I just wanted to get this one off my chest. Here is my 12-man all-time NBA team. Each player is considered at the peak of his career. I’ve listed a starter at each position, a back-up at each position, a sixth man (different from a back-up), and a key reserve player.
To play on my all-time team, you need to be a great player, obviously, but you also must be a team player first. That is why such obvious choices as Micheal Jordan, Larry Bird, and Julius Erving didn’t make my team – although they were all great players. You will also notice that there are very few modern players on my team – too many of the modern era players don’t understand putting team first. So they aren’t here.
Without further ado, here is my team:
Point Guard - Ervin "Magic" Johnson
Point Guard: Ervin “Magic” Johnson. From Lansing Everett High School, by way of Michigan State University – arguably the most impactful player in the history of the game – he can do it all. His court vision and willingness to do whatever it takes earned him the starting nod.
Shooting Guard - Joe Dumars
Shooting Guard: Joe Dumars. From McNeese State comes a prolific scorer who may just be the most underrated player in the history of the game. He has the ability to mold his game to fit with whoever is on the court with him. His defense is second to none (just ask Micheal Jordan) and he is the consummate leader, sportsman, and gentleman – which earns him the starting nod.
Center - Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberline
Center: Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlin. Out of Kansas comes the big man who redefined the game. They had to change the rules of the game in order to keep the league competitive in his presence. His accomplishments include the 100-point game and a single season scoring average of 50-points per game. He earns the starting nod for his ability to share the ball (he once led the league in assists), his speed (he was a track star at Kansas), and his incredible strength.
Power Forward - Wes Unseld
Power Forward: Wes Unseld. The Louisville Cardinal whose presence under the basket led the Baltimore Bullets to four NBA finals. While he may be playing slightly out of position on my team, his defense and rebounding skill put this human block of granite on my starting five.
Small Forward - Adrian Dantley
Small Forward: Adrian Dantley. From the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (who I hate) comes one of the most prolific scorers ever. He holds the record (along with Chamberlin) for most free throws made in a regular season game (28). His .818 free throw percentage and 24.3 points per game average make him an unstoppable scoring machine and earn him the starting nod.
Sixth Man - Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson
Sixth Man: Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson. Every team needs that player who can come off the bench and instantly heat things up with his scoring prowess. Vinnie Johnson, from Baylor, defines that aspect of the game. Nobody could light up a defense quicker, or score more reliably in traffic than “The Microwave.”
Backup Point Guard: Oscar Robertson. He averaged a triple-double. For his career. ‘Nuff said.
Jerry West
Backup Shooting Guard: Jerry West. West gets the nod over George “Iceman” Gervin by a slim margin. But come on, they used West for the NBA logo.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Backup Center: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Skyhook anyone?
Dennis Rodman
Backup Power Forward: Dennis Rodman. Possibly the league’s best rebounder and defender. Also possibly the craziest man in league history (sorry Marvin “Bad News” Barnes – Rodman was crazier).
Elgin Baylor
Backup Small Forward: Elgin Baylor. It was tough to pass over Rick Barry and Charles Barkley, but Baylor was the man.
"Dollar" Bill Bradley
Key Reserve: “Dollar” Bill Bradley. One of the classiest men ever to play the game, and maybe the smartest too. Bradley would do whatever it took to make his team a winner. That’s why he’s on my team. And being a U.S. Senator doesn’t hurt either.
O.K. now it is your turn to share your mistaken opinion in the comments. Remember we are talking about teams here – not individual players. Go ahead and name a team that could beat this 12-man squad.
If I talk about my dream team then it will obviously include maximum players from Lakers of course and rest will be from Cetics…….Its not that im taking big teams but amazing player are with them……. the captain will surely be Kobe Bryant…. and another star will be Shaq of course…
http://www.sportsviews.com
So who from the Lakers/Celtics would be on your all time team besides Shaq & Bryant? I’ll grant that Bryan could indeed hang with my picks of Dumars & West, but Shaq? Come on! Maybe he could hang with Kareem by putting a body on him, but Wilt is bigger, faster, stronger, and a better basketball player. Shaq’s whole game is that he is bigger and stronger than everybody else – but he isn’t bigger or stronger than Chamberlin.
Who else makes your squad?
Wilt Chamberlain, are you crazy, wilt is a team player?¿ what the heall had been you smoking, he scored 100 in a game and 50 in a season, michael and larry bird have to be in every f***ing basketball team
Of course he also led the league in assists – I don’t believe that Jordan or Bird ever did that (but I could be wrong). And obviously you are wrong – Bird & Jordan don’t have to be on every list – they didn’t make mine did they?
your squad is rather interesting…I wont argue the logistics of the best squad, but I can name a team that would defeat them..
C- Bill Russell (everyone conveniently forgets wilt lost that 100 pt effort)
PF- Tim Duncan (4 championships on his back)
SF- Lebron James (The Future..)
SG- Michael Jordan (he may hold the ball, but the man simply scores , rebounds, and plays defense..ill live with the rest, not to mention 6 titles)
PG- Pistol Pete (still holds NCAA scoring title in 3 seasons at LSU, a wizard at the dribble)
reserves..
Shaq O’Neill(C)
Larry Bird(SF)
Charles Barkley(PF)
Kobe Bryant(SG)
Jason kidd(PG)
Julius Ervin(SF)
Scottie Pippen (SF)
I believe it would be a good game…but my team would win, I purposely picked a completely separate 12
I’ll agree with you that it would be a very good game. I particularly like your picks of Russell, Duncan, and Marovich. I’d love to watch this game – and just for the record I believe that you are incorrect about the final outcome of the game.
You are also incorrect about the outcome of Wilt’s 100 point game. Even though it was not played to a conclusion (it ended after Wilt scored the 100th point) the final outcome was the Philadelphia Warriors 169 – the New York Knicks 147 in front of 4,127 fans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlain%27s_100-point_game
i agree with some players on your team, because i can understand that you give privilege to “team players”…but if u put things that way i just can’t imagine leaving scottie pippen out of this dream team…who the f*** is adrian dantley?! Are u crazy…there’s so many small forwards better than him…
AD was an unstoppable scoring machine down low, with a sweet outside touch and the ability to get to the foul line often where he had an incredible percentage. During his days in Buffalo he was simply amazing – he kept that franchise alive long enough to be sold.
Thanks for your opinion.
It’s nice to see ‘The Teacher’ get a little love, but AD was far from the best team player of all time at his position. When he got the ball in his hands, the offense came to a complete stop and it was hard for the TEAM to find its offensive rhythm. I mean, that was the very reason he was traded for Mark Aguirre. That and he was a huge liability defensively. Oh, and by the way, immediately following that trade the pistons went on a devastating run over the next season and a half, winning two titles and dominating the competition(bird, jordan, magic).
Oscar Robertson is not backup to anyone, my man.
Your premise that Jordan, Bird, et al. were not team players is flawed. How many rings do those guys have between them? A lot more than you and I do, that’s for sure.
ALL-TIME NBA FIRST TEAM
POINT GUARD:
1. Earvin Johnson (LA Lakers)
2. Oscar Robertson (Milwaukee Bucks)
3. John Stockton (Utah Jazz)
SHOOTING GUARD:
1. Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
2. Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers)
3. Reggie Miller (Indiana Pacers)
CENTER:
1. Wilt Chamberlain (LA Lakers)
2. Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (LA Lakers)
SMALL FORWARD:
1. Lebron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
2. Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)
3. Scottie Pippen (Chicago Bulls)
POWER FORWARD:
1. Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
2. Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics)
3. Moses Malone (Philadelphia 76er’s)
ALL-TIME NBA SECOND TEAM
POINT GUARD:
1. Isaiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons)
2. Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)
3. Gary Payton (Seattle Supersonics)
SHOOTING GUARD:
1. Jerry West (LA Lakers)
2. Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76er’s)
3. Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat)
CENTER:
1. Bill Russell (Boston Celtics)
2. Shaquille O’Neal (LA Lakers)
3. David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs)
SMALL FORWARD:
1. Elgin Baylor (LA Lakers)
2. Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76er’s)
3. Adrian Dantley (Utah Jazz)
POWER FORWARD:
1. Kevin McHale (Boston Celtics)
2. Elvin Hayes (Washington Bullets)
3. Charles Barkley (Philadelphia 76er’s)
ALL-TIME NBA THIRD TEAM
POINT GUARD
1. Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns)
2. Walt Frazier (New York Knicks)
3. Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets)
SHOOTING GUARD
1. George Gervin (San Antonio Spurs)
2. Pete Maravich (New Orleans Jazz)
3. Clyde Drexler (Portland Trailblazers)
CENTER
1. Bill Walton (Portland Trailblazers)
2. Patrick Ewing (New York Knicks)
3. Nate Thurmond (Golden State Warriors)
SMALL FORWARD
1. Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta Hawks)
2. Dennis Rodman (Detroit Pistons)
3. James Worthy (LA Lakers)
POWER FORWARD
1. Karl Malone (Utah Jazz)
2. Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
3. Jerry Lucas (Cinncinati Royals)
Very interesting choices! I like most of them.
I have seen NBA ball since the early 60′s
In my opinion the top 12 players (standard NBA team with no players out of their position) plus one alternate of all time are:
1st team:
F- Baylor
F- Bird
C- Wilt
G- Oscar
G- Jordan
Reserves:
G-West
G-Magic
G- Koby
C- Kareem
C- Bill Russell
F-Lebron
F-Moses Malone
Alternate:
Bill Walton