all time starting 5

[post]

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[gengiskhan]

Magic @ PG
MJ @ OG
Kareem @ C
Hakeem @ PF
Bird @ SF

I'm not losing a single game, anywhere, anytime, any court (tarmack, hardwood, indoors, outdoors, beach basketball etc etc)

btw, Hakeem could easily play PF position with all that footwork, hand eye coordination. He will be a better version of Duncan.

[SouBeachTalents]

Curry
Klay
Kawhi
Bird
Hakeem

[Baller234]

Magic @ PG
MJ @ OG
Kareem @ C
Hakeem @ PF
Bird @ SF

I'm not losing a single game, anywhere, anytime, any court (tarmack, hardwood, indoors, outdoors, beach basketball etc etc)


For debate's sake I'm gonna play devil's advocate here, I don't think your team is as good as you think it is. You have too many guys on the team that need the ball in order to utilize their max potential. I think you might have a lot of ego clashes too. I mean who's taking the last shot between Jordan and Bird? Lol have fun with that one.

If I'm building an all time team I obviously want Jordan so I have to cater to his needs.

1 - Curry
2 - Jordan
3 - Pippen
4 - Rodman
5- Hakeem

I went with MJ-Pip-Rodman because we already saw what those 3 were capable of together. Defensively those guys can shut down any perimeter, and I'm not worried about Rodman being a liability on offense because have fun stopping that team.

No egos and everyone would know their role.

[tpols]

Curry
Kobe
Durant
Yolk
Wilt

Great spacing from everybody + Wilt most dominant center ever to cover the rim. I'll play twin towers with him and Jokic offense feeding him like he did AG. Elite shooting from everybody else.

[John8204]

PG - Magic
SG - MJ
SF - Bird
PF - Lebron
C - Wilt

[Wardell Curry]

SGA is top 5 all time. He got MVP and FMVP in the same season.

[gengiskhan]

SGA is top 5 all time. He got MVP and FMVP in the same season.

He may not even equal 1983 Moses. Moses have SGA beat.

1983 Moses beat 5 x NBA Champs, aka showtime LAL, led by Magic Man for FMVP win.

so SGA win MVP SWEEP against IND will be weak sauce.

Alsi, 1983 moses beat 1982 NBA Champs in 1983 Finals, in a finals re-match.

this means, opposition was alltime great. And 2025 IND is the opposite of that.

[highwhey]

pg: CURRY
sg: Jordan
sf: LEBRON
pf: Nikola
c:Wemby

[post]

could start at pf

https://i.ibb.co/wrcLnVq9/giphy.gif

[Patrick Chewing]

PG - Maravich
SG - Jordan
SF - Bird
PF - Malone
C - Shaq

[gengiskhan]

PG - Magic
SG - MJ
SF - Bird
PF - Lebron
C - Wilt

take that garbage LBJ out. dont belong there.

[highwhey]

PG - Maravich
SG - Jordan
SF - Bird
PF - Malone
C - Shaq

your starting 5 should be:

lisinopril
propanolol
atorvastatin
lovastatin
fenofibrin

[Chick Stern]

PG - Magic
SG - Kobe
SF - LeBron
PF - AD
C - Kareem

[RRR3]

your starting 5 should be:

lisinopril
propanolol
atorvastatin
lovastatin
fenofibrin
:roll:

[Akeem34TheDream]

Kyrie
Klay
Pippen
Pau
A.Davis
Bench: Draymond, Rodman, Horry, Fisher
I am winning 65 games AT LEAST.

[ralph_i_el]

Magic @ PG
MJ @ OG
Kareem @ C
Hakeem @ PF
Bird @ SF

I'm not losing a single game, anywhere, anytime, any court (tarmack, hardwood, indoors, outdoors, beach basketball etc etc)

btw, Hakeem could easily play PF position with all that footwork, hand eye coordination. He will be a better version of Duncan.

If I have everyone in history, I'm taking more shooting than that. Magic is the GOAT PG, but your lineup has nobody that can defend smaller quicker guards.

If I'm looking at player synergy, I think I might want:

Chris Paul
Kobe
Durant
LeBron
Shaq

This lineup has everything. Spacing, playmaking from multiple positions, off-ball perimeter scoring, post presence, defensive versatility, toughness and IQ.

[HoopsNY]

A lot of these lineups are stacked without thinking about cohesion. For example, you don't need 4-5 scorers on a team. If I'm creating a solid lineup, I'm doing something like:

Stockton
MJ
Bird
Rodman
Hakeem

or

Kidd
Wade
Kawhi
B. Wallace
AD

or

Curry
Ray
Pippen
KG
Russell

[tpols]

A lot of these lineups are stacked without thinking about cohesion. For example, you don't need 4-5 scorers on a team. If I'm creating a solid lineup, I'm doing something like:

Stockton
MJ
Bird
Rodman
Hakeem

or

Kidd
Wade
Kawhi
B. Wallace
AD

or

Curry
Ray
Pippen
KG
Russell

The spacing deficit you'd get from big ben and Rodman would kill you vs GOAT teams that don't have that problem. Like why put those guys in your lineup when you could've put somebody like KG or Duncan at PF? Theyre not selfish scorers and can do everything your guys can do + be a threat on offense.

[HoopsNY]

The spacing deficit you'd get from big ben and Rodman would kill you vs GOAT teams that don't have that problem. Like why put those guys in your lineup when you could've put somebody like KG or Duncan at PF? Theyre not selfish scorers and can do everything your guys can do + be a threat on offense.

Duncan still needs the ball in his hands to run the high post. Otherwise, what's he doing? KG fits in one of the lineups I put. I get the idea of spacing, which is why I didn't put the both of them on the same team. Big Ben and Rodman also both offer elite offensive rebounding, so that's another reason why I had them in there.

[1987_Lakers]

Curry
Klay
Kawhi
Bird
Hakeem

This is the best team by far

[Patrick Chewing]

your starting 5 should be:

lisinopril
propanolol
atorvastatin
lovastatin
fenofibrin

Sounds like you're familiar with those meds. Never heard of any of those other than the first one.

[1987_Lakers]

A lot of these lineups are stacked without thinking about cohesion. For example, you don't need 4-5 scorers on a team. If I'm creating a solid lineup, I'm doing something like:

Stockton
MJ
Bird
Rodman
Hakeem

or

Kidd
Wade
Kawhi
B. Wallace
AD

or

Curry
Ray
Pippen
KG
Russell

Why would you have Ben Wallace playing the 4? :lol

[HoopsNY]

Why would you have Ben Wallace playing the 4? :lol

Cause he came in as a 4; he was a versatile defender. Small and quick enough to guard PFs.

[1987_Lakers]

Curry
MJ
Kawhi
Bird
Walton

Similar team to soubeach. Went with Walton over Hakeem because I feel having Hakeem would be overkill for scoring (might cause chemistry issues) with a bunch of scorers already in the lineup. Walton gives me playmaking, unselfishness, rebounding & defense.

Curry-MJ-Kawhi doesn't give me a lot of playmaking, but Bird/Walton is a top tier frontline for that.

[HoopsNY]

Magic
Kobe
AK-47
Sheed
Wilt

[SouBeachTalents]

Curry
MJ
Kawhi
Bird
Walton

Similar team to soubeach. Went with Walton over Hakeem because I feel having Hakeem would be overkill for scoring (might cause chemistry issues) with a bunch of scorers already in the lineup. Walton gives me playmaking, unselfishness, & defense.
I know it sounds crazy to say, but I really don't feel like Jordan gives you max value in an all-time starting 5. I really don't think you need him when you already have Curry/Kawhi/Bird capable of going off for 25-30 points.

Walton's a good choice at center, I just went with Hakeem for the GOAT tier defense.

[1987_Lakers]

I know it sounds crazy to say, but I really don't feel like Jordan gives you max value in an all-time starting 5. I really don't think you need him when you already have Curry/Kawhi/Bird capable of going off for 25-30 points.

Walton's a good choice at center, I just went with Hakeem for the GOAT tier defense.

Yea, to be honest I wanted to put Klay, but didn't want my team to look too similar to yours. :lol

[HoopsNY]

I know it sounds crazy to say, but I really don't feel like Jordan gives you max value in an all-time starting 5. I really don't think you need him when you already have Curry/Kawhi/Bird capable of going off for 25-30 points.

Walton's a good choice at center, I just went with Hakeem for the GOAT tier defense.

This is why I mentioned a lot of lineups people put together are just all time starting positions and not really a team per se. Like, I'd never fit MJ-Kobe-LeBron on the same team, even though they're 3 of the greatest players of all time (and for many - top 3).

[1987_Lakers]

Magic
Kobe
AK-47
Sheed
Wilt

We clogging the paint on defense with that lineup.

[HoopsNY]

We clogging the paint on defense with that lineup.

How? AK-47 was a versatile defender, super quick, and a great help defender. Sheed was versatile and quick as well. And Wilt is the fastest center of all time.

[1987_Lakers]

How? AK-47 was a versatile defender, super quick, and a great help defender. Sheed was versatile and quick as well. And Wilt is the fastest center of all time.

Not enough shooting

[SouBeachTalents]

I'm honestly surprised at all the Kobe mentions, I don't think he'd be a good fit in an all-time lineup at all. I also don't understand why anyone would choose him over Jordan when he's essentially just a worse version of him.

[HoopsNY]

We clogging the paint on defense with that lineup.

Yea I understand your point. I think the transition ability makes up for it, but guys like Magic, Kobe, and Sheed could shoot 34-36% from the 3 routinely. It's not stellar but if they get hot then that would be enough. I don't think it's always necessary to have a lineup of 3-4 guys that can shoot near the 40% clip in order to be competitive.

[HoopsNY]

I'm honestly surprised at all the Kobe mentions, I don't think he'd be a good fit in an all-time lineup at all. I also don't understand why anyone would choose him over Jordan when he's essentially just a worse version of him.

I'm just putting variations at this point, but the most optimal lineup would have MJ at the 2.

[tpols]

Putting Klay in over Michael Jordan should be a temp ban.

The spacing advantage doesn't even come close to touching what MJ would bring to the table. Klay shot like shit in the Finals too when it mattered most and pressure was highest. Its a silly stance.

And if youre really trying to be all in on spacing you could've just put prime Ray Allen in the SG slot, who is far superior.

[SouBeachTalents]

Putting Klay in over Michael Jordan should be a temp ban.

The spacing advantage doesn't even come close to touching what MJ would bring to the table. Klay shot like shit in the Finals too when it mattered most and pressure was highest. Its a silly stance.

And if youre really trying to be all in on spacing you could've just put prime Ray Allen in the SG slot, who is far superior.
I'm genuinely baffled by the way you process things sometimes. It's like you can't differentiate between a regular team and an all-time one. Why would I want a guy who's going to take 25 shots a game when I already have four other 25-30 ppg scorers in the lineup? What value is Jordan bringing when I already have scoring covered by a significant margin. Klay fits in perfectly with an all-time lineup because he provides GOAT tier shooting, spaces the floor, can play off ball, takes up very little possession, and can also play defense.

I'd choose Klay to pair with Curry over Allen because he's a better defender.

[tpols]

MJ isn't taking 25 shots a game on a super team. The dream team proved that. He had no problem fitting in and letting other guys work. This isn't Iverson or Westbrook bro. Its just honestly a really dumb take to put Klay Thompson in your lineup over Michael Jordan.

[1987_Lakers]

Curry
Klay
KD
Draymond
Walton

Basically the 2017 warriors with Walton. 82-0?

[SouBeachTalents]

MJ isn't taking 25 shots a game on a super team. The dream team proved that. He had no problem fitting in and letting other guys work. This isn't Iverson or Westbrook bro. Its just honestly a really dumb take to put Klay Thompson in your lineup over Michael Jordan.
Jordan does not fit in nearly as seamlessly as Klay does, the cohesion of the lineup gets worse with a guy who's wired to score and will take up far more possession time/provide far worse spacing than Klay. Jordan has diminishing value and return in a lineup where you already have 4 other ATG's who can average 25+ a night.

[tpols]

Curry
Klay
KD
Draymond
Walton

Basically the 2017 warriors with Walton. 82-0?

Why put dray in when you could have KG or Duncan...?

Another silly post.

You and southbeach are seriously smoking some good shit. :oldlol:

[1987_Lakers]

Why put dray in when you could have KG or Duncan...?

Another silly post.

You and southbeach are seriously smoking some good shit. :oldlol:

Draymond provides more versatility in general including playmaking. Don’t need his scoring

[tpols]

Dude 2004 Kevin Garnett was probably the most versatile player of all time. You guys are straight up clowning. :lol

[3ba11]

Dude 2004 Kevin Garnett was probably the most versatile player of all time. You guys are straight up clowning. :lol


Agreed.

Curry
MJ
Bird
KG
Robinson

^^^ No plodding big to hamper offensive movement, thus maximizing the capacity for dynasty ball movement.

Prime Wilt in Robinson or KG's place might work better but I like the jumpshooting ability of Robinson & KG

[3ba11]

Dude 2004 Kevin Garnett was probably the most versatile player of all time. You guys are straight up clowning. :lol


Agreed.

Curry
MJ
Bird
KG
Robinson

^^^ No plodding big to hamper offensive movement, thus maximizing the capacity for dynasty ball movement.

Prime Wilt in Robinson or KG's place might work better but I like the jumpshooting ability of Robinson & KG... 5 jumpshoters out there but also great/goat post play from 4 of the 5 guys

[1987_Lakers]

Dude 2004 Kevin Garnett was probably the most versatile player of all time. You guys are straight up clowning. :lol
Draymond is the overall better ball handler, playmaker, and already has an established 2 man game with Curry. Obviously KG is better, but don’t really need the other things he provides.

Overall a defensive frontline of Walton/Draymond is more versatile . Dray could guard 1-5 more effectively than KG.

[1987_Lakers]

Agreed.

Curry
MJ
Bird
KG
Robinson

^^^ No plodding big to hamper offensive movement, thus maximizing the capacity for dynasty ball movement.

Prime Wilt in Robinson or KG's place might work better but I like the jumpshooting ability of Robinson & KG... 5 jumpshoters out there but also great/goat post play from 4 of the 5 guys
Bird at the 3 in today’s game would be exposed on defense. He is your classic 4 in today’s league.

[tpols]

Draymond is the overall better ball handler, playmaker, and already has an established 2 man game with Curry. Obviously KG is better, but don’t really need the other things he provides.

Overall a defensive frontline of Walton/Draymond works better.

Absolutely absurd take.

2004 TWolves Kevin Garnett had great big man handles and playmaking / passing ability. He was arguably better at that than he was at scoring. And was an even better defender and rebounder than Dray.

I'm going to hold this opinion against you forever. :oldlol:

But Klay over MJ might take the cake.

[3ba11]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/6-03-2025/9hyeyE.gif



Bird at the 3 in today’s game would be exposed on defense. He is your classic 4 in today’s league.


Luka works at the 1, so Bird would work anywhere he wants.

Dominique, Dr. J, Bernard King, or even Shawn Kemp has famous stories of being dominated by Bird...

Athletic guys like Walter Davis or Gervin - destroyed by Bird... So no... Bird would be fine

and he could play the 4.. He would also be carrying the ball a lot in today's game (above), which would allow him to play guard.

[1987_Lakers]

Absolutely absurd take.

2004 TWolves Kevin Garnett had great big man handles and playmaking / passing ability. He was arguably better at that than he was at scoring. And was an even better defender and rebounder than Dray.

I'm going to hold this opinion against you forever. :oldlol:

But Klay over MJ might take the cake.
Stop. KG was a great playmaker, but he never ran an offense the way Draymond did. For the Wolves, Cassell was the one doing most of the playmaking, for the Warriors it was always Draymond year in and year out.

Plus we don’t want fake tough guys on our team. :no:

Dude got punched by Anthony Peeler and did nothing.

[1987_Lakers]

https://i.makeagif.com/media/6-03-2025/9hyeyE.gif





Luka works at the 1, so Bird would work anywhere he wants.

Dominique, Dr. J, Bernard King, or even Shawn Kemp has famous stories of being dominated by Bird...

Athletic guys like Walter Davis or Gervin - destroyed by Bird... So no... Bird would be fine

and he could play the 4.. He would also be carrying the ball a lot in today's game (above), which would allow him to play guard.
There is a reason why McHale was always guarding guys like Dominique and not Bird. Bird would get cooked guarding 3s of today.

[3ba11]

There is a reason why McHale was always guarding guys like Dominique and not Bird. Bird would get cooked guarding 3s of today.


^^^ Pure fabricated bs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6QAX7sbVa8

[RRR3]

^^^ Pure fabricated bs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6QAX7sbVa8
So your counter is a video of Dominique abusing Bird? :oldlol:

STUPIDBALL :yaohappy:

[3ba11]

So your counter is a video of Dominique abusing Bird? :oldlol:

STUPIDBALL :yaohappy:


No, but a younger Bird guarded Dominique, Dr. J, and all the quick perimeter players.

[3ba11]

There is a reason why McHale was always guarding guys like Dominique and not Bird. Bird would get cooked guarding 3s of today.


Another thing - in addition to the younger bird guarding Dominique, Dr J and all.the SF's, I want 2 hybrids at the forward spots that can play SF and PF, so that's why Bird/KG are perfect..

Robinson can also play the 3-5 spots.. Again, a lineup of MJ, Curry, Bird, KG and Robinson entails 5 jumpshoters and 4 great post players, so that's great versatility, plus several "Pippens" for MJ to light that fire under (KG, Robinson)

[RRR3]

Some of your guys lineups would get obliterated by the current Pacers lol, let alone OKC. If you're still ignoring spacing when building all time teams in 2025, well you haven't learned much as the game has become less primitive.

[ralph_i_el]

I'm honestly surprised at all the Kobe mentions, I don't think he'd be a good fit in an all-time lineup at all. I also don't understand why anyone would choose him over Jordan when he's essentially just a worse version of him.

Did you watch the Redeem Team documentary?

[1987_Lakers]

Did you watch the Redeem Team documentary?

I watched the games during those Olympics. He actually wasn't that great of a fit, took the most shots on the team, but was still outscored by LeBron & Wade.

The funny thing is, I vividly remember Kobe telling the media that he was mostly going to focus on defense during those Olympics, but he couldn't help himself. :lol

[tpols]

Did you watch the Redeem Team documentary?

Got em.

Kobe was the bonafide leader on that team behind the scenes and on the court. Took all the toughest covers and then closed out the Gold Medal game in late 4th quarter.

[HoopsNY]

Dude 2004 Kevin Garnett was probably the most versatile player of all time. You guys are straight up clowning. :lol

This is true, but I don't recall seeing KG doing much of that from the perimeter the way that Draymond did during his peak. KG was a good playmaker but probably a better passer. I think the example of using Draymond works. Maybe if KG was from this era, then things would have been different.

[HoopsNY]

I watched the games during those Olympics. He actually wasn't that great of a fit, took the most shots on the team, but was still outscored by LeBron & Wade.

The funny thing is, I vividly remember Kobe telling the media that he was mostly going to focus on defense during those Olympics, but he couldn't help himself. :lol

Really odd. This is a gross mischaracterization of his contribution to that team, and a strange way of minimizing his play.

[1987_Lakers]

Really odd. This is a gross mischaracterization of his contribution to that team, and a strange way of minimizing his play.

I watched the games, Kobe in general didn't really do much up until the gold medal game, which you could say is the only game that mattered. But LeBron & Wade were clearly the co MVPs on that team. They dominated the tournament from start to finish.

Kobe shot 5 of 14 in the semis vs Argentina

4 of 13 vs Angola. :lol

There was only 2-3 games in the entire tournament (out of 8 games) where Kobe really stood out. He was pretty inconsistent.

[SouBeachTalents]

I watched the games, Kobe in general didn't really do much up until the gold medal game, which you could say is the only game that mattered. But LeBron & Wade were clearly the co MVPs on that team. They dominated the tournament from start to finish.

Kobe shot 5 of 14 in the semis vs Argentina

4 of 13 vs Angola. :lol

There was only 2-3 games in the entire tournament (out of 8 games) where Kobe really stood out. He was pretty inconsistent.
Kobe took 34 more shots than Wade and scored 8 less points :lol Which again, is a reason why he wouldn't be an ideal fit in an all-time lineup, you don't need someone who's going to shoot that much when you potentially already have 4 other 25-30 ppg scorers.

And I still haven't gotten a good answer for why people would choose Kobe over Jordan when they play very similarly but he's the inferior player. It's not like the minimal advantage in 3 point shooting would supersede the substantial advantages Jordan has over him.

[Lakers Legend#32]

Guards: Magic, Jordan
Forwards: LeBron, Duncan
Center: Shaq

[gengiskhan]

Guards: Magic, Jordan
Forwards: LeBron, Duncan
Center: Shaq

what is Lebron doing in that list.

Put Bird instead. solves all the ball dominated problems LBJ has.

Shaq is acceptable. He is just too physical and dominant at Center.

[post]

nikola jokic/david robinson/joel embiid
draymond green/kevin garnett/giannis antetokounmpo
lebron james/kawhi leonard/paul george
michael jordan/dwyane wade/manu ginobili
stephen curry/chris paul/james harden

nikola jokic/shaquille o'neal/david robinson
kevin garnett/draymond green/tim duncan
lebron james/larry bird/charles barkley
michael jordan/dwyane wade/james harden
stephen curry/chris paul/john stockton

nikola jokic/david robinson/shaquille o'neal
kevin garnett/draymond green/tim duncan
lebron james/charles barkley/larry bird
michael jordan/dwyane wade/james harden
stephen curry/chris paul/john stockton

[Carbine]

If you're building a starting lineup to compete in today's NBA and factoring in fit, keeping in mind their is only one basketball....


Center - Jokic

Best offensive center ever overall. Fits all play styles. His defense is good enough to not get picked on with supreme results.


Power Forward - Larry Bird

He's essentially the same archetype as Jokic but a couple inches shorter. Fits any play style. Tough as shit. Defense is good enough.


Small Forward - Kawhi Leonard

The best combination of size, defense and shooting for a SF I've ever seen. He was apart of the most beautiful team basketball of the 20th century with the mid 2010 Spurs, so he's capable of dialing it back for the betterment of the team and playing off other great players.


SG - Michael Jordan

Contrary to what people might think of someone who shoots the amount of times he did, he was an all timer when it comes to off ball ability. I compared him to the 2pter version of Steph Curry. It's OK to have one none shooting (although he can obviously hit them) guard in the lineup when his name is Michael Jordan.

PG - Steph Curry

Imagining him playing off Bird and Jokic would be beautiful basketball we likely have never seen. His defense is a concern, but the fit with this squad is undeniably perfect



I don't think Lebron "plays nice" with other greats like the rest of these starters do, which is why I don't have him on this team.

[SouBeachTalents]

Definitely not a fan of a Jokic/Bird frontcourt defensively. You'd be much better served replacing Bird with KG or Jokic with Hakeem.

[Carbine]

I think Hakeem needs to be played through to get the Hakeem effect. I don't feel like having a "post up first" offense because that's not what the modern NBA is.

It's about spacing, shooting, perimeter focused offense.

KG is a perfectly fine choice at PF for this team. He was #2, but I truly done think Birds defense is a large concern. You can only involve one of Jokic/Bird in pick and rolls to hunt and that would likely be Jokic who would be getting "hunted" leaving Bird to do what he's really good at, play team defense.