Greatest All-NBA 1st Team of All Time?

[CodeBreaker]

What do you think?

1988 could be the top choice, but if that was a team, spacing would be a huge problem. Not really the greatest one.

I would probably have to go with 2006:
PG: Steve Nash
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: LeBron James
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Shaquille O'neal

A line up that really compliments each other very well.

Thoughts?

[70sFan]

1962/63

PG: Oscar Robertson
SG: Jerry West
SF: Elgin Baylor
PF: Bob Pettit
C: Bill Russell

I'd go with this one over 1962 because of much better West and over 1964 because of much better Baylor.

1982/83

PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Sidney Moncrief
SF: Julius Erving
PF: Larry Bird
C: Moses Malone

Maybe they lack defense a bit, but with Moncrief and Bird/Julius help D I'm fine.

[Rich Michmond]

1988:

C - Hakeem Olajuwon
PF - Charles Barkley
SF - Larry Bird
SG - Michael Jordan
PG - Magic Johnson

[rebirthoftheM]

If we're talking about pure talent, I will go with 03. We have peak Tmac/Kobe/Garnett/Duncan/Shaq. Quite simply devastating. I also think they'd fit quite well but KG would be playing out of position (he was not a 3 in 03).

But fit? I like 02

Kidd
Kobe
Tmac
Duncan
Shaq

I think the Kobe/Kidd/Tmac trio could live together quite seamlessly and could move on and off the ball. All 3 could get the ball into the interior very well to Shaq and run the pick and pop and screen and roll with TD. Lots of versatility defensively also, as all 3 non-bigs could probably guard the 1-3. Decent spacing also on this team.

The 06 squad seems to have a lot of redundancies with Nash, Lebron and Kobe. Only one ball. And 06 Shaq wasn't half the player he was in the early 00s. Still would be very strong of course.

[JLei]

If we're talking about pure talent, I will go with 03. We have peak Tmac/Kobe/Garnett/Duncan/Shaq. Quite simply devastating. I also think they'd fit quite well but KG would be playing out of position (he was not a 3 in 03).

But fit? I like 02

Kidd
Kobe
Tmac
Duncan
Shaq

I think the Kobe/Kidd/Tmac trio could live together quite seamlessly and could move on and off the ball. All 3 could get the ball into the interior very well to Shaq and run the pick and pop and screen and roll with TD. Lots of versatility defensively also, as all 3 non-bigs could probably guard the 1-3. Decent spacing also on this team.

The 06 squad seems to have a lot of redundancies with Nash, Lebron and Kobe. Only one ball. And 06 Shaq wasn't half the player he was in the early 00s. Still would be very strong of course.

Really like the fit of 16 too.

Westbrook, Curry, Kawhi, Bron, Jordan.

It's almost a pretty ideal team around Bron and Curry. Can't think of 2 better players than DeAndre and Kawhi next to 2 transcendent top 10 all time level peaks. Especially the Kawhi we saw in that year (focused DPOY, insane off ball scoring). And Russ did average 10.4apg as well.

[Lost92Bricks]

The correct answer will always be the 1988 team:

Johnson
Jordan
Bird
Barkley
Olajuwon


or the 2003 team:

Bryant
McGrady
Garnett
Duncan
O'neal

[rebirthoftheM]

The correct answer will always be the 1988 team:

Johnson
Jordan
Bird
Barkley
Olajuwon


or the 2003 team:

Bryant
McGrady
Garnett
Duncan
O'neal

88 would obviously dominate. But Hakeem 88 was not as refined on either end as his peak iterations. His passing skills had not yet really developed. And Barkley's interior D and help d would concern me. But the Magic/MJ/Bird trio would be lights out. MJ would feast as a cutter.

I think with the 03 squad, Id run Tmac at point as he could run it with that squad quite proficiently.

16 squad also looks excellent. Guard that team would be close to impossible tbh.

[Leslie Forman]

Let's be honest, on superteams like these, centers don't really get the ball much. Defense and rebounding is what you mostly need from them. That's why I might take the 2009 team. The perimeter shooting and Howard's free throw shooting are two pretty big weaknesses though.

Dwyane Wade
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Dirk Nowitzki
Dwight Howard

I'm actually a really big fan of the fit of the 2015 team as well. The perimeter defense might not be great but in terms of fit and versatility it might be the best offensively.

Stephen Curry
James Harden
LeBron James
Anthony Davis
Marc Gasol

[CumberlandPosey]

88 for me
The names alone gives you goose bumps...