Depends on how and what you are comparing to with a Basketball player.
For example.
"His lay up was so perfect it was like he the best basketball player ever to make such a shot."
for sure it Micheal Jordan i mean everybody knows that he is like the best basketball player ever I've always dreamed to be a basketball player
my romodel best basketball player
Michael Jordan
Angel Rodriguez is best known for being a college basketball player. It is assumed that he likes most of his fans.
being of top of the world looking down at everway, cheering for us. only us
you can do what you like to do
NBA players dont have to ( like kobe)
Its basketball at its best
he is like the best player for the milwakee Bucks in the Nba. he was part of the us basketball team who won the gold this summer in Beijing.
Most basketball players wear basketball shorts or other shirts like, "Just Do It".
A phrase that uses like or as to compare one thing to another
no it is not a simile