seventh pick in the draft by the Bulls. Again, I can't imagine running out of things to talk about.

Adonal Foyle - Golden State Warriors

Foyle is widely considered one of the smartest guys in the NBA. He's a published poet and a political activist, and in 2001 he founded Democracy Matters as a way to increase awareness and interest in politics among young people. Even if David's pissed that Foyle is vastly overpaid, at least you know that he's probably spending his $42 million wisely. He also holds the NCAA record for blocked shots, so, you know, there's always that.

Dan Gadzuric - Milwaukee Bucks

The guy on this list I'm least interested in. But he's another guy with a somewhat interesting international background. He was born in The Hague (cool enough) and then went on to play his college ball at UCLA. During his time as a Bruin, Gadzuric played with a ton of future NBA players, including Jerome Moiso, Earl Watson, Baron Davis, Jason Kapono, Matt Barnes, and Dijon Thompson. Yet those UCLA teams never made it past the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.

Desmond Mason - New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

Dez has been a favorite of mine since he was drafted by the Sonics back in 2000. Sadly, they had to part with him in the Ray Allen trade, but I'll fondly remember him winning the dunk contest in 2001 (he's the only Sonic to do so, though both Terrance Stansbury and Shawn Kemp were robbed). But the reason I put him on this list is because Mason is an accomplished artist. He's had shows of his paintings in both Seattle and Milwaukee. I'm a big art fan, so it would be quite a thrill to be able to talk art with a guy who can also dunk a basketball (since I'll never get to meet Jasper Johns).

Shaquille O’Neal - Miami Heat

Come on, the Big Aristotle was a must-have on this list. He's managed to be the most engaging star of his generation, a rare feat for a big man, most of whom have been more removed from the press (and fans). Still, whether he's chasing down criminals as a member of the Miami Police Department, busting a move with LeBron James and Dwight Howard at the All-Star Game, or just talking about himself in the third person, Shaq's always good for a laugh. Oh, and he once did this. But I'd have to ask him what he was thinking when he agreed to do Kazaam (not to mention Steel, Shaq Diesel, Shaq Fu, and the host of other horrific movies/albums/video games he's foisted upon an unsuspecting public during his career). I just hope he doesn't have me arrested.

Scot Pollard - Cleveland Cavalier

Just because of the hair.

Etan Thomas - Washington Wizards

Thomas, like Foyle, is a published poet and political activist. He's spoken at anti-war rallies and written for the Huffington Post. He's also gotten into fights at practice with Brendan Haywood the last few years, so he's clearly not an utter pacifist.

So there's the list. Anyone else worth talking to in the NBA?