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]

I defy anyone to find a starting five of all time Celtics that could beat the five I have on my starting Lakers' team.

[diamond6]

BUMP!

[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.

Man, that all sounds like it's from another century, when baskeball players learned the fundamentals, and fathered most of their kids with their wives ...

hey, that was another century!

P.S. I still can't remember Paul Westphal as a player. At this point, he's just another name, though one I'm familiar with as a coach. The photographic memory of my youth has faded.

[mrustow]

I can't find any information on Flynn Robinson. How much did he score per game that year?

Is it my dementia again, or did Robinson play on those early Alcindor/Robertson Bucks teams?

[rohry]

"P.S. I still can't remember Paul Westphal as a player. At this point, he's just another name, though one I'm familiar with as a coach."

I guess I am a lot older than you. ESPN2 has re-runs of the 1976 Championship once in a while. Watch it. It's great basketball!

[mrustow]

Long Island-New Jersey Nets

Center:

Billy Paultz
Backup: Shawn Bradley

Power Forward:

Buck Williams
Backup: Derrick Coleman

Small Forward:

Dr. J
Backup: Rick Barry

Shooting Guard:

Drazen Petrovic
Backups: Stephon Marbury (arrested for impersonating a point guard), John Williamson

Point Guard:

Jason Kidd
Backup: Bill Melchionni

[mrustow]

I would have Havlicek at either of the forward positions, most likely at small forward backing up Larry Legend. I suppose Sam Jones (before my time) would then be the shooting guard.

[altair]

I can't find any information on Flynn Robinson.

He scored 9.9 points per game. Look here (French). And here (Japanese).

[altair]

I will concede your point. I found this quote by Bill Sharman.

"As good as Bill Russell was, and he was the best defensive center I ever saw, at 220 or 225 he just didn't have the size to go up against Shaq,"

[altair]

How about a more fun game? An all star team made up of former Clippers?

The Clippers are too bad to have any fun with. My favorite Chickism was the time (1985?) he put a Lakers at Clippers game in the refrigerator during the pre-game show. He got in trouble from the management for that even though most of the second half was garbage time.

[altair]

Yes, he did (1968-1969 and 1969-1970).

[SoCal Pubbie]

"I can't find any information on Flynn Robinson. How much did he score per game that year?"

Others have posted info on his overall average, but in '72 his number of minutes equaled his points scored, hence Chick gave him the nickname "point a minute".

[farmfriend]

Hey, what can I say. I live in Sacramento. The man plays dirty. So does Shaq for that matter. They can't claim to be the best just because they won. They have no honor.

What profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his sole?

[diamond6]

Hey, what can I say. I live in Sacramento. The man plays dirty. So does Shaq for that matter. They can't claim to be the best just because they won. They have no honor.

What profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his sole?

Your funny, Hayseed-man. "They can't claim to be the best just because they won"[????] What? Do you want to claim the Queens are the best, because they lost?

The Lakers have plenty of honor, as well as determination and heart. Determination and heart, as well as coolness under pressure, is what was missing from the Queens. Otherwise, they would have shot better than 53% from the freethrow line and 10% from the three point line in Game 7.

By the way, they have plenty of "sole" as well. Shaq has size 22 feet.

[diamond6]

My favorite Chickism was the time (1985?) he put a Lakers at Clippers game in the refrigerator during the pre-game show. He got in trouble from the management for that even though most of the second half was garbage time.

I don't remember that, but I love it!!! That is hilarious!

[diamond6]

You're only half demented. He played for both the Bucks and the Lakers. However, 1971-72 was the only year he played for the Lakers.

[diamond6]

Others have posted info on his overall average, but in '72 his number of minutes equaled his points scored, hence Chick gave him the nickname "point a minute".

Something doesn't compute. Robinson averaged 9.9 points and 15.7 minutes per game in 1971-72. That's not a point a minute!

[farmfriend]

I'm a girl sweetie. The Lakers don't have honor because they play dirty. And their response to presure was to beat up on the other guy like bullies. And yeah the Kings are the best. They have honor and they won game six. The Lakers cheated and the refs let them get away with it. The bad free throwing in game 7 doesn't count because there shouldn't have been a game 7.

[altair]

Something doesn't compute.

Yeah. According to the career stats I found, he never once averaged a point a minute in his professional career. It must be something he picked up from college.

[altair]

And Tom Niedenfuer should never have been allowed to pitch to Jack Clark with a one run lead in the 9th inning. (I'm still angry at Lasorda for that -- I had tickets to game 7). Sometimes things just don't work out. Life, goes on. The Lakers won because they're the best. Basketball is a physical game. Sorry.