All-Time NBA Teams

A friend of mine asked me last night for some input into a column he has to write. The assignment was to come up with an All-Time NBA team, a current All-NBA team and an All-Future NBA team. All three teams consist of 12 players broken down into the five positions (C, PF, SF, SG, PG). I liked the idea so much that I decided to give it a run myself. Not to worry, I'm sure many more thousands of readers will see his work -- which I will post on this site when it is finished -- than will see mine. All-Time NBA Team C: Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal Russell gets the start on any NBA team. The 11 world championships in 13 seasons gives him an advantage over any competitor. He was also a five-time MVP, a 12-time All-Star and was named first or second team All-NBA 11-times. Kareem is right behind Russell. The 18-time All Star and six-time MVP won five world championships and is the all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points over his 20 seasons. Shaq beats out Wilt Chamberlain for the last center spot because unlike the Stilt, Shaq was the dominant big man of his era. Wilt was a great player but no matter how many points he scored, he won only one championship during the Russell years. Meanwhile, Shaq has four world championships and truly has no match at the center position. PF: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett Duncan is the best power forward of not just his generation, but in the history of the league. Duncan has led the Spurs to four world championships and has taken home two MVP trophies. He adapts his game to whatever the situation calls for as well -- he'll pass out of double teams all night long and will concentrate on blocking shots and rebounding if that what the team needs -- and his unselfishness is what raises his team above most challengers. The spot behind Duncan was a tough call. Names like Karl Malone, Kevin McHale, Charles Barkley and Bob Pettit were all tough to omit. I went with Garnett because of the way he plays on a nightly basis. His energy and passion have been wasted in Minnesota all these years (imagine him playing with a fellow future Hall of Famer) but that doesn't diminish his greatness. Coming directly from high school KG has played in 10 All-Star games, won the 2003-04 MVP and is a four-time rebounding champion. SF: Larry Bird, Julius Erving Small forward is a tough position to judge. There certainly have been amazing players at the "3", from Elgin Baylor to Dominique Wilkins to Vince Carter, but that doesn't mean they were All-Time greats. This list is for the greatest all-around players, not just the best dunkers or scorers. Bird is by far the greatest small forward in NBA history. He won three championships with the Celtics as well as three MVP's. His great scoring and shooting were enhanced with supernatural passing ability and a will to win that is matched only by the true greats of the game. His competitive nature stood out as a team player (the steal and pass to D.J. against the Pistons in 1987) as well as an individual (his legendary exploits in the three-point contest at the All-Star game). Picking Bird's backup came down to two players: Julius Erving and Scottie Pippen. The edge goes to Dr. J solely because although he won just one championship compared to Pippen's six, Erving won his as the lead player while Pippen was playing second fiddle to Michael Jordan. In the 1980's, only four teams -- the Celtics, Lakers, 76ers and Pistons -- won world championships. It was a time in the NBA when having a Hall of Fame player might not be enough to even win a conference championship. The fact the Dr. J and the 1983 76ers were able to break the stranglehold the Lakers (championships in 1980, '82, '85, '87 and '88) and Celtics (1981, '84 and '86) had on the first nine years of the decade gets Erving on the list. SG: Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant For years, I foolishly defended Larry Bird as the greatest NBA player of all-time. I always knew Jordan was the greatest of the great but my lack of maturity forced me to call Bird the best. Here is my formal apology. Jordan took basketball to a place no one could before. Without MJ, the NBA would not be the billion dollar industry it is today. Oh, Jordan also won six championships, five MVP's, the Defensive Player of the Year, and was a 13-time All-Star. Behind Jordan I have to go with the "Logo", Jerry West. Time makes people forget how truly great West was but the great Laker guard of the '60s and early '70s was certainly ahead of his time. If not for Bill Russell and the Celtics, West and his Lakers easily would have captured a handful of championships in the '60s. It wasn't for lack of trying either, West was named Finals MVP in 1969 in a seven-game loss to Boston. He had to wait until 1972 to win a title. Kobe is next on the shooting guard list. Hate him or not, the man is an exceptional talent. He won three championships with Shaq and the Lakers and though the team hasn't been as successful since the Big Fella was traded to Miami, Kobe is still the best player in the NBA today. PG: Magic Johnson, Bob Cousy Any time the current NBA players make me sick with selfish play, I pop in an old Celtics-Lakers tape to watch the brilliance of Magic and Larry. Magic may be the most unique athlete of all-time in any sport. He was a 6-9, 230 pound beast who performed like a man half his size. Before Magic the point guard position was populated by mostly pass first floor generals who made safe decisions. Then came Magic. Johnson would be dribbling up court at full speed and would thread a pass through a bundle of players out of nowhere, usually leading to a dunk by James Worthy or Byron Scott. Of course, without Bob Cousy, there might not have been a Magic Johnson. The 1956-57 MVP and 12-time All-Star revolutionized his position long before anyone was even ready to realize it. Even his long time coach and friend, Red Auerbach, didn't want Cousy when he was coming out of Holy Cross in 1950, referring to him as a "local yokel." With Russell grabbing every rebound in sight and then feeding the "Cooz" to start the break, the Celtics won six world championships in his last seven seasons. Off of omissions, a team could be made that would give this team a run for its' money. These players, with no regard for roster limits, could make an argument for inclusion on the All-Time team. C: Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, George Mikan, David Robinson, Bob Lanier, Patrick Ewing, Bill Walton PF: Kevin McHale, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Bob Pettit SF: Scottie Pippen, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, Dominique Wilkins SG: Pete Mavarich, Clyde Drexler, Sam Jones, Earl Monroe, Reggie Miller PG: Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Nate Archibald, Clyde Frazier Lots of names left out still. Current All-NBA Team C: Shaquille O'Neal, Yao Ming PF: Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki SF: LeBron James, Paul Pierce SG: Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade PG: Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Tony Parker Shaq, Duncan, Garnett and Kobe are obvious candidates as are LeBron, Kidd, Nash, Wade and Nowitzki. Yao makes it, not because he has been dominant -- though that is coming very, very soon -- but because the center pool is very weak. I give Pierce the edge over the likes of the Vince Carter's of the league because he does the more with less than any small forward. The man went to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 with a supporting cast led by Antoine Walker, enough said. Originally I had Tracy McGrady written in as a third shooting guard but I erased him to make room for Parker, the starting point guard on three championship teams in San Antonio, as well as the MVP of the 2007 Finals. For the Future All-NBA team, I have limited inclusion to players with three years of NBA experience or less. That is why LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh or Carmelo Anthony won't appear on this list. Future All-NBA Team C: Greg Oden, Dwight Howard PF: Al Jefferson, Andrea Bargnani SF: Kevin Durant, Luol Deng SG: Eric Gordon, Brandon Roy, O.J. Mayo PG: Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose Howard is an established rising star. Jefferson's stock is so high, Minnesota general manager Kevin McHale wanted him in return for Kevin Garnett. Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 Draft, is a Nowitzki-like shooter with All-Star potential. Deng is leading the Bulls back into contention. Williams and Paul have already taken the league by storm with their skills at the point guard position. Oden and Durant? You may have heard about them lately. Gordon (Indiana), Rose (Memphis) and Mayo (USC) all will be freshman phenoms this winter and all will probably be among the Top 5 picks in the 2008 Draft. They are that good. Wow, this was a fun exercise. I am looking forward to see how my teams compare with that of Ian Thomsen's. His should be out shortly -- keep an eye on Sports Illustrated -- and like I wrote before, I will post his list in comparison to mine when it is available.