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All Time NBA Team

Posted on 06/18/2002 9:47:22 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: alltime; lakers; nba; team
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To: altair
So long as you're nitpicking, don't forget that Wilt played shooting guard as a Harlem Globetrotter.

Are you serious?

41 posted on 06/19/2002 12:17:22 AM PDT by diamond6
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To: diamond6
Yes. According to his biography, they did it to sharpen his shooting skills.
42 posted on 06/19/2002 12:21:13 AM PDT by altair
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To: diamond6
That's a great team, no doubt about it. I question putting Scott ahead of Cooper. Cooper won so many games coming off the bench and the Magic to Cooper Coop-a-loops were fun to watch.
43 posted on 06/19/2002 12:21:24 AM PDT by altair
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To: altair
Yes. According to his biography, they did it to sharpen his shooting skills.

That's amazing. Just one more unbelievable fact concerning one of the greatest players in NBA history.

44 posted on 06/19/2002 12:23:51 AM PDT by diamond6
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To: altair
I question putting Scott ahead of Cooper. Cooper won so many games coming off the bench and the Magic to Cooper Coop-a-loops were fun to watch.

That's not a bad idea. Keep in mind, however, that Coop is the only true bench player on my entire team. Everybody else was a starter.

45 posted on 06/19/2002 12:27:14 AM PDT by diamond6
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To: diamond6
There's no way Russell could ever take Shaq at 6'9".

I've got to call you on this one. Russell could take on anyone. I don't think one person has ever dominated a sport as much as he did. Did the Celtics ever fail to get a championship while he was playing? Contrast that to the early career of Michael Jordan when he still had to go up against Magic and Larry Bird.

46 posted on 06/19/2002 12:29:42 AM PDT by altair
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To: diamond6
Yes, amazing. Here's a web page documenting it. He played guard for them in '58 and '59.
47 posted on 06/19/2002 12:35:14 AM PDT by altair
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To: altair
I've got to call you on this one. Russell could take on anyone. I don't think one person has ever dominated a sport as much as he did. Did the Celtics ever fail to get a championship while he was playing?

There's no way. Russell weighed only 220 pounds, by my count that's 125 pounds less than Shaq. That would be like Magic guarding Shaq. As far as the Celtics championships, did you know that most of them were attained when there were only 8-10 teams in the league and only 2 rounds of playoffs. That is a far cry from the juggernaut of 4 rounds that the NBA Champion has to go through today.

48 posted on 06/19/2002 12:45:07 AM PDT by diamond6
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To: diamond6
The owners of Staples. I know the real estate is expensive. But $20 for parking? That is very high.

I was at Wango Tango at the Rose Bowl Saturday and that was $15. Better, but no prize either.

When you get a premium for tickets, it seems WRONG to go overboard on the parking.

PS, Ozzy's daughter Kelly can't sing a single note in tune! She has to be tone deaf. Worst song live I've ever heard.
She was a good 35 pounds over-weight as well, so when she sang about keeping her baby, we all wondered when she was due?
49 posted on 06/19/2002 1:03:43 AM PDT by A CA Guy
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To: 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.

Thanks for that bit of historical information. It's irrelevant to the present conversation, but it's nice to know for a future conversation on the world's greatest all-around athletes.

50 posted on 06/19/2002 7:38:45 AM PDT by mrustow
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To: diamond6
You left off Flynn "Point a minute" Robinson from the '72 team. He's scoring from off the bench always gave the team a boost when it was needed. That team just dominate everyone in a way no other Laker squad has before or since.
51 posted on 06/19/2002 8:02:07 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: diamond6
OK, Smarty. How about your team?

I'm too late. SoCalPubbie beat me to it, with his Celtics team, though I'm not sure about Hondo -- wasn't he a forward?

I'll have to try and come up with something no one else has done yet.

52 posted on 06/19/2002 8:08:27 AM PDT by mrustow
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To: SoCal Pubbie
How about a more fun game? An all star team made up of former Clippers? These are players who once played for or were drafted by the Clips who escaped to play another day!

Center, Bill Walton
Power forward, Danny Manning (Bob MacAdoo if you throw in the Buffalo days)
Small forward, Dominique Wilkins
Shooting guard, World B. Free
Point guard, Ron Harper (Nate Archibald if you throw in the Buffalo days)

Other excellent players who once wore Buffalo/San Diego/LA colors? Len Elmore, Adrian Dantley, Garfield Heard, Tom Chambers, Swen Nater, Terry Cummings, James Donaldson, Ricky Pierce, Marques Johnson, Norm Nixon, Michael Cage, Vinnie Del Negro, Olden Polynice, Charles Smith, Doc Rivers, Marc Jackson, and Loy Vaught.

What do they have to show for it?

53 posted on 06/19/2002 9:19:32 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: mrustow
Please fill in/ correct my forward choices for Boston.
54 posted on 06/19/2002 9:20:33 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: SoCal Pubbie
I agree with your first 5 Celtics. But we diverge from there...

First off Tommie Heinson was heads and shoulders ahead of Don Nelson (who was a small forward, I believe). Sam Jones was nearly equal to Sharman at shooting guard. KC Jones was stricly a point guard (he scored in single figures many years)and was superior to Jo Jo White.

Another power forward that is among the top three(who only played a few years with the Celts) is Paul Silas. Without him they would not have won any titles in the mid '70s. Another good small forward was Cedric Maxwell.

Also, while I am a huge Dave Cowens fan, he only had about 5 or six good years. Parrish was excellent for 10 or 12.
55 posted on 06/19/2002 11:51:05 AM PDT by rohry
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To: diamond6
Kobe at point guard? Yes. On this team, we need another guard that has his slashing, penetrating style, and Scott was more of a jump shooter.

You mean like elbowing guys in the nose?

56 posted on 06/19/2002 11:55:43 AM PDT by farmfriend
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To: mrustow
Hondo played every position except center...seriously. But he probably had his best success on the early '70s teams where Don Nelson was at one forward and Silas was at the other with Jo Jo White at the point.

They got Silas from Phoenix by trading the future super star Paul Westphal BTW.
57 posted on 06/19/2002 11:59:52 AM PDT by rohry
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To: SoCal Pubbie
I can't find any information on Flynn Robinson. How much did he score per game that year?
58 posted on 06/19/2002 12:55:26 PM PDT by diamond6
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To: SoCal Pubbie
I'm sorry ----- but the Clippers suck! I wouldn't want to start a team with any of them, because they would be too used to losing.
59 posted on 06/19/2002 12:56:53 PM PDT by diamond6
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To: farmfriend
Kobe at point guard? Yes. On this team, we need another guard that has his slashing, penetrating style, and Scott was more of a jump shooter.

You mean like elbowing guys in the nose?

No. I mean like driving through the lane like a speeding bullet and waving bye bye to the Queenie players as he goes in for another slam dunk!

60 posted on 06/19/2002 1:08:03 PM PDT by diamond6
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