All Time NBA Team

[diamond6]

After another Laker championship that resulted in only the fifth threepeat champion in NBA history, I thought about all the great players that have worn a Laker uniform. Then I came up with an idea. What would be the best team of players that I could up using only Laker players. Here's my All Time Laker Team:

Starters

Center - Shaquille O'Neal 7'1", 345

Power Forward - Wilt Chamberlain 7'1", 275

Small Forward - James Worthy 6'9", 225

Shooting Guard - Jerry West 6'3", 180

Point Guard - Magic Johnson 6'9", 225

2nd String

Center - Kareem A.-Jabbar 7'2", 267

Power Forward - George Mikan 6'11", 245

Small Forward - Elgin Baylor 6'7", 225

Shooting Guard - Byron Scott 6'4", 200

Point Guard - Kobe Bryant 6'7", 210

Bench Warmers

Guard - Gail Goodrich 6'1", 170

Guard - Michael Cooper 6'7", 176

Anybody have a better Laker team to rival mine? How about a team made up of only Celtic players, or any other team? I challenge you to find a better team than I have put together.

[diamond6]

Put a paragraph sign after your end italics sign.

[SoCal Pubbie]

One thing's for sure, the NBA has been dominated by a handfull of teams like no other pro sport. The Celtics are on top, soon to be overtaken by the now second place Lakers, then the Bulls (who only were really good for an eight year period), and finally the Knicks (three crowns, I believe). Something like half the titles have been won by just two teams!

[diamond6]

IMHO, although Kobe and Shaq may be the greatest duo ever in the prime of their careers, the 1982 or 1985 Lakers teams were greater than any of the Lakers last three years, the 1972 team, or the Minneapolis teams.

[SoCal Pubbie]

BTW, how many of you knew that the Washington Wizards, the team formerly known as the Washington Bullets, also I think once called the Capital Bullets, and before that the Baltimore Bullets, were once the Chicago Packers!

[hole_n_one]

How'd you get the italics to work?

Read the 2nd question of the help section at the bottom of the reply screen.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I have a hard time voting against the '72 team as the greatest NBA team of all time, but in my head I ran down the 80's teams versus today's squad and finally picked the 80's the winner four games to three. The key would be the center play. Both Kareem and Shaq would cause big problems for the other man. Could Jabbar's brains outsmart Shaq's brawn, or would O'Neil simply overpower the Big Fella? The only matchup I see as really hurting today's team is at point guard. Magic would kill Fisher and if Kobe guarded him he'd pick up a lot of fouls.

[diamond6]

Na na na -- in those days, centers were the big rebounders (see also Russell, Bill; Reed, Willis; Thurmond, Nate, et al.). Wilt and Mikan were centers, and centers they must remain.

Wilt was a great athlete and had very good mobility. After all, he even lead the league in assists one year, as a center. He would still get 20 rebounds a game, even today. At his size, he would be perfect as a power forward, and he was a grinder.

Similar problem -- Byron Scott was a shooting guard, but so too is Kobe. Until Bryant actually plays the point, you can't make him a point guard.

You're forgetting, this is my second string. Kobe would have no problem performing at point guard in spurts. He does that now with the Lakers when Fisher goes out. The triangle offense doesn't require the traditional point guard, anway. Additionally, he has the skills to be a point guard, including great dribbling, penetration into the lane and quickness. If Kobe really wanted to be a point guard, he'd be one of the greatest at that position. The only reason he doesn't is the Lakers need him as his role as a scorer first, especially at the end of the game.

[Charles Henrickson]

You have no true power forward on your team. Chamberlain, O'Neal, and Abdul-Jabbar were all true centers. The LA Lakers have not really had any great power forwards. (The Minneapolis Lakers did, but I'm not counting them. That's also why I don't consider Mikan at center.) But I think either Kareem or Shaq could play power forward. Wilt did not run the court that well in his Laker years. Kareem relied on height and agility. Shaq is pure power, much like Wilt. (I saw both Chamberlain and Alcindor/Abdul-Jabbar play in person many, many times during the early-mid '70s, when they came to Chicago.) So I'll take the three of them and rotate them at the two big-man positions. Kareem is actually the greatest of them as an LA Laker. Wilt's best years were elsewhere, and Shaq has a few more years to go yet to be ranked with Kareem.

Here's my all-time LA Laker team:

Center/Power forwards
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Shaquille O'Neal
Wilt Chamberlain (back-up)

Small forwards
Elgin Baylor
James Worthy (back-up)

Guards
Ervin "Magic" Johnson
Jerry West
Kobe Bryant (back-up)

Only eight players, you say? That's all that would be needed. And the team would never lose a game. Also, these are the only truly great, Hall-of-Fame-type players the LA Lakers have had.

[diamond6]

I have a hard time voting against the '72 team as the greatest NBA team of all time, but in my head I ran down the 80's teams versus today's squad and finally picked the 80's the winner four games to three.

Here's a comparison between 1972 and 1985:

Center: Wilt Chamberlain v. Kareem A. Jabbar - Kareem

PF: Happy Hairston v. Kurt Rambis - Hairston

SF: Jim McMillian v. James Worthy - Worthy

SG: Jerry West v. Byron Scott - West

PG: Gail Goodrich v. Magic Johnson - Magic (by wide margin)

Bench: 1972 - Keith Erickson, Leroy Ellis

1985 - Michael Cooper, Bob McAdoo, A.C. Green

1985 team slight advantage on bench.

I would say 1985 in 6 or 7. Keep in mind that West and Chamberlain were at tail end of their careers. McMillian had just taken over for Baylor. Finally, the 1985 team had great team speed with their fast break.

[A CA Guy]

I think you have a good lineup there.
I could not have done any better.

[Charles Henrickson]

Here is my all-time all-NBA team, three-deep at each position:

Centers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell

Power forwards
Karl Malone
Bob Pettit
Elvin Hayes

Small forwards
Larry Bird
Julius Erving
Elgin Baylor

Shooting guards
Michael Jordan
Oscar Robertson
Jerry West

Point guards
Magic Johnson
John Stockton
Bob Cousy

[diamond6]

The key would be the center play. Both Kareem and Shaq would cause big problems for the other man. Could Jabbar's brains outsmart Shaq's brawn, or would O'Neil simply overpower the Big Fella? The only matchup I see as really hurting today's team is at point guard. Magic would kill Fisher and if Kobe guarded him he'd pick up a lot of fouls.

Both Kareem and Shaq would score a lot off each other. I dont' see that Shaq could block Kareem's skyhook any better than anyone else. However, as Kareem himself said in an interview last week, he would have big problems with Shaq, as Shaq would weigh about 80 pounds more than Kareem, and Kareem was more of a finesse player.

Kobe, as the best defensive guard, would have to take Magic. His size would make it a good matchup against Magic, which would be interesting. I don't think Magic ever faced anyone like Kobe, except maybe Jordan when Magic was late in his career. Kobe might pick up more fouls, but I'd be even more concerned that having to hound Magic the entire game would affect his stamina and his offense. Probably the biggest matchup problem this year's team would have though would be Rick Fox against James Worthy. Big James would probably score 30 a night.

[diamond6]

I think you have a great all star team. However, I would have a beef with you about leaving out Shaq. There's no way Russell could ever take Shaq at 6'9". I would actually have Shaq as the starting center. He is more physically dominating than either Wilt or Kareem were, and that's saying something. Do you think even Wilt, who was very physical, could at 275 pounds stop Shaq at 345 pounds?

[diamond6]

I think you have a good lineup there. I could not have done any better.

Thank you. I would love to see them play. Wouldn't you?

[A CA Guy]

I would love to do so at the prices available in the 70s! LOL

[A CA Guy]

Did you know the Fs get $20 a car and $40 a limo just to PARK!

[diamond6]

Center/Power forwards

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Shaquille O'Neal

Wilt Chamberlain (back-up)

Small forwards

Elgin Baylor

James Worthy (back-up)

Guards

Ervin "Magic" Johnson

Jerry West

Kobe Bryant (back-up)

I don't think Kareem and Shaq rebound enough to be power forwards, and I don't think they could defend as well as Wilt, either. As I said earlier, Wilt was still rebounding with the Lakers. But I like your idea of rotating the three, and Elgin for Worthy is not a bad tradeoff.

[diamond6]

Who are the Fs?

[altair]

Only eight players, you say? That's all that would be needed.

You have a pretty good team, but even in his prime, Jerry West was injury prone. You need a backup for him when he breaks his nose.

[altair]

Wilt and Mikan were centers, and centers they must remain.

So long as you're nitpicking, don't forget that Wilt played shooting guard as a Harlem Globetrotter.