With the high drama of the NBA Finals in full swing, I can't think of a better time to come out with my ALL NBA teams.
A couple ground rules before we start. First, I don't differentiate between point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, etc. The best players are capable of playing multiple positions, so there are 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center. Also, my picks are not based on likes, because there are several players on these teams that I hated to watch play and almost always rooted against. But that doesn't necessarily mean that particular player wasn't effective. Feel free to weigh in on this, because if there're players I missed I definitely want to hear about it. So without further adou, here it is.
ALL NBA 1ST TEAM:
G) Kobe Bryant: The spot normally reserved for Magic now goes to"Darth Kobe". 3 titles with another possibility for a 4th this year proves he's a winner. Kobe can lock down the toughest players on D, score points in prolific fashion, and he's an assassin when it comes to finishing games. In the triangle offense LA runs, Kobe regularly brings the ball up the floor so handling those duties won't be a problem. In my opinion, Kobe's offensive arsenal is the 2nd best ever, he can shoot, cross over, post up, pull up mid-range J, and dunk nasty too. I love Magic, but I simply can't leave Kobe off this team any longer. It's to the point where I actually wonder if Kobe is somehow related to Mike, how can one player resemble another so much.
• G) Michael Jordan: I don't need to say anything here, if you disagree please find the nearest bridge and jump off it.
• F) Larry Bird: Bird won't have this spot for long because as soon as Lebron James wins a title and/or becomes clutch, Bird will have to go to the bench.
Career averages of 25ppg 10 rebounds and 6 assists along with 3 titles gets Bird the nod. He hit so many game winners his nickname should be the "Iceman". At 6'9" and one of the greatest shooters ever, there are only a few players I would rather have the ball at the end of the game.
My favorite Bird moment was when, with 3 seconds remaining in the game and down a point, he told Xavier McDaniel, at that time on the Seattle Supersonics, that he was going to dribble left, pull back, and shoot it in his face. McDaniel said he was ready, the ball was inbounded and Bird dribbled left, pulled back, and shot it in his face.
• F) Tim Duncan: I can't think of another player that I've ever liked less than Duncan. He's so fundamentally sound that he comes across as a robot. He gripes virtually every time he shoots. Is there another player ever, other than Karl Malone that has done more moaning and groaning to the refs than Duncan? With that being said he's taken ordinary teams to titles and is so consistent it's scary. He owns the paint, if KG had some of Duncan's intangibles; I believe he would have a ring already.
• C) Kareem-Abdul Jabbar: I initially wanted to go with Shaq or Wilt, but Kareem is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and they had to outlaw the dunk while he was in college so he wouldn't score 100 pts every game. Also, he's one of the very few centers who over his career connected on 75%-80% of his foul shots, so you definitely can't do hack-a-Kareem, like you could do with Wilt and Shaq at the end of games.
Continue reading JP Sutherland Presents: All-Time All NBA Teams.
