All-Time Starting Five for Every NBA Team

More than 4,300 players have played in the NBA. These are the best at every position in the history of every team.

The task is simple on the surface. Pick the all-time starting lineup for all 30 NBA franchises. It’s a little more complicated in practice.

We established some rules for picking the all-time starting lineups — five positions plus one head coach for each team with the most important rule being that a player cannot be in a starting lineup for two different franchises. One player, one spot.

Stats are updated through Jan. 18, 2021.

30. New Orleans Pelicans: When Do the Saints Play?

There are few highlights to point to in the history of the New Orleans Pelicans. Gerald Herbert / AP Photo

Seasons: 21 (2002-present)

Team names: New Orleans Hornets (2002-05), New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2005-07), New Orleans Hornets (2007-13), New Orleans Pelicans (2013-present)

Record: 678-784 (.464)

Playoff appearances: 7

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: The New Orleans Pelicans have been a mess since they began play as the New Orleans Hornets in 2002 — thanks in large part to the original ownership group led by George Shinn, one of the worst owners in the history of professional sports.

Through 2020, their 18th season, the Pelicans had made the NBA playoffs just seven times and never advanced past the second round.

Can they turn things around with 2019 No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson? Don’t count on it.

New Orleans Pelicans Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Jrue Holiday

Shooting guard: Eric Gordon

Small forward: Peja Stojakovic

Power forward: David West

Center: Anthony Davis

Head coach: Monty Williams

New Orleans Pelicans: Jrue Holiday, Point Guard

Jrue Holiday had some spectacular years in New Orleans away from the spotlight. Chris Szagola / AP Photo

Born: June 12, 1990 (Los Angeles, California)

High school: Campbell Hall School (Los Angeles, California)

College: UCLA

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 205 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (2009-13), New Orleans Pelicans (2013-20), Milwaukee Bucks (2020-present)

Stats: 727 G, 15.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.4 APG, 45.3 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (2013), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2018, 2019), NBA Teammate of the Year (2020)

Bottom line: Jrue Holiday spent the better part of the last decade toiling away in New Orleans as an elite NBA guard who very few people ever get to see play.

There was so much to appreciate about Holiday’s game while he was with the Pelicans and he seemed to get better every single year.

Holiday didn’t just become a scorer over the years — he averaged over 20 points for the first time in his 10th season. He also became an elite defender, making his first All-Defensive Team in his ninth season.

New Orleans Pelicans: Eric Gordon, Shooting Guard

Eric Gordon was better coming off the bench. Gerald Herbert / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 25, 1988 (Indianapolis, Indiana)

High school: North Central High School (Indianapolis, Indiana)

College: Indiana

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 215 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers (2008-11), New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2011-16), Houston Rockets (2016-present)

Stats: 673 G, 16.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 42.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2017), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2017), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009)

Bottom line: Teams tried to force Eric Gordon into the role of a featured player for about a decade before they realized it wasn’t a good fit.

It’s more of a testament to how bad the backcourt play has been since Chris Paul left the franchise (in a trade for Gordon) that we have to put him on New Orleans’ all-time starting five.

Gordon was in his ninth season when a team finally figured out how to use him right, and he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2017 with the Houston Rockets.

New Orleans Pelicans: Peja Stojakovic, Small Forward

Peja Stojakovic had a short but sweet stint with New Orleans. Alex Brandon / AP Photo

Born: June 9, 1977 (Slavonska Pozega, Croatia, Yugoslavia)

Youth club: Red Star Belgrade (Belgrade, Serbia)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1998-2011)

Teams: Sacramento Kings (1998-2006), Indiana Pacers (2006), New Orleans Hornets (2006-10), Toronto Raptors (2010-11), Dallas Mavericks (2011)

Stats: 804 G, 17.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 45.0 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2011), three-time NBA All-Star (2002-04), All-NBA Team (2004), two-time NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2002, 2003)

Bottom line: Peja Stojakovic was great for both the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets as one of the NBA’s most feared shooters for over a decade, and we’ll shoehorn him in with New Orleans because they had him for the last few years of his prime.

You can make a good argument that New Orleans was never better than when it had the core of Stojakovic, Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler, a unit that helped the team win a franchise-record 56 games during the 2007-08 season.

That was when Stojakovic averaged 16.1 points, led the NBA by hitting 92.1 percent from the free-throw line and shot 44.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc.

New Orleans Pelicans: David West, Power Forward

David West was an underrated post player in his 15-year career. Ty Russell / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 29, 1980 (Teaneck, New Jersey)

High school: Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Virginia)

College: Xavier

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (2003-18)

Teams: New Orleans Hornets (2003-11), Indiana Pacers (2011-15), San Antonio Spurs (2015-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-18)

Stats: 1,034 G, 13.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.2 APG, 49.5 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2017, 2018), two-time NBA All-Star (2008, 2009)

Bottom line: It’s easy to forget how dominant David West was in the post for the New Orleans Hornets for the first eight seasons of his career. He made back-to-back All-Star teams in 2008 and 2009.

In those two seasons, West averaged over 20 points per game for the only times in his career and had the two best years of his career rebounding the ball, averaging 8.9 and 8.1 rebounds.

West’s improvement was clear for all to see. He started just nine games over his first two seasons, then started every game he played in with New Orleans over the next six seasons.

New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis, Center

Anthony Davis essentially shut it down his last two years with the Pelicans as he waited to be traded. Tyler Kaufman / AP Photo

Born: March 11, 1993 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: Perspectives Charter Schools (Chicago, Illinois)

College: Kentucky

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 253 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: New Orleans Pelicans (2012-2019), Los Angeles Lakers (2019-present)

Stats: 541 G, 23.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 51.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2020), seven-time NBA All-Star (2014-20), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2017), four-time All-NBA Team (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020), four-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020), NBA All-Rookie Team (2013)

Bottom line: The only thing missing from Anthony Davis’ NBA resume was postseason success, and he did away with those doubts in leading the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship in 2020.

Before that, Davis already established himself as one of the best shot-blockers in NBA history in seven seasons with the Pelicans, averaging 2.4 blocks for his career and leading the league in blocks three seasons. With the Pelicans, he made six All-Star teams and was a three-time All-NBA pick, along with being named All-Star Most Valuable Player in 2017.

It’s not hard to envision Davis winning NBA titles and NBA MVP awards in the future, especially if he sticks to his natural position of center, which he was always resistant to doing in New Orleans.

New Orleans Pelicans: Monty Williams, Head Coach

Monty Williams coached New Orleans for five seasons. Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 8, 1971 (Fredericksburg, Virginia)

Career: 7 seasons (2010-15, 2019-present)

Teams: New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (2010-15), Phoenix Suns (2019-present)

W-L record (overall): 214-264 (.448)

W-L record (with Pelicans): 173-221 (.439)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Monty Williams didn’t get much of a fair shake as the coach of the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans, but it’s worth noting that he did lead the franchise to the NBA playoffs twice during his tenure.

Williams was fired after the second of those playoff appearances in 2015, when the team was swept by eventual NBA champion Golden State in four games.

29. Charlotte Hornets: Bad No Matter What the Name Is

The Charlotte Hornets haven’t been good since the 1990s. Winslow Townson / AP Photo

Seasons: 31 (1988-present)

Team names: Charlotte Hornets (1988-2002, 2014-present), Charlotte Bobcats (2004-14)

Record: 1,056-1,353 (.438)

Playoff appearances: 10

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: The Charlotte Hornets got off to a pretty good start after the franchise began play in 1988. They had two cornerstones to build around in Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning, but it never fleshed out.

Since then, they’ve been one of the more moribund franchises in NBA history, and 30 years into their existence, they’ve bounced back and forth from being the Hornets to the Bobcats to back to the Hornets.

No matter what they call themselves, they are almost 300 games below .500 for their existence.

Charlotte Hornets Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Kemba Walker

Shooting guard: Dell Curry

Small forward: Glen Rice

Power forward: Larry Johnson

Center: Anthony Mason

Head coach: Paul Silas

Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker, Point Guard

Kemba Walker had some great years in relative anonymity in Charlotte. Chuck Burton / AP Photo

Born: May 8, 1990 (Bronx, New York)

High school: Rice High School (New York City, New York)

College: Connecticut

Height/weight: 6-foot, 184 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (2011-19), Boston Celtics (2019-present)

Stats: 662 G, 19.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 41.9 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA All-Star (2017-20), All-NBA Team (2019), two-time NBA Sportsmanship Award (2017-18)

Bottom line: Kemba Walker toiled away in relative obscurity for the first decade of his career playing for the Charlotte Bobcats, then the Charlotte Hornets. He made three All-Star teams and an All-NBA Team in 2019 when he averaged a career-high 25.6 points.

Walker did more than just score for the Hornets before he was traded to the Celtics before the 2019-20 season in a sign-and-trade deal worth a staggering $141 million over four years.

Walker also averaged 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals playing for Charlotte.

Charlotte Hornets: Dell Curry, Shooting Guard

Dell Curry thrived once he joined the expansion Charlotte Hornets. Fred Jewell / AP Photo

Born: June 25, 1964 (Harrisonburg, Virginia)

High school: Fort Defiance High School (Fort Defiance, Virginia)

College: Virginia Tech

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1986-2002)

Teams: Utah Jazz (1986-87), Cleveland Cavaliers (1987-88), Charlotte Hornets (1988-98), Milwaukee Bucks (1999), Toronto Raptors (1999-2002)

Stats: 1,083 G, 11.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 45.7 FG%

Career highlights: NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1994)

Bottom line: No one benefited from the Charlotte Hornets becoming an NBA franchise in 1988 more than Dell Curry, who spent the first two seasons of his career riding the bench for the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Curry found his stride with the Hornets and spent a decade with the team, making his name as a three-point shooter, hitting 40.5 percent from beyond the arc over 10 seasons.

Curry, who won NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1994, saw more NBA success than he could have ever imagined with his two sons — longtime NBA guard Seth Curry and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.

Charlotte Hornets: Glen Rice, Small Forward

Glen Rice became a superstar with the Charlotte Hornets. Beth A. Keiser / AP Photo

Born: May 28, 1967 (Jacksonville, Arkansas)

High school: Northwestern High School (Flint, Michigan)

College: Michigan

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 228 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (1989-2004)

Teams: Miami Heat (1989-95), Charlotte Hornets (1995-99), Los Angeles Lakers (1999-2000), New York Knicks (2000-01), Houston Rockets (2001-03), Los Angeles Clippers (2003-04)

Stats: 1,000 G, 18.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, 45.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2000), three-time NBA All-Star (1996-98), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1997), two-time All-NBA Team (1997, 1998), NBA All-Rookie Team (1990), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1995)

Bottom line: Glen Rice was great for the Miami Heat in his first six seasons and could have very well made their all-time starting five at small forward, but it was with the Charlotte Hornets that he truly became an NBA superstar.

Rice made all three of his All-Star appearances with the Hornets, including winning NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1997 — the same season he averaged a career-high 26.8 points.

Rice averaged 23.5 points during his four seasons in Charlotte, over four points more than any other stop in his 15-year career.

Charlotte Hornets: Larry Johnson, Power Forward

Larry Johnson was known as “Gramama” in the 1990s while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Ruth Fremson / AP Photo

Born: March 14, 1969 (Tyler, Texas)

High school: Skyline High School (Dallas, Texas)

College: UNLV

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 235 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1991-2001)

Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1991-1996), New York Knicks (1996-2001)

Stats: 707 G, 16.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 48.4 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA All-Star (1993, 1995), All-NBA Team (1993), NBA Rookie of the Year (1992)

Bottom line: At one point in NBA history, there was no player tougher or more intimidating than Larry Johnson, the No. 1 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1991 out of UNLV.

One story Johnson told about growing up in Dallas gave some insight into how he became so tough. If a local player went four straight days playing basketball on the playground without getting in a fight, you didn’t go the fifth day to preserve a fight-free week.

Johnson, a two-time All-Star, signed the richest contract in NBA history in 1993 when the Hornets got him for 12 years, $84 million. His size, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, was more NFL defensive end than power forward but also may have been the cause of back problems that ended his career.

Charlotte Hornets: Anthony Mason, Centter

Anthony Mason dominated in the post against players much taller than him. Peter A. Harris / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 14, 1966 (Miami, Florida)

Died: Feb. 28, 2015 (age 48, New York City, New York)

High school: Springfield Gardens High School (Queens, New York)

College: Tennessee State

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 250 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1989-2003)

Teams: New Jersey Nets (1989-90), Denver Nuggets (1990-91), New York Knicks (1991-96), Charlotte Hornets (1996-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01), Milwaukee Bucks (2001-03)

Stats: 882 G, 10.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 50.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (2001), All-NBA Team (1997), NBA All-Defensive Team (1997), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1995)

Bottom line: There’s going to be a contingent that will ride for Emeka Okafor as Charlotte’s all-time starting five center, but they probably never had the joy of watching Anthony Mason bang in the low post, game in and game out.

Sure, Mason was only 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, but he guarded taller players for the entirety of his 14-year career with a high rate of success and is one of the toughest players in NBA history.

Mason averaged career highs of 16.2 points and 11.4 rebounds with the Hornets in 1996-97 and led the NBA at 43.1 minutes per game.

Charlotte Hornets: Paul Silas, Head Coach

Pickings were slim for good Charlotte Hornets head coaches, but we chose Paul Silas. Chuck Burton / AP Photo

Born: July 12, 1943 (Prescott, Arkansas)

Career: 11 seasons (1980-83, 1999-2003, 2003-05, 2010-12)

Teams: San Diego Clippers (1980-83), Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets (1999-2003), Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-05), Charlotte Bobcats (2010-12)

W-L record (overall): 387-488 (.442)

W-L record (Hornets): 193-208 (.481)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: It speaks to how bad the Hornets have been that Paul Silas is the best coach they’ve ever had. His overall record with the team is still 15 games below .500.

Silas spent two seasons as an assistant coach with Charlotte before taking over as head coach in the strike-shortened 1998-99 season.

The biggest testament to his coaching ability came when he led the franchise to four straight playoff appearances from 2000 to 2003, including two appearances in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

28. Memphis Grizzlies: Fans in Memphis Deserve Better

The Memphis Grizzlies have never been to the NBA Finals. A.J. Wolfe / AP Photo

Seasons: 26 (1995-present)

Team names: Vancouver Grizzlies (1995-2001), Memphis Grizzlies (2001-present)

Record: 833-1,173 (.415)

Playoff appearances: 10

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: The NBA’s experiment in Vancouver lasted just six seasons before the Grizzlies found a permanent home in basketball-crazy Memphis, where loyal fans have had very little to get excited about in two decades.

In almost 30 years of existence, the Grizzlies have yet to reach the NBA Finals and made it to the Western Conference finals just once, when they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in 2013.

Maybe one day all that patience will be rewarded.

Memphis Grizzlies Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Mike Conley

Shooting guard: Tony Allen

Small forward: Rudy Gay

Power forward: Pau Gasol

Center: Marc Gasol

Head coach: Lionel Hollins

Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley, Point Guard

Mike Conley signed a five-year, $153 million contract in 2016. Chris Carlson / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 11, 1987 (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

High school: Lawrence North High School (Indianapolis, Indiana)

College: Ohio State

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (2007-present)

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2007-19), Utah Jazz (2019-present)

Stats: 848 G, 14.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 5.7s APG, 43.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Defensive Team (2013), three-time NBA Sportsmanship Award (2014, 2016, 2019), NBA Teammate of the Year (2019)

Bottom line: Mike Conley teamed with Marc Gasol to guide the Memphis Grizzlies through the greatest seasons in franchise history and carved out a reputation as one of the good guys in the NBA.

Conley, a high school and college teammate of 2007 No. 2 overall pick Greg Oden, was rewarded handsomely for his time playing for Memphis, including signing a five-year, $153 million contract in 2016 — at that time the richest deal in league history.

Conley, who was traded to the Jazz in 2019, has yet to make an All-Star team in 14 seasons.

Memphis Grizzlies: Tony Allen, Shooting Guard

Tony Allen made his name as a defensive stopper. Brandon Dill / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 11, 1982 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: Crane High School (Chicago, Illinois)

College: Oklahoma State

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 213 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (2004-18)

Teams: Boston Celtics (2004-10), Memphis Grizzlies (2010-17), New Orleans Pelicans (2017-18)

Stats: 820 G, 8.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 47.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2008), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2011-13, 2015-17)

Bottom line: Tony Allen is proof you don’t have to score a lot of points to become a standout player in the NBA. His value largely was on the defensive end of the floor in being assigned to guard the best backcourt players on opposing rosters.

Allen has been selected to six NBA All-Defensive Teams, with all of those selections coming with the Grizzlies. How good was Allen in guarding other team’s best perimeter players? The Grizzlies retired his No. 9 despite never averaging in double-digit points in Memphis.

Memphis Grizzlies: Rudy Gay, Small Forward

Rudy Gay has only played in the postseason three times in 15 years. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 17, 1986 (Brooklyn, New York)

High school: Archbishop Spalding High School (Severn, Maryland)

College: Connecticut

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 250 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (2006-present)

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2006-13), Toronto Raptors (2013), Sacramento Kings (2013-17), San Antonio Spurs (2017-present)

Stats: 960 G, 17.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.2 APG, 45.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Rookie Team (2007)

Bottom line: Rudy Gay’s career has played out in relative anonymity despite being one of the NBA’s most consistent scorers for over a decade. In 15 seasons, he’s only played in the postseason three times.

Gay has filled it up wherever he’s been, and his career averages of 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds hold up with most of the good-to-great players of his era.

Gay’s best years were with the Grizzlies, even though he was traded away right before the team’s run to the Western Conference finals in 2013.

Memphis Grizzlies: Pau Gasol, Power Forward

Pau Gasol was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2002. Jeff Lewis / AP Photo

Born: July 6, 1980 (Barcelona, Spain)

Youth club: Club Basquet Cornella (Cornella de Llobregat, Spain)

College: None

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 250 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (2001-19)

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2001-08), Los Angeles Lakers (2008-14), Chicago Bulls (2014-16), San Antonio Spurs (2016-19), MIlwaukee Bucks (2019)

Stats: 1,226 G, 17.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 50.7 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2009, 2010), six-time NBA All-Star (2006, 2009-11, 2015, 2016), four-time All-NBA Team (2009-11, 2015), NBA Rookie of the Year (2002), NBA Citizenship Award (2012)

Bottom line: Most NBA fans know Pau Gasol from his time winning back-to-back NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010, but Gasol was as good as any post player in the NBA for seven seasons before that with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Spanish-born star and brother of fellow NBA All-Star Marc Gasol won NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and filled up the stat sheet with the Grizzlies, averaging a career-best 18.8 points in his time there.

Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol, Center

Marc Gasol is one of the great post defenders in NBA history. Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

High school: Lausanne Collegiate School (Memphis, Tennessee)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 255 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2008-19), Toronto Raptors (2019-20), Los Angeles Lakers (2020-present)

Stats: 854 G, 14.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 48.1 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2019), three-time NBA All-Star (2012, 2015, 2017), two-time All-NBA Team (2013, 2015), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2013), NBA All-Defensive Team (2013), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009)

Bottom line: Marc Gasol ended up with the Memphis Grizzlies via a trade after being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal included his older brother, Pau Gasol being shipped to the Lakers.

Marc Gasol ended up becoming arguably the greatest player in franchise history for the Grizzlies — a three-time All-Star and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.

Rarely in NBA history have big men been as dedicated to their craft in defending the post and possessing a better understanding of what it takes to be an elite defender than Marc Gasol.

Memphis Grizzlies: Lionel Hollins, Head Coach

Lionel Hollins led the Grizzlies to the Western Conference finals in 2013. Lance Murphy / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 19, 1953 (Arkansas City, Kansas)

Career: 6 seasons (2009-13, 2014-16)

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2009-13), Brooklyn Nets (2014-16)

W-L record (overall): 262-272 (.491)

W-L record (with Grizzlies): 214-201 (.516)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: There wasn’t a very big pool of Grizzlies coaches to pick from, but out of all of those, none had even close to the success of Lionel Hollins, who led the team to its only appearance in the Western Conference finals in 2013 — success that still ended with Hollins being fired.

In four seasons as head coach, Hollins led the Grizzlies into the playoffs three times. and they won a franchise-record 56 games in 2012-13.

27. Minnesota Timberwolves: Some New Kind of Awful

The Minnesota Timberwolves are over 500 games below .500 for their lifetime. Andy King / AP Photo

Seasons: 32 (1989-present)

Record: 983-1,505 (.395)

Playoff appearances: 9

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: There is no way to sugarcoat the abject failure of the Minnesota Timberwolves as a franchise in just a shade over three decades of existence.

The numbers don’t lie. The Timberwolves are a stunning 500 games below .500 in the all-time record books. The Timberwolves have made it to the playoffs just nine times in 32 seasons and made it past the first round just once, making it to the Western Conference finals in 2004.

Before not making it back to the postseason for 14 years.

Minnesota Timberwolves Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Ricky Rubio

Shooting guard: Isaiah Rider

Small forward: Wally Szczerbiak

Power forward: Kevin Garnett

Center: Kevin Love

Head coach: Flip Saunders

Minnesota Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio, Point Guard

Ricky Rubio was the most highly-coveted European prospect in history. Jim Mone / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 21, 1990 (Catalonia, Spain)

Youth club: Joventut Badalona (Catalonia, Spain)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (2011-17, 2020-present), Utah Jazz (2017-19), Phoenix Suns (2019-20)

Stats: 574 G, 11.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 7.7 APG, 39.1 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Rookie Team (2012)

Bottom line: While the promise never lived up to the hype when it came to Ricky Rubio, it’s impossible to deny that he was probably the most coveted European prospect to ever make the leap to the NBA when he was taken with the No. 5 overall pick by the Timberwolves in 2009.

Rubio, who was reluctant to play for Minnesota, didn’t even join the team until 2011 and was the favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year up until he tore his ACL midway through his rookie year.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Isaiah Rider, Shooting Guard

Isaiah Rider played three seasons for the Timberwolves. NBA_TimeMachine / Twitter

Born: March 12, 1971 (Oakland, California)

High school: Encinal High School (Alameda, California)

College: UNLV

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 215 pounds

Career: 8 seasons (1993-2001)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1993-96), Portland Trail Blazers (1996-99), Atlanta Hawks (1999-2000), Los Angeles Lakers (2000-01), Denver Nuggets (2001)

Stats: 563 G, 16.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 44.3 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2001), NBA All-Rookie Team (1994), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1994)

Bottom line: Isaiah Rider’s inclusion on the all-time starting five speaks more to the lack of good shooting guards to ever play for the Minnesota Timberwolves than Rider’s accomplishments on the court.

He was a shooting star when he joined the team as the No. 5 overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft and won the Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie.

He was an electric scorer in three seasons with the Timberwolves but was constantly dogged by off-court problems in that stretch until he eventually was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1996.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Wally Szczerbiak, Small Forward

The Timberwolves got better when Wally Szczerbiak wasn’t in the starting lineup. AP Photo

Born: March 5, 1977 (Madrid, Spain)

High school: Cold Spring Harbor High School (Cold Spring Harbor, New York)

College: Miami (Ohio)

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 244 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1999-2009)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1999-2006), Boston Celtics (2006-07), Seattle SuperSonics (2007-08), Cleveland Cavaliers (2008-09)

Stats: 651 G, 14.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (2002), NBA All-Rookie Team (2000)

Bottom line: Another great example of why the Minnesota Timberwolves have been so historically bad is Wally Szczerbiak occupying the small forward position on their all-time starting five.

Szczerbiak was a one-dimensional player who could light up the box score on offense (sometimes) but always left quite a bit to be desired on the defensive end of the floor.

The best indication of how little Szczerbiak fit into the Timberwolves’ plans was his scoring average fell from 17.6 points in 2002-03 to 10.2 in 2003-04 — the year they made it to the Western Conference finals.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett, Power Forward

Kevin Garnett was the first NBA player to go straight from high school to the NBA in 20 years. Andy Krug / AP Photo

Born: May 19, 1976 (Greenville, South Carolina)

High school: Farragut Academy (Chicago, Illinois)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 240 pounds

Career: 21 seasons (1995-2016)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007, 2015-16), Boston Celtics (2007-13), Brooklyn Nets (2013-15)

Stats: 1,462 G, 17.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 49.7 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2008), NBA MVP (2004), 15-time NBA All-Star (1997, 1998, 2000-11, 2013), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2003), nine-time All-NBA Team (1999-2005, 2007, 2008), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2008), 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2000-09, 2011, 2012), NBA All-Rookie Team (1996)

Bottom line: Kevin Garnett came straight out of high school to the NBA and played a staggering 21 seasons — one of the longest careers in NBA history.

He was at his best with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he spent the first 12 years of his career and was named NBA Most Valuable Player in 2004, when he averaged 24.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

Garnett rightfully grew frustrated with Minnesota’s inability to build a team around him and forced a trade to the Boston Celtics in 2007, where he won his only NBA title in 2008.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Love, Center

Kevin Love won NBA Most Improved Player in 2011. Lynne Sladky / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 7, 1988 (Santa Monica, California)

High school: Lake Oswego High School (Lake Oswego, Oregon)

College: UCLA

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 250 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (2008-2014), Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-present)

Stats: 715 G, 18.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 44.2 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2016), five-time NBA All-Star (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018), two-time All-NBA Team (2012, 2014), NBA Most Improved Player (2011), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2012), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009)

Bottom line: Kevin Love might not be the first person that comes to mind when we talk about the toughest players in NBA history, but he most certainly is.

A lot of that comes from his upbringing. His father, Stan, was also an NBA player, and he had his son study tapes of Hall of Famer Wes Unseld as part of learning to play the game the right way.

Love will probably be most well-remembered when his career is over for his time playing alongside LeBron James in Cleveland and winning a championship in 2016, but he was dominant with the Timberwolves as an All-NBA pick three times in six seasons.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Flip Saunders, Head Coach

Flip Saunders led the Timberwolves into the Western Conference finals in 2004. Ann Heisenfelt / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 23, 1955 (Cleveland, Ohio)

Died: Oct. 25, 2015 (age 60, Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Career: 17 seasons (1995-2008, 2009-12, 2014-15)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2005, 2014-15), Detroit Pistons (2005-08), Washington Wizards (2009-12)

W-L record (overall): 654-592 (.525)

W-L record (with Timberwolves): 427-392 (.521)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Flip Saunders was a college teammate of Hall of Famer Kevin McHale at the University of Minnesota and coached almost a decade in the CBA before making the leap to the NBA when he was hired as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995.

Saunders spent a decade coaching the Timberwolves — the best decade in the franchise’s history — and even returned to coach the team in 2014-15 before he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and died in October 2015 at 60 years old.

26. Brooklyn Nets: New York, New Jersey, Brooklyn … Still the Nets

The Brooklyn Nets played in the 2002 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers when the franchise was still the New Jersey Nets. Michael Conroy / AP Photo

Seasons: 54 (1967-present, 45 NBA, 9 ABA)

Team names: New Jersey Americans (1967-68), New York Nets (1968-77), New Jersey Nets (1977-2012), Brooklyn Nets (2012-present)

Record: 1,868-2,441 (.433, 1,494-2,071 NBA, 374-370 ABA)

Playoff appearances: 28 (21 NBA, 7 ABA)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Want to know why the Brooklyn Nets are one of the most mediocre basketball franchises of all time? Look no further than when the team made the leap from the ABA to the NBA.

That’s when the Nets sold their best player, Julius Erving, to the 76ers. They were terrible moving forward, except for a stretch in the early 2000s when they made a pair of NBA Finals appearances.

Things might be looking up for the Nets with the addition of one of the NBA’s greatest players, Kevin Durant, along with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving in 2020 and three-time scoring champ James Harden in 2021.

Brooklyn Nets Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Jason Kidd

Shooting guard: Drazen Petrovic

Small forward: Richard Jefferson

Power forward: Buck WIlliams

Center: Brook Lopez

Head coach: Byron Scott

Brooklyn Nets: Jason Kidd, Point Guard

Jason Kidd led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals in back-to-back years. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: March 23, 1973 (San Francisco, California)

High school: St. Joseph Notre Dame High School (Alameda, California)

College: California

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1994-2013)

Teams: Dallas Mavericks (1994-96, 2008-12), Phoenix Suns (1996-2001), New Jersey Nets (2001-08), New York Knicks (2012-13)

Stats: 1,391 G, 12.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8.7 APG, 40.0 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2011), 10-time NBA All-Star (1996, 1998, 2000-04, 2007, 2008, 2010), six-time All-NBA Team (1999-2004), nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1999-2007), NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (1995)

Bottom line: Jason Kidd seemed good enough to lift almost every team he ever played for into contention, but never more notably than when he led the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.

Kidd was great with several teams, but he never came closer to winning a championship as a team’s centerpiece than when he was with the Nets. He eventually won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, playing a key role with Dirk Nowitzki as the star.

Kidd led the NBA in assists five times during his career, including twice with the Nets in 2003 and 2004.

Brooklyn Nets: Drazen Petrovic, Shooting Guard

Drazen Petrovic had his career tragically cut short. BrooklynNets / Twitter

Born: Oct. 22, 1964 (Sibenek, Croatia, Yugoslavia)

Died: June 7, 1993 (age 28, Denkendorf, Germany)

Youth club: KK Sibenek (Sibenek, Croatia)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 195 pounds

Career: 4 seasons (1989-93)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1989-91), New Jersey Nets (1991-93)

Stats: 290 G, 15.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.4 APG 50.6 FG%

Career highlights: All-NBA Team (1993), two-time EuroLeague champion (1985, 1986)

Bottom line: Drazen Petrovic’s life was tragically cut short when he died in a car accident in Germany shortly after completing his fourth NBA season and making his first All-NBA Team.

Petrovic’s first two seasons were a wash when he was buried behind Clyde Drexler on the Portland Trail Blazers’ bench, but he forced a trade before the 1991-92 season and hit his stride with the New Jersey Nets.

We’ll never know how high Petrovic could have soared in the NBA, but he showed enough in his two seasons in New Jersey that it’s not hard to see he was already becoming one of the NBA’s best scorers.

Brooklyn Nets: Richard Jefferson, Small Forward

Richard Jefferson played 17 seasons in the NBA. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: June 21, 1980 (Los Angeles, California)

High school: Moon Valley High School (Phoenix, Arizona)

College: Arizona

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 233 pounds

Career: 17 seasons (2001-18)

Teams: New Jersey Nets (2001-08), Milwaukee Bucks (2008-09), San Antonio Spurs (2009-12), Golden State Warriors (2012-13), Utah Jazz (2013-14), Dallas Mavericks (2014-15), Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-17), Denver Nuggets (2017-18)

Stats: 1,181 G, 12.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 46.0 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2016), NBA All-Rookie Team (2002)

Bottom line: Richard Jefferson established himself as one of the most versatile players in the NBA early in his career — good enough that the Nets felt comfortable trading proven veteran Keith Van Horn.

Jefferson helped the Nets to back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003 and signed a six-year, $78 million contract extension with the team in 2004.

Jefferson played 17 seasons in the NBA and played for eight different teams. He never came close to playing for any of them as long as the seven seasons he played for the Nets to kick off his career.

Brooklyn Nets: Buck Williams, Power Forward

Buck Williams played the first eight seasons of his career with the Nets. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: March 8, 1960 (Rocky Mount, North Carolina)

High school: Rocky Mount High School (Rocky Mount, North Carolina)

College: Maryland

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds

Career: 17 (1981-1998)

Teams: New Jersey Nets (1981-1989), Portland Trail Blazers (1989-1996), New York Knicks (1996-1998)

Stats: 1,307 G, 12.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 54.9 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA All-Star (1982, 1983, 1986), All-NBA Team (1983), four-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1988, 1990-92), NBA Rookie of the Year (1982)

Bottom line: Buck Williams was the definition of an NBA player bringing his lunch pail to work. The 1982 NBA Rookie of the Year earned a reputation for toughness and rebounding on the way to three All-Star game selections and four NBA All-Defensive Team nods.

Williams spent his first eight seasons with the Nets but became a household name during his seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. That’s when America got to know his trademark goggles (and beard) on the way to NBA Finals losses to the Bulls and Pistons.

For 1990s video game kids, he also was one of three players on the original “NBA Jam” who could consistently rebound. But it was in those first eight seasons with the Nets that Williams established himself as a strong player.

Brooklyn Nets: Brook Lopez, Center

Brook Lopez played on some truly awful teams with the Nets. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: April 1, 1988 (North Hollywood, California)

High school: San Joaquin Memorial High School (Fresno, California)

College: Stanford

Height/weight: 7-foot, 282 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (2008-17), Los Angeles Lakers (2017-18), Milwaukee Bucks (2018-present)

Stats: 797 G, 16.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 49.3 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (2013), NBA All-Defensive Team (2020), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009)

Bottom line: Brook Lopez was a force to be reckoned with in the NBA right from the start. He played in all 82 games in each of his first three seasons and became the Nets’ full-time starter at center early in his rookie season.

Lopez drew criticism for his rebounding ability early on, but it’s hard to knock Lopez for much because he was playing on some of the worst NBA teams in history, including a team that went 12-70 in his second year.

Few centers of his era could score like Lopez. He averaged over 20 points per game in four of his nine seasons with the Nets.

Brooklyn Nets: Byron Scott, Head Coach

Byron Scott had his best seasons as a head coach with the New Jersey Nets. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: March 28, 1961 (Ogden, Utah)

Career: 14 seasons (2000-09, 2010-13, 2014-16)

Teams: New Jersey Nets (2000-04), New Orleans Hornets (2004-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2010-13), Los Angeles Lakers (2014-16)

W-L record (overall): 454-647 (.412)

W-L record (Nets): 149-139 (.517)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Byron Scott won three NBA championships as part of the “Showtime” era with the Los Angeles Lakers, and that success translated to his NBA coaching career early on.

While Scott only coached the Nets for four seasons, it was the most successful stretch for the franchise after the ABA-NBA merger. The Nets made back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2003 and 2004.

Scott’s success with the Nets led to head coaching stints with three more teams, including the Lakers, but he’s never even remotely sniffed the success he had with the Nets.

25. Atlanta Hawks: Take Me Back to St. Louis

The Atlanta Hawks won their lone NBA title in 1958 while the franchise was in St. Louis. J. Walter Green / AP Photo

Seasons: 72 (1949-present)

Team names: Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949-51), Milwaukee Hawks (1951-55), St. Louis Hawks (1955-68), Atlanta Hawks (1968-present)

Record: 2,772-2,860 (.492)

Playoff appearances: 46

NBA championships: 1 (1958)

Bottom line: With its lone championship coming as the St. Louis Hawks in 1958, the Atlanta Hawks franchise owns the second-longest NBA title drought of any team in the league behind the Sacramento Kings.

The Hawks’ championship came in the middle of a five-year run where they made the NBA Finals four times, with all three of their losses coming at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

The franchise moved to Atlanta in 1968, and they haven’t been back to the NBA Finals since.

Atlanta Hawks Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Mookie Blaylock

Shooting guard: Steve Smith

Small forward: Dominique Wilkins

Power forward: Bob Pettit

Center: Dikembe Mutombo

Head coach: Mike Fratello

Atlanta Hawks: Mookie Blaylock, Point Guard

Pearl Jam’s original band name was Mookie Blaylock. Mark Duncan

Born: March 20, 1967 (Garland, Texas)

High school: Garland High School (Garland, Texas)

College: Oklahoma

Height/weight: 6-foot, 180 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1989-2002)

Teams: New Jersey Nets (1989-92), Atlanta Hawks (1992-99), Golden State Warriors (1999-2002)

Stats: 889 G, 13.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 6.7 APG, 40.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1994), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1994-99)

Bottom line: Mookie Blaylock had his best years with the Hawks and was a defensive force throughout the 1990s who could lock down opposing players as well as anyone.

Blaylock made his only All-Star team playing for Atlanta in 1994 and was a six-time All-NBA Defensive Team pick there. Blaylock led the league in steals in back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998, becoming one of only five players in NBA history to do so.

He averaged 2.3 steals for his career and is Atlanta’s career leader in steals with 2,075.

Atlanta Hawks: Steve Smith, Shooting Guard

Steve Smith made his only All-Star game with the Atlanta Hawks in 1998. AP Photo

Born: March 31, 1969 (Highland Park, Michigan)

High school: Pershing High School (Detroit, Michigan)

College: Michigan State

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 221 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1991-2005)

Teams: Miami Heat (1991-94, 2005), Atlanta Hawks (1994-99), Portland Trail Blazers (1999-2001), San Antonio Spurs (2001-03), New Orleans Hornets (2003-04), Charlotte Bobcats (2004-05)

Stats: 942 G, 14.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 44.0 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2003), NBA All-Star (1998), NBA All-Rookie Team (1992), NBA Sportsmanship Award (2002)

Bottom line: Steve Smith had the best seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks in the mid-late 1990s, including making his only All-Star team in 1998. Smith averaged 18.6 points during his time in Atlanta — four points higher than anywhere else he played.

Smith’s trade from the Miami Heat to the Hawks at the beginning of the 1994-95 season inadvertently led to Miami becoming one of the NBA’s power franchises. Trading Smith for Grant Long and Kevin Willis was so widely derided that the Heat fired their entire front office and brought in Pat Riley to coach and run basketball operations.

Atlanta Hawks: Dominique Wilkins, Small Forward

Dominique Wilkins played above the rim. Way above the rim. Don Larson / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 12, 1960 (Paris, France)

High school: Washington High School (Washington, North Carolina)

College: Georgia

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1982-1997, 1999)

Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1982-94), Los Angeles Clippers (1994), Boston Celtics (1994-95), San Antonio Spurs (1996-97), Orlando Magic (1999)

Stats: 1,074 G, 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 46.1 FG%

Career highlights: Seven-time All-NBA (1986-89, 1991, 1993, 1994), NBA All-Rookie Team (1983), two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion (1985, 1990)

Bottom line: Dominique Wilkins spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks, where he established a legacy as one of the most exciting players in NBA history. Wilkins was a marvel on the basketball court. Few players have been as creative or had as much success playing above the rim.

What doesn’t get enough credit is his mid-range game. Through hard work, Wilkins developed a pop-and-drop jumper that was almost impossible to defend. Wilkins won his lone NBA scoring title in 1986 with the Hawks and was also a two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion with the franchise.

It’s either Wilkins or Bob Pettit when it comes down to the argument for the greatest player in franchise history.

Atlanta Hawks: Bob Pettit, Power Forward

Bob Pettit is one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 12, 1932 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

High school: Baton Rouge High School (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

College: LSU

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 205 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (1954-1965)

Teams: Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks

Stats: 792 G, 26.4 PPG, 16.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 43.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1958), two-time NBA MVP (1956, 1959), 11-time NBA All-Star (1955-65), four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1956, 1958, 1959, 1962), 11-time All-NBA (1955-65), NBA Rookie of the Year (1955), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Bob Pettit was one of the most prolific scorers and rebounders in NBA history, and if you did a double-take at his career rebounding average, that’s understandable. Because 16.2 rebounds per game are just insane. It’s also a clear indicator of where his toughness came from — he trails only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell in that category.

Pettit only played 11 seasons in the NBA and was a first-team All-NBA pick 10 times, and he made second-team the other season. Pettit was the first NBA Most Valuable Player in 1958 and is tied with Kobe Bryant for most NBA All-Star MVP awards with four.

Atlanta Hawks: Dikembe Mutombo, Center

Dikembe Mutombo is one of the greatest shot blockers of all time. Alan Mothner / AP Photo

Born: June 25, 1966 (Leopoldville, Republic of Congo, Africa)

High school: Institute Boboto (Kinshasha, Republic of Congo, Africa)

College: Georgetown

Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 260 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (1981-2009)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (1991-96), Atlanta Hawks (1996-2001), Philadelphia 76ers (2001-02), New Jersey Nets (2002-03), New York Knicks (2003-04), Houston Rockets (2004-09)

Stats: 1,196 G, 9.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 51.8 FG%

Career highlights: Eight-time NBA All-Star (1992, 1995-98, 2000-02), three-time All-NBA (1998, 2001, 2002), four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1995, 1997-2002), NBA All-Rookie Team (1992)

Bottom line: Few NBA centers could defend and rebound with the laser focus of Dikembe Mutombo. Although the counter-argument to that is his offensive skills were so limited he had no choice.

Mutombo’s greatest years came with the Atlanta Hawks. He won two NBA rebounding titles and three out of his record-tying four NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophies after he signed a five-year, $55 million free-agent contract with the team before the 1995-96 season.

Mutombo averaged a staggering 3.2 blocks per game during his time with the Hawks. Those numbers drastically fell off once he left the team.

Atlanta Hawks: Mike Fratello, Head Coach

Mike Fratello was the kind of coach you wanted in the 1980s. Mark Duncan / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 24, 1947 (North Haledon, New Jersey)

Career: 15 seasons (1983-90, 1993-99, 2004-06)

Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1983-90), Cleveland Cavaliers (1993-99), Memphis Grizzlies (2004-06)

W-L record (overall): 667-548 (.549)

W-L record (Hawks): 324-253 (.562)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Mike Fratello was an assistant coach in college and in the NBA, including four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, before he got his first head coaching opportunity with Atlanta in 1983.

Fratello’s tenure with the Hawks was the most successful in the franchise’s time in Atlanta. He was named NBA coach of the year in 1986 and coached the East in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game.

Fratello made the playoffs five times with Atlanta, including winning a Central Division title in 1987.

24. Los Angeles Clippers: All of the

The Los Angeles Clippers have never played in the NBA Finals. Chris Carlson / AP Photo

Seasons: 51 (1970-present)

Team names: Buffalo Braves (1970-78), San Diego Clippers (1978-84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984-present)

Record: 1,669-2,387 (.411)

Playoff appearances: 15

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: The Los Angeles Clipper have the dubious distinction of being one of the worst-run franchises in professional sports for most of its existence.

The team broke the hearts of loyal basketball fans in Buffalo with a move west in 1978, where they spent six seasons in San Diego before making the move north up Interstate 5 to Los Angeles.

The Clippers had their first period of sustained success in the 2010s with the “Lob City” teams featuring Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, but the franchise has still never played in the NBA Finals.

Los Angeles Clippers Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Chris Paul

Shooting guard: Jamal Crawford

Small forward: Randy Smith

Power forward: Blake Griffin

Center: Bob McAdoo

Head coach: Doc Rivers

Los Angeles Clippers: Chris Paul, Point Guard

Chris Paul created “Lob City” with the Clippers. Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo

Born: May 6, 1985 (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

High school: West Forsyth High School (Clemmons, North Carolina)

College: Wake Forest

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (2005-present)

Teams: New Orleans Hornets (2005-11), Los Angeles Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-present)

Stats: 1,032 G, 18.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 47.0 FG%

Career highlights: Ten-time NBA All-Star (2008-16, 2020), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2013), nine-time All-NBA Team (2008. 2009, 2011-16, 2020), nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2008, 2009, 2011-17), NBA Rookie of the Year (2006)

Bottom line: One of the most difficult decisions in putting together the all-time starting fives was picking which team Chris Paul should go on — because he is hands-down the best point guard to ever play for the Hornets and the Clippers.

Paul, who is already a lock for the Hall of Fame, was the star player for the Clippers in leading the franchise to NBA relevancy for the first time ever and led the NBA in either steals or assists in each of his first five seasons in Los Angeles.

Even without an NBA title, the only remaining debate on Paul’s career is where he ranks among the greatest point guards of all time.

Los Angeles Clippers: Jamal Crawford, Shooting Guard

Jamal Crawford is one of the most beloved teammates in NBA history. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Born: March 20, 1980 (Seattle, Washington)

High school: Rainier Beach High School (Seattle, Washington)

College: Michigan

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 200 pounds

Career: 20 seasons (2000-2020)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (2000-04), New York Knicks (2004-08), Golden State Warriors (2008-09), Atlanta Hawks (2009-11), Portland Trail Blazers (2011-12), Los Angeles Clippers (2012-17), Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-18), Phoenix Suns (2018-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-20)

Stats: 1,327 G, 14.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 41.0 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2010, 2015, 2016), NBA Teammate of the Year (2018)

Bottom line: Jamal Crawford played 20 years in the NBA and is regarded as one of the great teammates in NBA history — even if he’s never won an NBA championship.

Crawford is a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year and was named NBA Teammate of the Year in 2018, with two of those three Sixth Man of the Year awards coming while he was with the Clippers.

In his prime, Crawford could fill it up with the best players in the NBA and while he definitely had better statistical seasons than when he was with the Clippers, those were the best teams he was on and where his talents on the court and in the locker room were best utilized.

Los Angeles Clippers: Randy Smith, Small Forward

Randy Smith went from a seventh-round pick to NBA All-Star Game MVP. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 12, 1948 (Bellport, New York)

Died: June 4, 2009 (age 60, Norwich, Connecticut)

High school: Bellport High School (Brookhaven, New York)

College: Buffalo State

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds

Career: 12 seasons 1971-83)

Teams: Buffalo Braves/San Diego Clippers (1971-79, 1982-83), Cleveland Cavaliers (1979-81), New York Knicks (1981-82), Atlanta Hawks (1983)

Stats: 976 G, 16.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 4.6 APG, 47.0 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA All-Star (1976, 1978), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1978), All-NBA Team (1976)

Bottom line: Undersized as a small forward even by the standards of his own era, Randy Smith defied expectations from the very start and made the Buffalo Braves after being a throwaway, seventh-round pick out of Division II Buffalo State in the 1971 NBA draft.

Smith was a great complement to center Bob McAdoo and averaged over 20 points per game for four consecutive seasons — three of which McAdoo led the NBA in scoring.

Smith was a freak athlete and one of the first NBA players to make a reputation for playing above the rim. He also was durable and played in an NBA-record 906 straight games in the regular season from 1972 to 1982, before the record was broken by A.C. Green with 1,192 consecutive regular-season games.

Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin, Power Forwarrd

Blake Griffin likes to dunk on people. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Born: March 16, 1989 (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

High school: Oklahoma Christian School (Edmond, Oklahoma)

College: Oklahoma

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers (2009-2018), Detroit Pistons (2018-present)

Stats: 632 G, 21.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 49.8 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (2011-15, 2019), five-time All-NBA Team (2012-15, 2019), NBA Rookie of the Year (2011), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2011)

Bottom line: Selected No. 1 overall in the 2009 NBA draft out of the University of Oklahoma, Blake Griffin helped reinvent the Los Angeles Clippers and end their reputation as an NBA punching bag. For the first time ever, the franchise was consistently competitive for an extended period.

Griffing also helped define that same stretch by injuries and questionable decisions off the court, including injuring his hand when he punched a member of the team’s equipment staff.

Still, Griffin’s contributions to the success of the Clippers in the “Lob City’ era with Chris Paul can’t be overlooked. Griffin made four consecutive All-NBA teams from 2012 to 2015, when he averaged over 20 points and almost 10 rebounds, along with a more-than-impressive 4.2 assists.

Los Angeles Clippers: Bob McAdoo, Center

Bob McAdoo played the first four seasons of his career with the Buffalo Braves. AP Photo

Born: Sept. 25, 1951 (Greensboro, North Carolina)

High school: Ben L. Smith High School (Greensboro, North Carolina)

College: North Carolina

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 225 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1972-86)

Teams: Buffalo Braves (1972-76), New York Knicks (1976-79), Boston Celtics (1979), Detroit Pistons (1979-81), New Jersey Nets (1981), Los Angeles Lakers (1981-85), Philadelphia 76ers (1986)

Stats: 852 G, 22.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 50.3 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1982, 1985), NBA Most Valuable Player (1975), five-time NBA All-Star (1974-78), two-time All-NBA Team (1974, 1975), NBA Rookie of the Year (1973)

Bottom line: Bob McAdoo was one of the more dominant post players of the 1970s playing in faraway Buffalo, leading the NBA in scoring three consecutive seasons from 1974 to 1976.

McAdoo only played four seasons with the Braves but had the greatest season of his career there in 1975, when he earned NBA Most Valuable Player honors after he averaged 34.5 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.

At 6-foot-9 and with a perimeter game, McAdoo would have been a player to be reckoned with in any era.

Los Angeles Clippers: Doc Rivers, Head Coach

Doc Rivers coached the Clippers for seven seasons. Kim Raff / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 13, 1961 (Chicago, Illinois)

Career: 21 seasons (1999-2003, 2004-present)

Teams: Orlando Magic (1999-2003), Boston Celtics (2004-13), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-20), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-present)

W-L record (overall): 952-685 (.582)

W-L record (with Clippers): 356-208 (.631)

NBA championships: 1 (2008)

Bottom line: Doc Rivers spent 13 seasons playing in the NBA but has been a head coach in the league for almost twice as long.

He may have won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, but his greatest coaching achievement was with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he led the team to a franchise-record 57 wins in his first season and helped make them a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

It was also Rivers’ leadership that helped the organization navigate through the fallout after former owner Donald Sterling was forced to sell the team in 2014 in the wake of racially insensitive comments he made.

23. Orlando Magic: A Tale of Two Centers

The Orlando Magic had the NBA’s two biggest young stars in the early 1990s with Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. Elise Amendola / AP Photo

Seasons: 32 (1989-present)

Record: 1,197-1,302 (.479)

Playoff appearances: 16

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: The Orlando Magic got a huge lift just a few years into the franchise’s existence when they picked up center Shaquille O’Neal and guard Penny Hardaway in back-to-back drafts. They were in the NBA Finals in 1995 with the duo just six years into their existence.

Both players were out of Orlando by the end of the decade and aside from a brief respite with Dwight Howard in the late 2000s, including another NBA Finals appearance in 2009, it’s been tough skating for Magic fans.

Since losing in the Eastern Conference finals in 2010, Orlando has only made the playoffs four times and hasn’t advanced past the first round.

Orlando Magic Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway

Shooting guard: Nick Anderson

Small forward: Tracy McGrady

Power forward: Rashard Lewis

Center: Dwight Howard

Head coach: Stan Van Gundy

Orlando Magic: Anfernee Hardaway, Point Guard

Remember those great Lil’ Penny commercials. Steve Simoneau / AP Photo

Born: July 18, 1971 (Memphis, Tennessee)

High school: Treadwell High School (Memphis, Tennessee)

College: Memphis

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 215 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1993-2007)

Teams: Orlando Magic (1993-99), Phoenix Suns (1999-2004), New York Knicks (2004-06), Miami Heat (2007)

Stats: 704 G, 15.2 PPG, 4.5, 5.0 APG, 45.8 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA All-Star (1995-98), three-time All-NBA Team (1995-97), NBA All-Rookie Team (1994)

Bottom line: One of the more exciting players of the 1990s, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway came to the Orlando Magic via a draft-day trade that saw the team ship the No. 1 overall pick, Chris Webber, to the Golden State Warriors with the Magic getting Hardaway and three first-round picks in return.

The deal turned out to be the steal of a lifetime, with Hardaway at one time laying claim to the most popular player in the NBA (who could forget the “Little Penny” commercials?) and helping guide the Magic into the 1995 NBA Finals.

Injuries decimated the second half of Hardaway’s career, but with the Magic, he was as good as you can be, making three consecutive All-NBA teams from 1995 to 1997.

Orlando Magic: Nick Anderson, Shooting Guarrd

Nick Anderson’s career was defined by four missed free throws. Chris O’Meara / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 20, 1968 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: Simeon Career Academy (Chicago, Illinois)

College: Illinois

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 205 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1989-2002)

Teams: Orlando Magic (1989-99), Sacramento Kings (1999-2001), Memphis Grizzlies (2001-02)

Stats: 800 G, 14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 44.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA Draft No. 11 overall (1989)

Bottom line: It’s hard to boil a player’s career down to one game, but unfortunately, most of Nick Anderson’s good play with the Orlando Magic in the first decade of his career was washed away by his performance in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals.

That’s when Anderson, who averaged 19.9 points for Orlando in back-to-back seasons in 1992 and 1993, missed four consecutive free throws in the final minute of the game that could have sealed the win for the Magic.

The Houston Rockets came back to tie the game in regulation, won in overtime and swept Orlando.

Orlando Magic: Tracy McGrady, Small Forward

Tracy McGrady became an NBA superstar with the Orlando Magic. Tony Ranze / AP Photo

Born: May 24, 1979 (Bartow, Florida)

High school: Mount Zion Christian Academy (Durham, North Carolina)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 225 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1997-2013)

Teams: Toronto Raptors (1997-2000), Orlando Magic (2000-04), Houston Rockets (2004-10), New York Knicks (2010), Detroit Pistons (2010-11), Atlanta Hawks (2011-12), San Antonio Spurs (2013)

Stats: 938 G, 19.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG

Career highlights: Seven-time NBA All-Star (2001-07), seven-time All-NBA Team (2001-05, 2007, 2008), NBA Most Improved Player (2001)

Bottom line: Never has a player benefited more from his era than Tracy McGrady, a product of the post-Jordan, no-defense, soft-as-tissue NBA, where talent was diluted across the league.

The greatest indictment of McGrady’s career is his failure in the postseason. He played past the first round once, in 2013, as a bench player, averaging 5.2 minutes per game for the Spurs in his final season.

McGrady was virtually unstoppable when he was with the Magic for four seasons and became a perennial NBA All-Star, averaging 28.1 points, including leading the NBA in scoring in 2003 and 2004.

Orlando Magic: Rashard Lewis, Power Forward

Rashard Lewis switched positions when he came to the Orlando Magic. Reinhold Matay / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 8, 1979 (Pineville, Louisiana)

High school: Elsik High School (Houston, Texas)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 235 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1998-2014)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1998-2007), Orlando Magic (2007-10), Washington Wizards (2010-12), Miami Heat (2012-14)

Stats: 1,049 G, 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 45.2 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2013), two-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2009)

Bottom line: Rashard Lewis established himself as one of the dominant small forwards in the NBA during the first eight seasons of his career with the Seattle SuperSonics and signed a six-year, $118 million contract with the Orlando Magic in 2007.

The Magic, smartly, moved Lewis to power forward and he began to shoot three-pointers at an astounding clip and helped lead the team to the 2009 NBA Finals. Lewis only spent three seasons with the Magic, but was aces in his time there, averaging 16.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in that stretch.

In 2010, he was traded to the Washington Wizards following a suspension for violating the NBA’s substance abuse policy and closed out his career with the Heat.

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard, Center

Dwight Howard was the No. 1 overall pick in 2004. Nell Redmond / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 8, 1985 (Atlanta, Georgia)

High school: Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 265 pounds

Career: 17 seasons (2004-present)

Teams: Orlando Magic (2004-2012), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-2013, 2019-present), Houston Rockets (2013-2016), Atlanta Hawks (2016-2017), Charlotte Hornets (2017-2018), Washington Wizards (2018-2019), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-present)

Stats: 1,127 G, 16.6 PPG, 12.2 PPG, 1.4 APG, 58.7 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2020), eight-time NBA All-Star (2007-14), eight-time All-NBA Team (2007-14), five-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2008-12), NBA All-Rookie Team (2005), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2008)

Bottom line: Despite what’s happened in the second half of Dwight Howard’s career, you can’t question the logic when the Orlando Magic took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft.

Howard was the dominant defensive player in the NBA for the better part of a decade, winning NBA Defensive Player of the Year three times, leading the NBA in rebounds five times and blocked shots twice, along with taking the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009.

The downside was Howard’s inability to progress his offensive game or be a good teammate. After leaving the Magic in 2012, he’s played for six teams in eight seasons.

Orlando Magic: Stan Van Gundy, Head Coach

Stan Van Gundy was fired after a beef with star center Dwight Howard. Paul Connors / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 26, 1959 (Indio, California)

Career: 12 seasons (2003-05, 2007-12, 2014-18, 2020-present)

Teams: Miami Heat (2003-05), Orlando Magic (2007-12), Detroit Pistons (2014-18), New Orleans Pelicans (2020-present)

W-L record (overall): 528-391 (.576)

W-L record (with Magic): 259-135 (.657)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Stan Van Gundy was as good coaching the Orlando Magic as anyone in his profession during the late 2000s and early 2010s, winning almost 70 percent of his games and leading the team to the NBA Finals in a five-year stretch.

In one of the more bizarre coach-player moments in NBA history, Van Gundy confirmed to the media he’d been informed by executives that Dwight Howard had asked to have him fired. Then, Howard came up and hugged Van Gundy and pretended as if nothing had happened.

Van Gundy was fired after the season.

22. Denver Nuggets: Mile High Ups and Downs

The Denver Nuggets have never played in the NBA Finals. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Seasons: 54 seasons (1967-present)

Team names: Denver Rockets (1967-74), Denver Nuggets (1974-present)

Record: 2,168-2,140 (.503, 1,755-1,809 NBA, 413-331 ABA)

Playoff appearances: 35 (26 NBA & 9 ABA)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Not only have the Denver Nuggets never played for an NBA championship, they’ve only played for a championship once in franchise history, when they lost in the 1976 ABA Finals.

The Nuggets saw a period of extended success in the 1980s, when they were in the playoffs on a consistent basis, then again in the 2000s with the addition of star Carmelo Anthony in 2003.

The Nuggets may be on the precipice of being a contender again in the early 2020s with young stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.

Denver Nuggets Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Fat Lever

Shooting guard: David Thompson

Small forward: Carmelo Anthony

Power forward: Dan Issel

Center: Nikola Jokic

Head coach: George Karl

Denver Nuggets: Fat Lever, Point Guard

Fat Lever was very, very good for the Denver Nuggets. ESPNStatsInfo / Twitter

Born: Aug. 18, 1960 (Pine Bluff, Arkansas)

High school: Pueblo High School (Tucson, Arizona)

College: Arizona State

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 170 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1982-94)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1982-84), Denver Nuggets (1984-90), Dallas Mavericks (1990-94)

Stats: 752 G, 13.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.2 APG, 44.7 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA All-Star (1988, 1990), All-NBA Team (1987), NBA All-Defensive Team (1988)

Bottom line: Fat Lever’s legacy probably isn’t what it should be for the numbers he put up. He’s one of the best rebounding guards in NBA history and one of just three players in NBA history to record at least 15-plus points, rebounds and assists in a playoff game alongside Wilt Chamberlain and Jason Kidd.

Lever had his best years with the Dallas Mavericks, where he made his only two All-Star appearances, his lone All-NBA Team and his lone NBA All-Defensive Team.

Lever averaged 17.0 points in his six seasons with the Nuggets — almost 10 more points than his other two NBA stops.

Denver Nuggets: David Thompson, Shooting Guard

David Thompson was one of the most exciting players in NBA history. Nick Ut / AP Photo

Born: July 13, 1954 (Shelby, North Carolina)

High school: Crest High School (Shelby, North Carolina)

College: North Carolina State

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 195 pounds

Career: 8 seasons (1976-1984)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (1976-1982), Seattle SuperSonics (1982-1984)

Stats: 592 G, 22.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 50.5 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA All-Star (1977-79, 1983), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1979), two-time All-NBA Team (1977, 1978)

Bottom line: It’s tough to explain to the modern basketball fan what a revelation David Thompson was during his college playing days at North Carolina State. He was nicknamed “Skywalker” years before anyone knew what “Star Wars” was.

Thompson’s high-flying style of play inspired none other than Michael Jordan, who asked Thompson to be his introductory speaker at his Hall of Fame induction in 2009.

Thompson, one of the greatest dunkers in basketball history, had his career ultimately derailed by cocaine addiction but was worth the price of admission almost every night he played.

Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony, Small Forward

Carmelo Anthony spent the first eight seasons of his career in Denver. Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

Born: May 29, 1984 (Brooklyn, New York)

High school: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)

College: Syracuse

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 238 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (2003-present)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (2003-11), New York Knicks (2011-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2018-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019-present)

Stats: 1,135 G, 23.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 44.8 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time All-NBA Team (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), 10-time NBA All-Star (2007, 2008, 2010-17), NBA All-Rookie Team (2004)

Bottom line: Carmelo Anthony could have been the pick for multiple teams for their all-time starting five. He also had some great years with the New York Knicks.

But it was his decade with the Denver Nuggets to kick off his career that Anthony was at his best in the NBA. He made the All-NBA Team four times with the Nuggets and averaged 24.8 points with the club, just one-tenth of a point higher than his average with the Knicks.

Anthony also had his most team success with the Nuggets, where he played in the conference finals for the only time in his career.

Denver Nuggets: Dan Issel, Power Forward

Dan Issel only played nine seasons in the NBA. Pete Leabo / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 25, 1948 (Batavia, Illinois)

High school: Batavia High School (Batavia, Illinois)

College: Kentucky

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 235 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (1976-85)

Teams: Denver Nuggets

Stats: 1,218 G, 22.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 49.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1977)

Bottom line: The block Dan Issel grew up in Batavia, Illinois, was home to not just one, but two future sports superstars in Issel and future NFL MVP Ken Anderson, who played quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Unfortunately for Issel, he spent the prime of his career playing in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels before the Denver Nuggets joined the NBA in 1976, where Issell still dominated to the tune of 22.6 points and 9.1 rebounds for his nine seasons there.

Growing up on the same block as Issel and Anderson in Batavia was another future star. But this one was on the sports broadcasting side in the late Craig Sager.

Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic, Center

Nikola Jokic was an All-NBA pick in 2019. Eric Gay / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 19, 1995 (Sombor, Serbia, Yugoslavia)

Youth club: Mega Basket (Belgrade, Serbia)

College: None

Height/weight: 7-foot, 284 pounds

Career: 6 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Denver Nuggets

Stats: 394 G, 17.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 52.6 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA All-Star (2019, 2020), two-time All-NBA Team (2019, 2020), NBA All-Rookie Team (2016)

Bottom line: Nikola Jokic has been a triple-double machine since he joined the NBA in 2015 as a second-round draft pick.

He’s already in the top 10 in NBA history for triple-doubles just a shade over five seasons into his career and is already being viewed by many as one of the best passing big men of all time.

Jokic’s skills have not gone unnoticed by the rest of the league. In his first five seasons, he’s already been an NBA All-Rookie Team selection and two-time All-NBA Team pick.

Denver Nuggets: George Karl, Head Coach

George Karl coached the Denver Nuggets for eight seasons. David Zalubowski / AP Photo

Born: May 12, 1951 (Penn Hills, Pennsylvania)

Career: 24 seasons (1984-88, 1992-2003, 2005-13, 2015-16)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-86), Golden State Warriors (1986-88), Seattle SuperSonics (1992-98), Milwaukee Bucks (1998-2003), Denver Nuggets (2005-13), Sacramento Kings (2015-16)

W-L record (overall): 1,175-824 (.588)

W-L record (with Nuggets): 423-257 (.622)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: George Karl was the perfect recipe for middling teams to make the playoffs throughout his career, doing so with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks before he was hired by the Denver Nuggets in 2005.

And despite leading the Sonics to the 1995 NBA Finals, it was with Denver where he made his biggest mark, winning his only NBA Coach of the Year award in 24 NBA seasons.

Then, he was fired just a few months later.

21. Indiana Pacers: They Were Really Good in the ABA

The Indiana Pacers had some of their best seasons in the mid-1990s. Michael Conroy / AP Photo

Seasons: 54 (1967-present, 45 NBA, 9 ABA)

Record: 2,224-2,083 (.516, 1,797-1,766 NBA, 427-317 ABA)

Playoff appearances: 36 (27 NBA, 9 ABA)

NBA championships: None (3 ABA, 1970, 1972, 1973)

Bottom line: The Indiana Pacers’ best seasons — and only championships — were during their ABA days. The team won titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973 with star forward George McGinnis leading the way.

The Pacers have been different levels of competitive in the last three decades. Their most notable stretch was in the 1990s behind star guard Reggie MIller, capped by the Pacers’ lone appearance in the NBA Finals in 2000, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Indiana Pacers Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Vern Fleming

Shooting guard: Reggie Miller

Small forward: Paul George

Power forward: Jermaine O’Neal

Center: Rick Smits

Head coach: Slick Leonard

Indiana Pacers: Vern Fleming, Point Guarrd

Vern Fleming never made an All-Star team. kerba1123 / Twitter

Born: Feb. 4, 1962 (New York City, New York)

High school: Mater Christi High School (Queens, New York)

College: Georgia

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 185 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1984-96)

Teams: Indiana Pacers (1984-95), New Jersey Nets (1995-96)

Stats: 893 G, 11.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.8 APG, 49.8 FG%

Career highlights: NBA draft No. 18 overall (1984)

Bottom line: There weren’t many great Indiana Pacers point guards to choose from. This came down to Mark Jackson or Vern Fleming, who was steady but not spectacular in 11 seasons with the Pacers.

Fleming never made an All-Star team, then became a role player in the latter part of his tenure with Indiana.

Fleming was unusually big for a point guard in his era at 6-foot-5, which may have translated to more success a generation later.

Indiana Pacers: Reggie Miller, Shooting Guard

Reggie Miller is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Ron Hoskins / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 24, 1965 (Riverside, California)

High school: Riverside Polytechnic High School (Riverside, California)

College: UCLA

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 185 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (1987-2005)

Teams: Indiana Pacers

Stats: 1,389 G, 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 47.1 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1990, 1995-96, 1998, 2000), three-time All-NBA Team (1995, 1996, 1998), NBA Citizenship Award (2004)

Bottom line: One of the best players in NBA history to never win an NBA title, Reggie Miller played his entire career with the Indiana Pacers.

The famous “Knick Killer” once scored eight points in nine seconds to beat the Knicks in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals and is currently No. 2 in NBA history for made three-pointers behind Ray Allen.

Miller said his unusual shot style was developed early in his life — he lets go of the ball at an unusually high point and at an unusually high angle, which he said was a necessity when playing against older sister and fellow Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller.

Indiana Pacers: Paul George, Small Forward

Paul George has had some rough years since leaving the Pacers. Darron Cummings / AP Photo

Born: May 2, 1990 (Palmdale, California)

High school: Knight High School (Palmdale, California)

College: Fresno State

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: Indiana Pacers (2010-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-19), Los Angeles Clippers (2019-present)

Stats: 664 G, 20.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 43.5 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (2013, 2014, 2016-19), five-time All-NBA Team (2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019), four-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2013, 2014, 2016, 2019), NBA All-Rookie Team (2011), NBA Most Improved Player (2013)

Bottom line: Before Paul George became a meme and associated with playoff failures and excuses after losing big games, he was one of the greatest players in Indiana Pacers history.

The No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft overcame a gruesome injury in 2015 while playing for Team USA and was a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA pick while with the Pacers

He also carved out a reputation as one of the best defensive players in his generation.

Indiana Pacers: Jermaine O’Neal, Power Forward

Jermaine O’Neal went directly to the NBA from high school. Chuck Burton / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 13, 1978 (Columbia, South Carolina)

High school: Eau Claire High School (Columbia, South Carolina)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 255 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (1996-2014)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1996-2000), Indiana Pacers (2000-08), Toronto Raptors (2008-09), Miami Heat (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-12), Phoenix Suns (2012-13), Golden State Warriors (2013-14)

Stats: 1,011 G, 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 46.7 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (2002-07), three-time All-NBA Team (2002-04), NBA Most Improved Player (2002)

Bottom line: Jermaine O’Neal went directly to the NBA out of high school and languished on the Portland Trail Blazers’ bench for the first four seasons of his career before he was traded to the Pacers.

With Indiana, O’Neal became one of the best post players in the NBA, making six consecutive All-Star teams, three consecutive All-NBA teams and earning NBA Most Improved Player honors in 2002.

Unfortunately for O’Neal, his time with the team will most likely be remembered for his role in the “Malice at the Palace” in 2004 — one of the worst incidents in NBA history.

Indiana Pacers: Rik Smits, Center

Rik Smits was pretty great with the ball in his hands. Al Behrmann / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 23, 1966 (Eindhoven, Netherlands)

Youth club: PSV-Almonte (Eindhoven, Netherlands)

College: Marist

Height/weight: 7-foot-4, 250 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1988-2000)

Teams: Indiana Pacers

Stats: 867 G, 14.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 50.7 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1998), NBA All-Rookie Team (1989)

Bottom line: “The Dunking Dutchman” spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers after being taken No. 2 overall in the 1988 NBA draft — one of the more underwhelming drafts in NBA history.

Rik Smits held down the post for the Indiana Pacers for over a decade as a better-than-average complement to Reggie Miller in the backcourt, although Smits was often maligned for his inability to rebound at an elite level.

Smits made up for it with his offensive prowess and his clutch play in the postseason.

Indiana Pacers: Slick Leonard, Head Coach

Slick Leonard wasn’t against pounding a few brews after a big win. dandakich / Twitter

Born: July 17, 1932 (Terre Haute, Indiana)

Career: 6 seasons (1962-64, 1976-80)

Teams: Chicago Zephyrs/Baltimore Bullets (1962-64), Indiana Pacers (1976-80)

W-L record (overall): 186-264 (.413)

W-L record (with Pacers): 142-186 (.433)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: This is the most sentimental pick of all our all-time head coach selections, but for good reason. Slick Leonard coached the Indiana Pacers for 12 seasons, the first eight in the ABA and the last four in the NBA.

Without Leonard, who won three ABA titles, the franchise might not have even been deemed NBA worthy when the two leagues merged.

In the NBA, his tenure was during the most cash-strapped stretch in the franchise’s history due to the NBA’s cash demands of ABA teams who joined the league.

20. Toronto Raptors: Vince Still Runs the Six

The Toronto Raptors shocked the world by winning the 2019 NBA title. Ben Margot / AP Photo

Seasons: 26 (1995-present)

Record: 960-1,045 (.479)

Playoff appearances: 12

NBA championships: 1 (2019)

Bottom line: The Toronto Raptors were one half of the NBA’s Canadian expansion in 1995 alongside the Vancouver Grizzlies — a franchise that was forced to move to Memphis after six seasons.

The Raptors struggled in their early years, but things changed with the addition of one player in 1998, when they obtained Vince Carter in a draft-day trade. Carter single-handedly created basketball fever in Canada, and the Raptors set league attendance records with him in three consecutive seasons.

The franchise hit its greatest high in 2019 when it made it to the NBA Finals for the first time and pulled off a stunning upset of the Golden State Warriors. But Carter still is the king in the 416.

Toronto Raptors Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Kyle Lowry

Shooting guard: Vince Carter

Small forward: Kawhi Leonard

Power forward: Chris Bosh

Center: Antonio Davis

Head coach: Nick Nurse

Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry, Point Guard

Kyle Lowry wasn’t an All-Star until he joined the Toronto Raptors. Ben Margot / AP Photo

Born: March 25, 1986 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

High school: Cardinal Dougherty High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

College: Villanova

Height/weight: 6-foot, 196 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (2006-present)

Teams: Memphis Grizzlies (2006-09), Houston Rockets (2009-12), Toronto Raptors (2012-present)

Stats: 925 G, 14.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.2 APG, 42.3 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2019), six-time NBA All-Star (2015-20), All-NBA Team (2016)

Bottom line: It’s hard to imagine Kyle Lowry playing for anyone else besides the Toronto Raptors, but he spent the first six seasons of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Houston Rockets.

With the Raptors, Lowry has crafted one of the greatest second halves to a career in NBA history. He made the first of six consecutive All-Star teams in 2015, his ninth season, made his only All-NBA team in 2016 and helped lead the Raptors to the first NBA championship in franchise history in 2019.

Toronto Raptors: Vince Carter, Shooting Guard

Vince Carter is one of the greatest dunkers of all time. Ben Margot / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 26, 1977 (Daytona Beach, Florida)

High school: Mainland High School (Daytona Beach, Florida)

College: North Carolina

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds

Career: 22 seasons (1998-2020)

Teams: Toronto Raptors (1998-2004), New Jersey Nets (2004-09), Orlando Magic (2009-10), Phoenix Suns (2010-11), Dallas Mavericks (2011-14), Memphis Grizzlies (2014-17), Sacramento Kings (2017-18), Atlanta Hawks (2018-2020)

Stats: 1,541 G, 16.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 43.5 FG%

Career highlights: Eight-time NBA All-Star (2000-07), two-time All-NBA Team (2000, 2001), NBA Rookie of the Year (1999), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2000), NBA Sportsmanship Award (2020), NBA Teammate of the Year (2016)

Bottom line: Vince Carter is more than one of the greatest dunkers who ever lived. Carter played an NBA record 22 seasons before he retired in 2020.

“Vinsanity” took over the NBA in the early 2000s, and Carter was the first superstar for the Raptors and the first Canadian basketball superstar. Carter teamed with cousin Tracy McGrady for several seasons in Toronto, and his impact on the game north of the border can’t be understated.

Carter still is the most recognizable player in the team’s history.

Toronto Raptors: Kawhi Leonard, Small Forward

Kawhi Leonard only played one season with the Toronto Raptors. Ezra Shaw / AP Photo

Born: June 29, 1991 (Los Angeles, California)

High school: Martin Luther King High School (Riverside, California)

College: San Diego State

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 225 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs (2011-18), Toronto Raptors (2018-19), Los Angeles Clippers (2019-present)

Stats: 536 G, 18.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 49.1 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2014, 2019), two-time NBA Finals MVP (2014, 2019), four-time NBA All-Star (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2020), four-time All-NBA Team (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020), two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2014-17, 2019, 2020), NBA All-Rookie Team (2012)

Bottom line: Yes, Kawhi Leonard only played one season with the Toronto Raptors. His impact in that one season puts him on the team’s all-time starting five because without Leonard the team would never have won the 2019 NBA championship.

Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, forced a trade from the Spurs to the Raptors before the 2018-19 season after sitting out almost an entire season with a mysterious injury, and the soft-spoken star was the perfect fit in Toronto.

Toronto Raptors: Chris Bosh, Power Forward

Chris Bosh was dominant at both center and power forward. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: March 24, 1984 (Dallas, Texas)

High school: Lincoln High School (Dallas, Texas)

College: Georgia Tech

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 235 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (2003-17)

Teams: Toronto Raptors (2003-10), Miami Heat (2010-17)

Stats: 893 G, 19.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 49.4 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2012-13), 11-time NBA All-Star (2006-16), All-NBA Team (2007), NBA All-Rookie Team (2004)

Bottom line: Chris Bosh could have been in the all-time starting five for the Toronto Raptors and for the Miami Heat, and could’ve done so at either power forward or center.

Bosh was a five-time All-Star with the Raptors and made his only All-NBA team with Toronto in 2007, when he led the Raptors to their first playoff appearance in five seasons.

His career was cut short by a blood-clotting condition that the NBA ruled was a career-ending illness.

Toronto Raptors: Antonio Davis, Center

Antonio Davis was an All-Star with Toronto in 2001. Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 31, 1968 (Oakland, California)

High school: McClymonds High School (Oakland, California)

College: UTEP

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 245 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1993-2006)

Teams: Indiana Pacers (1993-99), Toronto Raptors (1999-2003, 2006), Chicago Bulls (2003-05), New York Knicks (2005-06)

Stats: 903 G, 10.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 44.8 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (2001)

Bottom line: One of our more sentimental picks to any franchise’s all-time starting five, Antonio Davis played overseas for three years before he made it to the NBA in 1993 with the Indiana Pacers.

Davis had his best years with the Raptors and averaged 12.9 points and 9.2 rebounds during his time in Toronto — almost four points and two rebounds higher than at any other stop in his career.

Davis also made his only All-Star team with the Raptors in 2001.

Toronto Raptors: Nick Nurse, Head Coach

Nick Nurse won an NBA title in his first season as Raptors head coach. Morry Gash / AP Photo

Born: July 24, 1967 (Carroll, Iowa)

Career: 3 seasons (2018-present)

Teams: Toronto Raptors

W-L record: 115-51 (.693)

NBA championships: 1 (2019)

Bottom line: Nick Nurse’s coaching odyssey began as a player-coach for the Derby Rams in the United Kingdom before becoming the youngest head coach in America at 23 years old for Grand View University.

Nurse coached in every pro league imaginable except the NBA until he was hired as an assistant coach for the Raptors in 2013.

He won the 2019 NBA championship in his first season as Toronto’s head coach.

19. Sacramento Kings: One Franchise, Five Cities

The Sacramento Kings had a brief resurgence in the early 2000s. Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

Seasons: 73 (1948-present)

Team names: Rochester Royals (1948-57), Cincinnati Royals (1957-72), Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972-75), Kansas City Kings (1975-85), Sacramento Kings (1985-present)

Record: 2,598-3,103 (.456)

Playoff appearances: 29

NBA championships: 1 (1951)

Bottom line: The Sacramento Kings are the rolling stone of NBA franchises. Sacramento is the fifth home for the franchise after stops in Rochester, Cincinnati, Omaha and Kansas City.

The team had its most success early on as the Rochester Royals, winning an NBA championship in 1951, but have had little success in Sacramento aside from a brief respite in the early 2000s, when they won back-to-back division titles in 2002 and 2003.

Sacramento Kings Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Oscar Robertson

Shooting guard: Mitch Richmond

Small forward: Jack Twyman

Power forward: Chris Webber

Center: Jerry Lucas

Head coach: Les Harrison

Sacramento Kings: Oscar Robertson, Point Guarrd

Oscar Robertson was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double. Hans Von Nolde / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 24, 1938 (Charlotte, Tennessee)

High school: Crispus Attucks High School (Indianapolis, Indiana)

College: Cincinnati

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1960-74)

Teams: Cincinnati Royals (1960-70), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-74)

Stats: 1,040 G, 25.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 9.5 APG, 48.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1971), NBA MVP (1964), 12-time NBA All-Star (1961-72), 12-time NBA All-Star (1961-72), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1961, 1964, 1969), 11-time All-NBA Team (1961-71), NBA Rookie of the Year (1961), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: The original “Mr. Triple Double” was Oscar Robertson, who was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the entire season in 1961-62 and did it again in 1966-67 with the Cincinnati Royals, who only ended up with him on the roster because of the NBA draft’s archaic “territorial pick” rules.

Robertson, who won his lone NBA Most Valuable Player award in 1964, had perhaps his crowning achievement with another franchise when he helped lead the Bucks to their only NBA title in 1971 alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

How important is Robertston to the game? He’s even credited with creating the head fake and the fadeaway jumper.

Sacramento Kings: Mitch Richmond, Shooting Guard

Mitch Richmond made all six of his All-Star teams with the Kings. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Born: June 30, 1965 (Deerfield Beach, Florida)

High school: Anderson High School (Lauderdale Lakes, Florida)

College: Kansas State

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 220 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1989-2002)

Teams: Golden State Warriors (1989-91), Sacramento Kings (1991-98), Washington Wizards (1998-2001), Los Angeles Lakers (2001-02)

Stats: 976 G, 21.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 45.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2002), six-time NBA All-Star (1993-98), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1995), five-time All-NBA Team (1994-98), NBA Rookie of the Year (1989)

Bottom line: Mitch Richmond’s legacy has been sort of twisted up since he retired in 2002, mainly after his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2014 best underlined the modern beef with the Hall of Fame’s process of picking NBA players.

Want to make the case against Richmond? His career numbers for rebounds and assists are low, even for a shooting guard. And he only has 23 career playoff games. Is he even a top-five shooting guard for his era?

You can’t make an argument that he wasn’t at his best with the Sacramento Kings, where he played seven seasons and was a six-time All-Star.

Sacramento Kings: Jack Twyman, Small Forward

Jack Twyman was a six-time All-Star. AP Photo

Born: May 21, 1934 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Died: May 30, 2012 (age 78, Cincinnati, Ohio)

High school: Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

College: Cincinnati

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 210 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (1955-66)

Teams: Rochester/Cincinnati Royals

Stats: 823 G, 19.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 45.0 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (1957-60, 1962, 1963), two-time All-NBA Team (1960, 1962)

Bottom line: Jack Twyman was cut from his high school basketball team three times before he finally made the team at Central Catholic High as a senior — a study in determination for what would become a Hall of Fame career.

Twyman lit up the stat sheet in a time when players weren’t scoring in big numbers, and alongside Wilt Chamberlain, they became the first two NBA players to average over 30.0 points per game in 1959-60.

Twyman’s true legacy is as perhaps the greatest teammate in NBA history. He was the legal guardian for teammate Maurice Stokes from 1958 until Stokes’ death in 1970 after he was paralyzed from an in-game fall.

Sacramento Kings: Chris Webber, Power Forward

Chris Webber never won a championship in college or the NBA. Morry Gash / AP Photo

Born: March 1, 1973 (Detroit, Michigan)

High school: Detroit Country Day School (Beverly Hills, Michigan)

College: Michigan

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 245 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (1993-2008)

Teams: Golden State Warriors (1993-94, 2008), Washington Bullets/Wizards (1994-98), Sacramento Kings (1998-2005), Philadelphia 76ers (2005-07)

Stats: 831 G, 20.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.7 APG, 47.9 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1997, 2000-03), five-time All-NBA Team (1999-2003), NBA Rookie of the Year (1994)

Bottom line: Chris Webber was one of the most enigmatic stars in NBA history. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, Webber only spent one season with his first team, the Golden State Warriors, then torched every bridge he could on his way out with the Washington Bullets/Wizards.

Webber was never better than in his seven seasons with the Sacramento Kings, where he turned the moribund franchise into a legitimate NBA title contender, was a five-time All-NBA pick and made four of his five All-Star appearances.

There was nothing Webber couldn’t do on a basketball court. He averaged 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks with the Kings.

Sacramento Kings: Jerry Lucas, Center

Jerry Lucas is one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history. AP Photo

Born: March 30, 1940 (Middletown, Ohio)

High school: Middletown High School (Middletown, Ohio)

College: Ohio State

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1963-75)

Teams: Cincinnati Royals (1963-69), San Francisco Warriors (1969-71), New York Knicks (1971-75)

Stats: 829 G, 17.0 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 3.3 APG, 49.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1973), seven-time NBA All-Star (1964-69, 1971), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1965), five-time All-NBA Team (1964-68), NBA Rookie of the Year (1965), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: You have to do a double-take when you look at Jerry Lucas’ career numbers — 17.0 points and 15.6 rebounds over 12 seasons.

Undersized for a center even in his own era at 6-foot-8, Lucas simply outthought and outworked opponents his entire career. Lucas had one of the more storied amateur careers of any basketball player in history, winning a national championship with Ohio State in 1960, then winning an Olympic gold medal that summer.

Lucas was a constant matchup problem for other teams because of his ability to shoot the ball from long distance.

Sacramento Kings: Lester Harrison, Head Coach

Lester Harrison owned the Rochester Royals until after the team moved to Cincinnati in 1958. RITmuse / Twitter

Born: Aug. 20, 1904 (Rochester, New York)

Died: Dec. 23, 1997 (age 93Rochester, New York)

Career: 6 seasons (1949-55)

Teams: Rochester Royals

W-L record: 250-166 (.601)

NBA championships: 1 (1951)

Bottom line: If you want to give credit to a single individual for the survival of the Sacramento Kings through five different locations, give it to Les Harrison, the team’s founder and the person who guided the team from the National Basketball League to the Basketball Association of America and into the National Basketball Association.

Harrison’s crowning achievement was leading the Royals to the NBA title in 1951, when they defeated the New York Knicks in seven games, and he owned the team until 1958 after overseeing the move to Cincinnati.

18. Miami Heat: The Pride of South Beach

The Miami Heat won their first NBA title in franchise history in 2006. J. Pat Carter / AP Photo

Seasons: 33 (1988-present)

Record: 1,342-1,236 (.521)

Playoff appearances: 21

NBA championships: 3 (2006, 2012, 2013)

Bottom line: For a franchise that’s only three decades old, the Miami Heat have a history that can make much older franchises jealous.

The addition of Pat Riley as the de facto boss of all things for the Heat and the drafting of Dwyane Wade in 2003 are the two moments that brought greatness to the Heat.

They won three NBA titles with the duo (along with a big assist from free agent LeBron James) and made it to the NBA Finals for the sixth time in 2020.

Miami Heat Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Tim Hardaway

Shooting guard: Dwyane Wade

Small forward: Eddie Jones

Power forward: Rony Seikaly

Center: Alonzo Mourning

Head coach: Pat Riley

Miami Heat: Tim Hardaway, Point Guard

Tim Hardaway was a legitimate MVP candidate with the Miami Heat. Chris O’Meara / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 1, 1966 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: Carver Military Academy (Chicago, Illinois)

College: Texas-El Paso

Height/weight: 6-foot, 175 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1989-2003)

Teams: Golden State Warriors (1989-96), Miami Heat (1996-2001), Dallas Mavericks (2001-02), Denver Nuggets (2002), Indiana Pacers (2003)

Stats: 867 G, 17.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 8.2 APG, 43.1 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1991-93, 1997, 1998), five-time All-NBA Team (1992, 1993, 1997-99), NBA All-Rookie Team (1990)

Bottom line: Modern basketball fans don’t realize what a dominant player Tim Hardaway was in the 1990s — first with the Golden State Warriors as part of the famed “Run TMC” with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin, then hitting his prime with the Miami Heat.

How good was Hardaway in Miami? He actually finished fourth in the NBA Most Valuable Player voting in 1996-97 after leading Miami to a franchise-record 61 wins when he averaged 20.3 points, 8.6 assists and 1.9 steals.

Hardawy’s son, Tim Jr., has played in the NBA for eight seasons and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2014, 24 years after his father earned the same honor.

Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade, Shooting Guard

Dwyane Wade won three NBA titles with the Miami Heat. Elise Amendola / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 20, 1971 (Pompano Beach, Florida)

High school: Richards High School (Oak Lawn, Illinois)

College: Marquette

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 224 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (2003-18)

Teams: Miami Heat (2003-16, 2018-19), Chicago Bulls (2016-17), Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-18)

Stats: 1,054 G, 22.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 48.0 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (2006, 2012, 2013), NBA Finals MVP (2006), 13-time NBA All-Star (2005-16, 2019), eight-time All-NBA (2005-07, 2009-13), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2005, 2009, 2010)

Bottom line: Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, making the All-Star team 13 times in 15 seasons and winning three NBA titles with the Miami Heat. Wade won NBA Finals MVP in 2006, teamed with Shaquille O’Neal, then paired up with LeBron James and Chris Bosh to win two more NBA titles in 2012 and 2013.

Wade is a lock to be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and was so great on the offensive end that his defense was often overlooked.

But he was an impossibly physical matchup for other guards and was willing to sacrifice his body to win games.

Miami Heat: Eddie Jones, Small Forward

Eddie Jones had a hard-luck run with the Miami Heat. Gary J. Rothstein / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 20, 1971 (Pompano Beach, Florida)

High school: Blanche Ely High School (Pompano Beach, Florida)

College: Temple

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 200 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1994-2008)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (1994-99), Charlotte Hornets (1999-2000), Miami Heat (2000-05, 2007), Memphis Grizzlies (2005-07), Dallas Mavericks (2007-08)

Stats: 954 G, 14.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.9 APG, 43.7 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA All-Star (1997, 1998, 2000), All-NBA Team (2000), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1998-2000), NBA All-Rookie Team (1995)

Bottom line: Eddie Jones snuck in through the backdoor to make the all-time starting five for the Miami Heat only because LeBron James had to be on the roster for the Cleveland Cavaliers all-time team.

Jones was a three-time All-Star and had some of his best years with the Heat, where he was a rangy defender and great teammate who had some hard luck when it came to timing.

He was set to be a centerpiece for a championship contender in Miami when center Alonzo Mourning’s career came to a screeching halt because of a rare kidney disease.

Miami Heat: Rony Seikaly, Power Forward

Rony Seikaly was one of the great NBA post players in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Kathy Willens / AP Photo

Born: May 10, 1965 (Beirut, Lebanon)

High school: American School of Athens (Athens, Greece)

College: Syracuse

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 253 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (1988-99)

Teams: Miami Heat (1988-94), Golden State Warriors (1994-96), Orlando Magic (1996-98), New Jersey Nets (1998-99)

Stats: 678 G, 14.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 48.4 FG%

Career highlights: NBA Most Improved Player (1990)

Bottom line: What’s that you say? Rony Seikaly never played power forward? Sure, whatever. We took the liberty of doing our own “market correction” when it came to positions with this one — aka believing what we saw with our own eyes.

In any other era, Seikaly is a power forward, and if you ever watched him play, it was easy to see the skill set that was more in tune with that position than a center thanks to his smooth mid-range game and dizzying array of low-post moves.

His nickname was “The Spin Doctor,” but he was also a terror on the boards and on defense, averaging 10.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in six seasons with the Heat.

Miami Heat: Alonzo Mourning, Center

Alonzo Mourning won two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards. Rick Bowmer / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 8, 1970 (Chesapeake, Virginia)

High school: Indian River High School (Chesapeake, Virginia)

College: Georgetown

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 261 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1992-2008)

Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1992-1995), Miami Heat (1995-2002, 2005-2008), New Jersey Nets (2003-2004)

Stats: 838 G, 17.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 52.7 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2006), seven-time NBA All-Star (1994-97, 2000-02), two-time All-NBA Team (1999, 2000), two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1999, 2000), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1999, 2000), NBA All-Rookie Team (1993)

Bottom line: Alonzo Mourning crafted a career as one of the greatest defensive players in basketball history, putting the world on notice by leading the nation in blocked shots as a freshman at Georgetown University.

Mourning, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, averaged 2.8 blocks per game over a 16-year career and was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Mourning’s play was the bottom line when it came to his toughness, but he also had a world-class scowl that went with it and his glare became synonymous with the rough-and-tumble play of the 1990s.

Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra, Head Coach

Erik Spoelstra led the Miami Heat back into the NBA Finals in 2020. Toy Gutierrez / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 1, 1979 (Evanston, Illinois)

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Miami Heat

W-L record: 577-399 (.589)

NBA championships: 2 (2012, 2013)

Bottom line: Erik Spoelstra won two NBA championships leading the Miami Heat’s Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh from 2010 to 2014 — a stretch where they also played in the NBA Finals four consecutive seasons.

All that being said, it’s hard to argue that Spoelstra’s greatest coaching job wasn’t with the Heat in 2019-20, when he took them from a fifth seed all the way to an improbable run to the NBA Finals playing in the bubble with a roster of young talent and Jimmy Butler.

17. Utah Jazz: The Legend of The Mailman and Stockton

The Utah Jazz were one of the best teams in the NBA in the 1990s. Douglas C. Pizac / AP Photo

Seasons: 47 (1974-present)

Team names: New Orleans Jazz (1974-79), Utah Jazz (1979-present)

Record: 2,017-1,710 (.541)

Playoff appearances: 29

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: The Jazz didn’t make the playoffs until their 10th year of existence and five years after the franchise moved from New Orleans to Utah.

The Jazz entered their greatest era with the addition of point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone in the mid-1980s, peaking with the Jazz’s only two trips to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 — both times losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Can they get back to that level and ever win a championship? Time will tell.

Utah Jazz Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: John Stockton

Shooting guard: Pete Maravich

Small forward: Adrian Dantley

Power forward: Karl Malone

Center: Rudy Gobert

Head coach: Jerry Sloan

Utah Jazz: John Stockton, Point Guard

John Stockton is the NBA’s career assists leader. Steve C. Wilson / AP Photo

Born: March 26, 1992 (Spokane, Washington)

High school: Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Washington)

College: Gonzaga

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 170 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1984-2003)

Teams: Utah Jazz

Stats: 1,504 G, 13.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 10.5 APG, 51.5 FG%

Career highlights: 10-time NBA All-Star (1989-97, 2000), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1993), 11-time All-NBA (1988-97, 1999), five-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Opponents underestimated John Stockton’s toughness at their own peril throughout his 18 seasons, including 11 in which he was selected first, second or third team All-NBA.

Stockton, the NBA career leader in assists and steals, was as durable as any player in NBA history. In his first 13 seasons, he missed just four games and only missed 22 in his career, with 17 of those coming at the start of the 1997-98 season as he recovered from an injured MCL.

Stockton’s style of play was physical and attacking He was also routinely voted among the NBA’s dirtiest players during his career. Toughness ran in Stockton’s family. Grandfather Hust Stockton won an NFL championship with the Frankfort Yellow Jackets in 1926.

Utah Jazz: Pete Maravich, Shooting Guard

Peter Maravich was a genius with the ball in his hands. Paul Shane / AP Photo

Born: June 22, 1947 (Aliquippa, Pennsylvania)

Died: Jan. 5, 1988 (age 40, Pasadena, California)

High school: Edwards Military Institute (Salemburg, North Carolina)

College: LSU

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 195 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1970-80)

Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1970-74), New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-80), Boston Celtics (1980)

Stats: 658 G, 24.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 44.1 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1973, 1974, 1977-79), four-time All-NBA Team (1973, 1976-78), NBA All-Rookie Team (1971), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: One of the most beloved players in NBA history, “Pistol” Pete Maravich captured the public’s imagination beginning with his All-American career at LSU in the late 1960s.

There are few players in NBA history who could match Maravich’s talent on the offensive end, and many NBA legends have cited Maravich as the greatest ballhandler of all time.

Maravich died playing pickup basketball in 1988, when he was just 40 years old.

Utah Jazz: Adrian Dantley, Small Forward

Adrian Dantley had a reputation for being a bad teammate. Charlie Bennett / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 28, 1955 (Washington D.C.)

High school: DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Maryland)

College: Notre Dame

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 228 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (1976-91)

Teams: Buffalo Braves (1976-77), Indiana Pacers (1977), Los Angeles Lakers (1977-79), Utah Jazz (1979-86), Detroit Pistons (1986-89), Dallas Mavericks (1989-90), Milwaukee Bucks (1990-91)

Stats: 955 G, 24.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 54.0 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (1980-82, 1984-86), two-time All-NBA Team (1981, 1984), NBA Rookie of the Year (1977)

Bottom line: The one statistic that jumps off the page about Adrian Dantley is 24.3 points per game over his 15-year career — numbers that match up with almost anyone in the Hall of Fame.

But Dantley’s real story was off the court as a malcontent and bad teammate, and his trade from the Pistons to the Mavericks in 1989 jump-started back-to-back NBA titles for the Pistons.

Before that, Dantley spent seven seasons with the Utah Jazz, where he made all six of his All-Star teams and both of his All-NBA teams.

Utah Jazz: Karl Malone, Power Forward

Karl Malone is a 14-time All-NBA pick. Douglas C. Pizac / AP Photo

Born: July 24, 1963 (Summerfield, Louisiana)

High school: Summerfield High School (Summerfield, Louisiana)

College: Louisiana Tech

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1985-2004)

Teams: Utah Jazz (1985-2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04)

Stats: 1,476 G, 25.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 51.6 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA MVP (1997, 1999), 14-time NBA All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1989, 1993), 14-time All-NBA Team (1988-2001), four-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1988, 1997-99), NBA All-Rookie Team (1986)

Bottom line: Karl Malone had the great luck of spending almost his entire career playing alongside point guard John Stockton, a player who could create offense for other players in a variety of ways.

Stockton, the NBA’s career assists leader, is also the career steals leader — a perfect complement to the hard-running Malone, who was almost impossible to stop with a head of steam.

He also never won an NBA title, losing to the Chicago Bulls in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998.

Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert, Center

Rudy Gobert is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Rick Bowmer / AP Photo

Born: June 26, 1992 (Saint-Quentin, France)

Youth club: Saint-Quentin BB (Saint-Quentin, France)

College: None

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 260 pounds

Career: 8 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Utah Jazz

Stats: 487 G, 11.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 63.8 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (2020), three-time All-NBA Team (2017, 2019, 2020), two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019), four-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2017-20)

Bottom line: For good reason, Rudy Gobert’s career has been mostly defined by his defensive abilities — he’s a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

His emergence on the offensive end has helped the Utah Jazz become one of the Western Conference’s best teams over the last two seasons. He averaged over 15.0 points in back-to-back seasons from 2018-20.

Gobert is one of the NBA’s career leaders in field-goal percentage at 63.9 percent and set the NBA record with 309 dunks in the 2018-19 season.

Utah Jazz: Jerry Sloan, Head Coach

Jerry Sloan coached the Utah Jazz for over 20 years. Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

Born: March 28, 1942 (McLeansboro, Illinois)

Died: May 22, 2020 (age 78, Salt Lake City, Utah)

Career: 26 seasons (1979-82, 1988-2011)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1979-82), Utah Jazz (1988-2011)

W-L record (overall): 1,221-803 (.603)

W-L record (with Jazz): 1,127-682 (.623)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Jerry Sloan might be the greatest NBA coach to never win a championship. He coached the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons and led them to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.

Sloan is one of just two coaches in NBA history to record 1,000 wins with the same franchise and is one of only four coaches in NBA history to lead the same team to 15 consecutive winning seasons.

16. Phoenix Suns: Feast or Famine in the Desert

Charles Barkley led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993. Mark Ellis / AP Photo

Seasons: 53 (1968-present)

Record: 2,227-1,992 (.528)

Playoff appearances: 29

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: It’s been almost a generation since the Phoenix Suns were a legitimate NBA contender, but basketball fans from the 1990s and 2000s remember a much different team than the one we’ve seen over the last decade.

The Suns made it to the NBA Finals in their first decade of existence, winning the Western Conference in 1976, then again in 1993 behind NBA Most Valuable Player Charles Barkley.

But they are still searching for their first NBA championship.

Phoenix Suns Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Steve Nash

Shooting guard: Walter Davis

Small forward: Shawn Marion

Power forward: Charles Barkley

Center: Alvan Adams

Head coach: Paul Westphal

Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash, Point Guard

Steve Nash won back-to-back MVP awards in Phoenix. Darron Cummings / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 7, 1974 (Johannesburg, South Africa)

High school: St. Michaels University School (Victoria, British Columbia)

College: Santa Clara

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 178 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1996-2015)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (1996-1998, 2004-2012), Dallas Mavericks (1998-2004), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-2015)

Stats: 1,217 G, 14.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 49.0 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA MVP (2005, 2006), eight-time NBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005-08, 2010, 2012), seven-time All-NBA Team (2002, 2003, 2005-08, 2010)

Bottom line: Steve Nash seemed like he was made of pure scrap iron for most of his NBA career, bouncing around the court and off of other players like he was inside of a pinball machine.

There might not be anyone in NBA history with a sports background quite like Nash — and one that explains why he always seemed to have blood on his jersey. Nash, a two-time Most Valuable Player with the Phoenix Suns, grew up in Canada playing hockey before turning his focus to basketball, and his family lived in the same neighborhood as future NHL stars Russ and Geoff Courtnall.

Nash was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2018.

Phoenix Suns: Walter Davis, Shooting Guard

Drug issues overshadowed Walter Davis’ career. AP Photo

Born: Sept. 9, 1954 (Pineville, North Carolina)

High school: South Mecklenburg High School (Charlotte, North Carolina)

College: North Carolina

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 193 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (1977-92)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (1977-88), Denver Nuggets (1988-91, 1991-92), Portland Trail Blazers (1991)

Stats: 1,033 G, 18.9 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 51.1 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (1978-81, 1984, 1987), two-time All-NBA Second Team (1978, 1979), NBA Rookie of the Year (1978)

Bottom line: Walter Davis had an effortless style of play defined by his ability to score and defend at an elite level. He averaged over 20 points per game six times in his first 10 seasons, including 24.2 points when he was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1978.

The reason you won’t hear Davis’ name spoken with the same reverence as some other Suns’ greats is likely because of his role in an ugly drug scandal in the late 1980s, when Davis, who struggled with his own cocaine addiction, cut a deal for immunity with prosecutors and testified against his teammates.

Phoenix Suns: Shawn Marion, Small Forward

Shawn Marion was a weapon on the court. Matt York / AP Photo

Born: May 7, 1978 (Waukegan, Illinois)

High school: Clarksville High School (Clarksville, Tennessee)

College: UNLV

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 228 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1999-2015)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (1999-2008), Miami Heat (2008-09), Toronto Raptors (2009), Dallas Mavericks (2009-14), Cleveland Cavaliers (2014-15)

Stats: 1,163 G, 15.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 48.4 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2011), four-time NBA All-Star (2003, 2005-07), two-time All-NBA Team (2005, 2006), NBA All-Rookie Team (2000)

Bottom line: Shawn Marion’s nickname described his style of play pretty accurately. “The Matrix” could do anything on the basketball court.

Marion makes the all-time starting five at small forward, but he could play shooting guard and power forward with equal aplomb and could play shutdown defense on backcourt and frontcourt players alike.

Marion was the perfect complement to point guard Steve Nash in Phoenix and had a career year in 2005-06, averaging 21.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

Phoenix Suns: Charles Barkley, Power Forward

Charles Barkley was named NBA MVP in 1993. Gary Stewart / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 20, 1963 (Leeds, Alabama)

High school: Leeds High School (Leeds, Alabama)

College: Auburn

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 252 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1984-2000)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1984-92), Phoenix Suns (1992-96), Houston Rockets (1996-2000)

Stats: 1,073 G, 22.1 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 54.1 FG%

Career highlights: NBA MVP (1993), 11-time NBA All-Star (1987-97), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1991), 11-time All-NBA Team (1986-96), NBA All-Rookie Team (1985), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Charles Barkley is one of just a handful of players on this list that could have been on the all-time team for different franchises. He was as good a power forward that ever played for the Philadelphia 76ers as well.

Barkley cemented his legacy as one of the NBA’s best players of all time in four years with the Phoenix Suns, where he won his only NBA Most Valuable Player award in 1993 when he averaged 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists and played in his only NBA Finals.

The only thing missing from Barkley’s resume is a ring.

Phoenix Suns: Alvan Adams, Center

Alvan Adams could fill up the stat sheet. Rusty Kennedy / AP Photo

Born: July 19, 1954 (Lawrence, Kansas)

High school: Putnam City High School (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

College: Oklahoma

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 210 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1975-88)

Teams: Phoenix Suns

Stats: 988 G, 14.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 49.8 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1976), NBA Rookie of the Year (1976)

Bottom line: Alvan Adams made an immediate impact for the Phoenix Suns, leading the team to the NBA Finals as a rookie in 1976 when he averaged 19.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.

Adams put together one of the best single-game performances in NBA history in 1977 when he had a triple-double with 47 points, 18 rebounds and 12 assists against the Buffalo Braves.

Adams’ name is still all over the Suns’ record books. He’s the franchise leader in games played, minutes played, rebounds and steals.

Phoenix Suns: Paul Westphal, Head Coach

Paul Westphal died in Jan. 2020. Jeff Robbins / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 30, 1950 (Torrance, California)

Died: Jan. 2, 2021 (age 70, Scottsdale, Arizona)

Career: 8 seasons (1992-95, 1998-2000, 2009-12)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (1992-95), Seattle SuperSonics (1998-2000), Sacramento Kings (2009-12)

W-L record (overall): 318-279 (.533)

W-L record (with Suns): 191-88 (.685)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Paul Westphal made four All-NBA teams in 12 seasons, then had a short but incredibly successful career as a head coach with the Suns, where he played half his career.

Westphal only coached in Phoenix for three seasons but won almost 70 percent of his games and led the team to the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history.

Westphal died of brain cancer in January 2020 at 70 years old.

15. Portland Trail Blazers: One Title, Two Bad Drafts

Bill Walton led the Portland Trail Blazers to an NBA championship in 1977. AP Photo

Seasons: 51 (1970-present)

Record: 2,177-1,881 (.536)

Playoff appearances: 36

NBA championships: 1 (1977)

Bottom line: Since the Portland Trail Blazers became a franchise in 1970, they’ve been to the playoffs 36 times — trailing only the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in that stretch.

The Blazers won their lone NBA title in 1977 behind star center Bill Walton and made it back to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992 behind guard Clyde Drexler.

But the franchise also has had two epically bad draft-day decisions that haunt them — choosing Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in 1984 and choosing Greg Oden over Kevin Durant in 2007.

Portland Trail Blazers Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Damian Lillard

Shooting guard: Clyde Drexler

Small forward: Cliff Robinson

Power forward: Maurice Lucas

Center: Bill Walton

Head coach: Jack Ramsay

Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, Point Guard

Damian Lillard is a clutch shooter. Just ask Paul George. Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

Born: July 15, 1990 (Oakland, California)

High school: Oakland Senior High School (Oakland, California)

College: Weber State

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers

Stats: 629 G, 24.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 43.7 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (2014, 2015, 2018-20), five-time All-NBA Team (2014, 2015, 2018-20), NBA Rookie of the Year (2013), NBA Citizenship Award (2019)

Bottom line: Damian Lillard is one of the more dynamic guards of his generation and is almost single-handedly responsible for guiding the Portland Trail Blazers back to NBA respectability in the 2010s.

Lillard’s career dating back to high school and college at Weber State is a study in underestimation. At no point did anyone but Lillard himself think he’d be the star that he is, and in the annals of Portland’s greatest players he only trails Clyde Drexler.

When Lillard’s current five-year $138 million contract expires after the 2024-25 season, he will have banked a staggering $328.1 million in career earnings.

Portland Trail Blazers: Clyde Drexler, Shooting Guard

Clyde Drexler led the Trail Blazers to two NBA Finals appearances. Fred Jewell / AP Photo

Born: June 22, 1962 (New Orleans, Louisiana)

High school: Sterling High School (Houston, Texas)

College: Houston

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (1983-98)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1983-95), Houston Rockets (1995-98)

Stats: 1,086 G, 20.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.6 APG, 47.2 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1995), 10-time NBA All-Star (1986, 1988-94, 1996, 1997), five-time All-NBA Team (1988, 1990-92, 1995), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: The greatest Portland Trail Blazer of all time, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler made eight All-Star teams and was a five-time All-NBA pick in 12 seasons with the franchise.

Drexler was one of the greatest dunkers of all time and the star player on a pair of teams that made it to the NBA Finals in 1990, when they lost to the Detroit Pistons, and in 1992 when they lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Drexler finally got his long sought-after NBA title in 1995 with the Houston Rockets and also won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the Dream Team in 1992. But he’s still underrated.

Portland Trail Blazers: Cliff Robinson, Small Forward

Cliff Robinson played 18 seasons in the NBA. John Swart / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 16, 1966 (Buffalo, New York)

Died: Aug. 29, 2020 (age 53, Portland, Oregon)

High school: Riverside High School (Buffalo, New York)

College: Connecticut

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 225 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (1989-2007)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1989-97), Phoenix Suns (1997-2001), Detroit Pistons (2001-03), Golden State Warriors (2003-05), New Jersey Nets (2005-07)

Stats: 1,380 G, 14.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 43.8 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1994), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2000, 2002), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1993)

Bottom line: Cliff Robinson might have been an even bigger star in today’s game. He was the tallest player in NBA history to hit 1,000 three-pointers until Dirk Nowitzki and Rashard Lewis broke that record.

With the Trail Blazers, Robinson helped lead the team to the NBA Finals twice, in 1990 and 1992, and was NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1993 when he averaged 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

Robinson died of cancer in August 2020 at 53 years old.

Portland Trail Blazers: Maurice Lucas, Power Forward

Maurice Lucas was one of the greatest enforcers in NBA history. Bill Ingraham / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 18, 1952 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Died: Oct. 31, 2010 (age 58, Tigard, Oregon)

High school: Schenley High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

College: Marquette

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 215 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1976-1988)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1976-80, 1987-88), New Jersey Nets (1980-81), New York Knicks (1981-82), Phoenix Suns (1982-85), Los Angeles Lakers (1985-86), Seattle SuperSonics (1986-87)

Stats: 1,021 G, 14.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 47.1 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1977), four-time NBA All-Star (1977-79, 1983), All-NBA Team (1978), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1978, 1979)

Bottom line: When you go down the list of the greatest enforcers in NBA history, make sure you put some respect on Maurice Lucas’ name.

He helped lead the Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title and set the tone in the NBA Finals by squaring off with Darryl Dawkins in Game 2, swinging an elbow at Dawkins’ head and changing the tone of the series as the Blazers rallied for the championship.

More importantly, with the Blazers, he acted as the “touch him I’ll touch you” guy for star Bill Walton, a fellow vegetarian. Lucas played the first two seasons of his career in the ABA and was a four-time All Star in both leagues.

Portland Trail Blazers: Bill Walton, Center

When he was healthy, Bill Walton was as good as any center in the NBA. AP Photo

Born: Nov. 5, 1952 (La Mesa, California)

High school: Helix High School (La Mesa, California)

College: UCLA

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 210 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1974-1987)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1974-79), San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (1979-85), Boston Celtics (1985-87)

Stats: 468 G, 13.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 52.1 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1977, 1986), NBA Finals MVP (1977), NBA MVP (1978), two-time NBA All-Star (1977, 1978), two-time All-NBA Team (1977, 1978), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1977, 1978), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1986), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: The Portland Trail Blazers knew about Bill Walton’s long history of injuries dating back to his high school days in San Diego, but the thought of bringing a proven winner like Walton into the fold was too much to pass up.

And while those injuries persisted for Walton, taking him paid off in a big way for the Blazers when Walton led them to one of the most improbable championships in NBA history in 1977 and won NBA Most Valuable Player honors in 1978.

Walton won another title in 1986 as a reserve for the Boston Celtics, when he won NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

Portland Trail Blazers: Jack Ramsay, Head Coach

Jack Ramsay had a pretty awesome sense of style. AP Photo

Born: Feb. 21, 1925 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: April 28, 2014 (age 89, Naples, Florida)

Career: 20 seasons (1968-88)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1968-72), Buffalo Braves (1972-76), Portland Trail Blazers (1976-86), Indiana Pacers (1986-88)

W-L record (overall): 864-783 (.525)

W-L record (with Blazers): 453-367 (.552)

NBA championships: 1 (1977)

Bottom line: Few coaches in NBA history are as respected by their peers and beloved by a franchise’s fan base as Jack Ramsay was within the league and with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The charismatic Ramsay, who died in 2014, led Portland to its lone NBA championship in 1977 with a team led by the frontcourt of Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton.

After Ramsay’s coaching career, he became just as well-known for his work in the broadcasting booth.

14. Washington Wizards: The 1970s Were Awesome

The Washington Bullets won an NBA championship in 1978. AP Photo

Seasons: 60 (1961-present)

Team names: Chicago Packers (1961-62), Chicago Zephyrs (1962-63), Baltimore Bullets (1963-73), Capital Bullets (1973-74), Washington Bullets (1974-98), Washington Wizards (1998-present)

Record: 2,156-2,624 (.451)

NBA championships: 1 (1978)

Bottom line: The Washington Wizards spent the first two seasons of their existence as two different Chicago teams — the Packers and the Zephyrs — before moving to Maryland, where they were in Baltimore until 1973.

The franchise won its lone NBA title in 1978 as the Washington Bullets behind one of the all-time greatest frontcourts with Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes.

Washington Wizards Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: John Wall

Shooting guard: Bradley Beal

Small forward: Gus Johnson

Power forward: Elvin Hayes

Center: Wes Unseld

Head coach: Dick Motta

Washington Wizards: John Wall, Point Guard

John Wall is a turnover machine. Nick Wass / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 6, 1990 (Raleigh, North Carolina)

High school: Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, North Carolina)

College: Kentucky

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: Washington Wizards (2010-2020), Houston Rockets (2020-present)

Stats: 580 G, 19.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 9.2 APG, 43.3 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (2014-18), All-NBA Team (2017), NBA All-Defensive Team (2015), NBA All-Rookie Team (2011), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2014)

Bottom line: After the Wizards drafted John Wall, they gave him the keys to the franchise, for better or worse, and in 10 seasons, he never led his team past the Eastern Conference semifinals.

What’s worse is that the turnover-prone Wall suffered a bizarre torn Achilles tendon injury in an accident at his home that cost him the 2019-20 season before he was dealt to the Houston Rockets.

All that being said, it’s impossible to deny how fun it was to watch Wall when he was in his prime with the Wizards. Fun but frustrating.

Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal, Shooting Guard

Bradley Beal averaged over 30 points per game in the 2019-20 season. Nick Wass / AP Photo

Born: June 28, 1993 (St. Louis, Missouri)

High school: Chaminade College Prep (Creve Couer, Missouri)

College: Florida

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 207 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Washington Wizards

Stats: 555 G, 21.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 45.3 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA All-Star (2018, 2019), NBA All-Rookie Team (2013)

Bottom line: Bradley Beal has established himself as one of the NBA’s elite shooting guards over the last decade, even if he’s done so in relative anonymity playing for the middling Washington Wizards.

Beal was the No. 3 overall pick by the Wizards in 2012 and is seemingly coming into his prime right now. His scoring average has gone up every season since the 2015-16 season, and he averaged over 30 points per game for the first time in his career in 2019-20.

Washington Wizards: Gus Johnson, Small Forward

Gus Johnson played for the Baltimore Bullets for nine seasons. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 13, 1938 (Akron, Ohio)

Died: April 29, 1987 (age 48, Akron, Ohio)

High school: Central High School (Akron, Ohio)

College: Idaho

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 230 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (1963-72)

Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1963-72), Phoenix Suns (1972)

Stats: 631 G, 16.2 G, 12.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 44.0 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1965, 1968-71), four-time All-NBA Team (1965, 1966, 1970, 1971), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1970, 1971), NBA All-Rookie Team (1964)

Bottom line: Gus Johnson played with a rare combination of size, strength and leaping ability that would’ve helped him dominate in any era.

One of the first players in NBA history to make dunking a key part of their game, Johnson shattered three backboards in his career. The best example of Johnson’s prowess on the court was his rebounding. He averaged 12.2 boards for his entire career.

Johnson closed out his career by winning an ABA title with the Indiana Pacers in 1973.

Washington Wizards: Elvin Hayes, Power Forward

Elvin Hayes was a 12-time All-Star. AP Photo

Born: Nov. 17, 1945 (Rayville, Louisiana)

High school: Britton High School (Rayville, Louisiana)

College: Houston

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 235 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1968-84)

Teams: San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-72, 1981-84), Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1972-81)

Stats: 1,303 G, 21.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 45.2 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1978), 12-time NBA All-Star (1969-80), six-time All-NBA Team (1973-77, 1979), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1974, 1975), NBA All-Rookie Team (1969), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Elvin Hayes had to take a lot of shots when he was playing for the San Diego Rockets to start his career. If he didn’t, there was no way his team had a chance at winning.

Hayes got a lot of shot opportunities because of his ability to rebound. His 18.4 rebounds per game average in 1974 is the third-highest in NBA history.

Hayes made nine of 12 All-Star teams with the Washington Bullets and led the team to the NBA championship in 1978.

Washington Wizards: Wes Unseld, Center

Wes Unseld was named NBA Finals MVP in 1978. AP Photo

Born: March 14, 1946 (Louisville, Kentucky)

Died: June 2, 2020 (age 74, Baltimore, Maryland)

High school: Seneca High School (Louisville, Kentucky)

College: Louisville

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 245 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1968-1981)

Teams: Baltimore/Washington Bullets (1968-1981)

Stats: 984 G, 10.8 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 50.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1978), NBA MVP (1969), NBA Finals MVP (1978), five-time NBA All-Star (1969, 1971-73, 1975), All-NBA Team (1969), NBA Rookie of the Year (1969), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Wes Unseld was only 6-foot-7 but dominated on the boards like few players in NBA history — a skill greatly helped by the fact he was also almost 250 pounds.

Unseld wasted little time putting the league on notice and joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to win Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season. They’re still the only players to pull off the feat.

Unseld, known for bone-rattling picks, played a decade before helping lead the Washington Bullets to the NBA title in 1978, when he was named Finals MVP. Unseld was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Washington Wizards: Dick Motta, Head Coach

Dick Motta had a wicked temper. AP Photo

Born: Sept. 3, 1931 (Midvale, Utah)

Career: 23 seasons (1968-87, 1990-91, 1994-97)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1968-76), Washington Bullets (1976-80), Dallas Mavericks (1980-87, 1994-96), Sacramento Kings (1990-91), Denver Nuggets (1996-97)

W-L record (overall): 935-1,017 (.479)

W-L record (with Wizards): 185-143 (.564)

NBA championships: 1 (1978)

Bottom line: Dick Motta was one of the all-time great coaching personalities in NBA history and had one of the NBA’s all-time great tempers. He was known for throwing his sport coat at referees and on at least one occasion kicked the basketball into the stands.

Motta’s teams were known for their physical style of play and their superior conditioning. He only coached the Bullets for four years but led them to their only NBA title in 1978 and to the NBA Finals again in 1979, where they were upset by the Seattle SuperSonics.

Motta coached almost 20 more years after leaving Washington, but his most success was with the Bullets.

13. Dallas Mavericks: Dallas Scores Big With Dirk

The Dallas Mavericks won their only NBA title in 2011. David J. Phillip / AP Photo

Seasons: 41 (1980-present)

Record: 1,621-1,617 (.501)

Playoff appearances: 22

NBA championships: 1 (2011)

Bottom line: The Dallas Mavericks were a playoff contender for most of the 1980s before entering a dark period that lasted most of the 1990s but changed with the acquisition of forward Dirk Nowitzki via a draft-day trade in 1998.

Behind Nowitzki and the team being purchased by billionaire Mark Cuban in 2000, the franchise has become one of the best in the NBA.

The Mavericks won their lone NBA title in 2011 and have the longest consecutive streak of sellouts in pro sports dating back to 2001.

Dallas Mavericks Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Derek Harper

Shooting guard: Luka Doncic

Small forward: Mark Aguirre

Power forward: Dirk Nowitzki

Center: James Donaldson

Head coach: Rick Carlisle

Dallas Mavericks: Derek Harper, Point Guard

Derek Harper had his best years with the Dallas Mavericks. Ron Frehm / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 13, 1961 (Elberton, Georgia)

High school: North Shore High School (West Palm Beach, Florida)

College: Illinois

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 185 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1983-99)

Teams: Dallas Mavericks (1983-94, 1996-97), New York Knicks (1994-96), Orlando Magic (1997-98), Los Angeles Lakers (1999)

Stats: 1,199 G, 13.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 5.5 APG, 46.3 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1987, 1990)

Bottom line: Derek Harper started his career by playing 11 seasons for the Dallas Mavericks, where he teamed up with Rolando Blackman to make the team a perennial playoff contender, including six postseason bids in a decade.

Harper was one of the key players who helped lead Dallas to the 1988 Western Conference finals, where they pushed the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games.

Harper is one of the best players in NBA history to never make an All-Star team.

Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic, Shooting Guard

Luka Doncic is one of the most exciting players to come to the NBA in the last decade. Kevin C. Cox / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 28, 1999 (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

Youth Club: Union Olimpija (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 230 pounds

Career: 3 seasons (2018-present)

Teams: Dallas Mavericks

Stats: 145 G, 24.9 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 7.4 APG, 44.7 FG%

Career highlights: All-NBA Team (2020), NBA All-Star (2020), NBA Rookie of the Year (2019)

Bottom line: It doesn’t matter that Luka Doncic has only been in the NBA for three seasons. We can believe what our eyes tell us when we say he’s already one of the greatest players to ever wear a Dallas Mavericks uniform.

It’s a great twist of fate that his career intersected with Dirk Nowitzki’s on the Mavs’ roster for one season, and Doncic is already the franchise’s career leader in triple-doubles.

Doncic is used to being preternaturally gifted on the basketball court. He was playing pro basketball in Europe by the time he was 17 years old and was named EuroLeague MVP when he was just 18 years old.

Dallas Mavericks: Mark Aguirre, Small Forward

Mark Aguirre made all three of his All-Star appearances with the Mavericks. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 10, 1959 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: Westinghouse Prep (Chicago, Illinois)

College: DePaul

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 232 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1981-1994)

Teams: Dallas Mavericks (1981-89), Detroit Pistons (1989-93), Los Angeles Clippers (1993-94)

Stats: 923 G, 20.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 48.4 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1989, 1990), three-time NBA All-Star (1984, 1987, 1988)

Bottom line: Mark Aguirre was an elite scorer and one of the best players in the NBA during his eight seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and even led a team that pushed the Lakers to seven games in the 1988 Western Conference finals.

Aguirre’s biggest career success came when he was traded to the Pistons, where he was paired with fellow Chicagoan and 1981 No. 2 pick Isiah Thomas, and they won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.

But it was with the Mavericks where Aguirre had his best years. All three of his All-Star game appearances came while he was playing for Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki, Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki played his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks. Bill Janscha / AP Photo

Born: June 19, 1978 (Wurzburg, West Germany)

Youth club: DJK Wurzburg (Wurzburg, West Germany)

College: None

Height/weight: 7-foot, 245 pounds

Career: 21 seasons (1998-2019)

Teams: Dallas Mavericks

Stats: 1,522 G, 20.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 47.1 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2011), NBA MVP (2007), NBA Finals MVP (2011), 14-time NBA All-Star (2002-12, 2014, 2015, 2019), 12-time All-NBA Team (2001-12), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2006), NBA Teammate of the Year (2017)

Bottom line: Dirk Nowitzki can claim the throne as the greatest European-born player in NBA history and has had little serious competition for that title. Until recently.

If anyone could knock Nowitzki out of that spot, it’s third-year Dallas guard Luka Doncic, one of the more prodigious young talents the league has seen in the last 20 years.

Still, it’s Nowitzki who has defined the Mavericks’ franchise more than any other player, winning NBA MVP honors in 2007 and leading the Mavs to a stunning upset of LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Dallas Mavericks: James Donaldson, Center

James Donaldson was an All-Star with the Mavericks in 1988. Eric Gay / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 17, 1957 (Heacham, England)

High school: Burbank High School (Sacramento, California)

College: Washington State

Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 275 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1980-1993, 1995)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1980-83), San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (1983-85), Dallas Mavericks (1985-91), New York Knicks (1991-92), Utah Jazz (1993, 1995)

Stats: 957 G, 8.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 57.1 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1988)

Bottom line: James Donaldson’s career began to thrive when he was traded from the lowly Los Angeles Clippers to the Dallas Mavericks in 1985, providing a perfect frontcourt complement to the thriving backcourt of Ronaldo Blackman and Derek Harper.

Donaldson was one of the most durable big men of his day. He led the NBA in games played five times and averaged career highs of 11.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game with the Mavericks as well.

Dallas Mavericks: Rick Carlisle, Head Coach

Rick Carlisle led the Mavericks to their only NBA title in 2011. Patrick Semansky / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 27, 1959 (Ogdensburg, New York)

Career: 19 seasons (2001-07, 2008-present)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (2001-03), Indiana Pacers (2003-07), Dallas Mavericks (2008-present)

W-L record (overall): 800-664 (.546)

W-L record (with Mavericks): 519-453 (.534)

NBA championships: 1 (2011)

Bottom line: Rick Carlisle won an NBA championship as a player with the Boston Celtics in 1986 and was an NBA assistant coach for 11 seasons before he got his first opportunity as a head coach in 2001 with the Detroit Pistons.

Carlisle’s greatest success as a head coach has come with the Mavericks, where he led the franchise to its lone NBA championship in 2011 and as of the 2020-21 season was one of the NBA’s longest-tenured head coaches at 13 seasons.

12. Cleveland Cavaliers: Just a Kid From Akron

LeBron James led the Cavs to the 2016 NBA championship. Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo

Seasons: 51 (1970-present)

Record: 1,873-2,175 (.463)

Playoff appearances: 22

NBA championships: 1 (2016)

Bottom line: Aside from a brief period in the late 1980s and early 1990s in which the Cleveland Cavaliers were regular playoff contenders, the franchise was one of the worst in the NBA until they literally won the lottery in 2003 and made Ohio’s LeBron James the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

In seven seasons with James leading the way, the Cavaliers were one of the best teams in the NBA, and his return in 2014 lifted them back to that status, making it to the NBA Finals in four consecutive seasons and winning the franchise’s lone NBA championship in 2016.

Cleveland Cavaliers Starting FIve

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Kyrie Irving

Shooting guard: Austin Carr

Small forward: LeBron James

Power forward: Larry Nance

Center: Brad Daugherty

Head coach: Tyronn Lue

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, Point Guard

Kyrie Irving hit the championship-winning shot in the 2016 NBA Finals. Mark Duncan / AP Photo

Born: March 23, 1992 (Melbourne, Australia)

High school: Montclair Kimberley Academy (Montclair, New Jersey)

College: Duke

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2011-17), Boston Celtics (2017-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-present)

Stats: 535 G G, 22.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 46.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2016), six-time NBA All-Star (2013-15, 2017-19), NBA All-Star Game MVP (2014), two-time All-NBA Team (2015, 2019), NBA Rookie of the Year (2012), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2013)

Bottom line: No one can dispute that Kyrie Irving has as much talent as any player in the NBA, and that his three-pointer to win Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers is one of the greatest shots in NBA history.

What’s also not up for debate anymore is whether or not Irving, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, can exist within a team environment, because he has alienated coaches and teammates in dramatic fashion on each team he’s been on.

Irving’s success with the Cavaliers isn’t up for debate. Whether or not he can replicate it is.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Austin Carr, Shooting Guard

Austin Carr was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1981 NBA draft. AP Photo

Born: March 10, 1948 (Washington, D.C.)

High school: Mackin High School (Washington, D.C.)

College: Notre Dame

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1971-1981)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (1971-80), Dallas Mavericks (1980), Washington Bullets (1980-81)

Stats: 682 G, 15.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, 44.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1974), NBA All-Rookie Team (1972), NBA Citizenship Award (1980)

Bottom line: Austin Carr was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1981 NBA draft, but injuries plagued him throughout his 10-year career. He missed at least half of four seasons because of them.

Carr and Lenny Wilkens formed a solid backcourt for the Cavs in the 1970s, but only made it past the first round of the playoffs once. When Carr wasn’t hurt he was actually as durable as a player could be. He played in all 82 games four times for the Cavaliers.

There was a dramatic dropoff in Carr’s production when he tried to play for other teams. He averaged a full 12 points more for the Cavs than at his other two career stops.

Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James, Small Forward

LeBron James led the Cavs to the 2016 NBA title. Eric Risberg / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 30, 1984 (Akron, Ohio)

High school: St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 250 pounds

Career: 18 (2003-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present)

Stats: 1,280 G, 27.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.4 APG, 50.3 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), four-time NBA MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), four-time NBA Finals MVP (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020), 16-time NBA All-Star (2005-2020), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008, 2018), 16-time All-NBA Team (2005-2020), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2009-14), NBA Rookie of the Year (2004)

Bottom line: LeBron James will likely break Robert Parrish’s career record of 1,611 games if he plays through the 2023-24 season, which he’s openly said he wants to do. He’s also on track to break the NBA career minutes played record in that same span.

Consider also that James has played in three Summer Olympics, two FIBA World Championships and, in 18 years of professional basketball, has never had a major injury. That makes the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 15-time All-NBA pick one of the toughest and most durable players of all time, along with one of the best.

James could have easily been the small forward for the Miami Heat’s all-time starting five and, in a few more seasons, probably for the Los Angeles Lakers as well.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Larry Nance, Power Forward

Larry Nance would dunk on you. Just like this. Bill Kostroun / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 12, 1959 (Anderson, South Carolina)

High school: McDuffie High School (Anderson, South Carolina)

College: Clemson

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 205 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1981-94)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (1981-88), Cleveland Cavaliers (1988-94)

Stats: 920 G, 17.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 54.6 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA All-Star (1985, 1989, 1993), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1989, 1992, 1993), NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1984)

Bottom line: Larry Nance was a high-flying forward and the winner of the NBA’s first Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 before the Cavaliers acquired him in a blockbuster trade in 1988.

Nance proved to be the missing piece that turned Cleveland into a major contender in the Eastern Conference and was the perfect complement next to Cleveland center Brad Daugherty in the frontcourt.

Nance was at his best with the Cavaliers, where he made two of his three All-Star teams and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team three times.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Brad Daugherty, Center

Injuries cut Brad Daugherty’s career short. Mark Duncan / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 19, 1965 (Asheville, North Carolina)

High school: Owen High School (Asheville, North Carolina)

College: North Carolina

Height/weight: 7-foot, 245 pounds

Career: 8 seasons (1986-1994)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers

Stats: 548 G, 19.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 53.2 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1988, 1989, 1991-93), All-NBA Team (1992), NBA All-Rookie Team (1987)

Bottom line: Brad Daugherty was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1986 NBA draft, which has gone down as the most infamous draft class in league history — mainly because of drug issues that plagued several first-round picks, including No. 3 overall pick Len Bias, who died of a cocaine overdose just days after the draft.

Daughtery was a five-time All-Star but played just eight seasons, all for the Cleveland Cavaliers, before serious back injuries ended his career following the 1993-94 season.

Daugherty, who was the franchise’s career leading scorer until 2008, tried to rehabilitate the injury and return for two years before he officially retired in 1996.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Tyronn Lue, Head Coach

Tyronn Lue is a good coach, right? Tony Dejak / AP Photo

Born: May 3, 1977 (Mexico, Missouri)

Career: 4 seasons (2015-18, 2020-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-18), Los Angeles Clippers (2020-present)

W-L record (overall): 136-87 (.610)

W-L record (with Cavaliers): 128-83 (.607)

NBA championships: 1 (2016)

Bottom line: Tyronn Lue won two NBA championships as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers before he embarked on a coaching career.

Lue made the most of his first head-coaching opportunity midway through the 2015-16 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, helping lead the team to the first NBA championship in franchise history in 2016 with a stunning victory over the Golden State Warriors after the Cavs trailed 3-1 in the series.

Lue led the Cavs to two more NBA Finals appearances in 2017 and 2018 and became the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers before the 2020-21 season.

11. Houston Rockets: The Dream Takes Hold in Houston

The Houston Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. Pat Sullivan / AP Photo

Seasons: 54 (1967-present)

Team names: San Diego Rockets (1967-71), Houston Rockets (1971-present)

Record: 2,273-2,027 (.529)

Playoff appearances: 34

NBA championships: 2 (1994, 1995)

Bottom line: The Houston Rockets own one of the most asterisk-worthy NBA titles of all time. Their first championship in 1994 always come with the “what-if” question of whether the Michael Jordan-less Chicago Bulls would have won that year.

Which isn’t really fair to the Rockets and star center Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the greatest to play his position in the history of the game.

He was the star player on that championship team and led the Rockets to another title in 1995, when Jordan did return to the NBA at the end of the season.

Houston Rockets Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point Guard: Calvin Murphy

Shooting guard: Jame Harden

Small forward: Rudy Tomjanovich

Power forward: Moses Malone

Center: Hakeem Olajuwon

Head coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Houston Rockets: Calvin Murphy, Point Guard

Calvin Murphy was a dominant NBA player at only 5-foot-9. F. Carter Smith / AP Photo

Born: May 9, 1948 (Norwalk, Connecticut)

High school: Norwalk High School (Norwalk, Connecticut)

College: Niagara

Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 165 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1970-83)

Teams: San Diego/Houston Rockets

Stats: 1,002 G, 17.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 4.4 APG

Career highlights: NBA All-Star (1979), NBA All-Rookie Team (1971), NBA Citizenship Award (1979)

Bottom line: It’s pretty amazing what Calvin Murphy did in the NBA since he was only 5-foot-9. You can even make an argument that he’s one of the top five NBA players of all time under 6-foot.

Murphy somehow made the Hall of Fame despite making just one All-Star team in his career and only averaging 4.4 assists for his career.

But Murphy did help lead the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981 and at one point held the NBA record for consecutive free throws made and retired as the Rockets’ career leading scorer.

Houston Rockets: James Harden, Shooting Guard

James Harden hasn’t been very good in the postseason. David J. Phillip / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 26, 1989 (Los Angeles, California)

High school: Artesia High School (Lakewood, California)

College: Arizona State

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 220 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-12), Houston Rockets (2012-present), Brooklyn Nets (2021-present)

Stats: 843 G, 25.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.4 APG, 44.3 FG%

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2018), eight-time NBA All-Star (2013-20), seven-time All-NBA Team (2013-15, 2017-20), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2012), NBA All-Rookie Team (2010)

Bottom line: James Harden is one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history. His unique style of play has defied critics and skeptics alike for the majority of his 12 seasons in the league.

Harden helped the Rockets become one of the league’s marquee franchises and brought home an NBA MVP award in 2018, when he averaged 30.4 points and 8.8 rebounds — the first of three consecutive years he led the NBA in scoring.

But he could never bring a title to Houston. And his failures in the playoffs are as epic as any player in NBA history. Can he change that narrative in Brooklyn with the Nets?

Houston Rockets: Rudy Tomjanovich, Small Forward

Rudy Tomjanovich was a dominant small forward. AP Photo

Born: Nov. 24, 1948 (Hamtramck, Michigan)

High school: Hamtramck High School (Hamtramck, Michigan)

College: Michigan

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (1970-81)

Teams: San Diego/Houston Rockets

Stats: 768 G, 17.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 50.1 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1974-77, 1979)

Bottom line: Of all the players we looked at for making the all-time starting five for NBA franchises, just a few bore serious consideration to make the roster both as a player and as a coach, and only two rose up to the level where we needed to fudge our “one person, one spot” rule.

One of those was Rudy Tomjanovich, who was a small forward ahead of his time at 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds with the ability to score and defend on an elite level. Tomjanovich’s career was altered with an ugly incident in 1977, when he suffered life-threatening injuries after being punched by Los Angeles Lakers forward Kermit Washington during a game.

Tomjanovich bounced back and played three more seasons, but he was never the same player after the punch.

Houston Rockets: Moses Malone, Power Forward

Moses Malone was a three-time NBA MVP. AP Photo

Born: March 23, 1955 (Petersburg, Virginia)

Died: Sept. 13, 2015 (age 60, Norfolk, Virginia)

High school: Petersburg High School (Petersburg, Virginia)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 215 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1976-95)

Teams: Buffalo Braves (1976), Houston Rockets (1976-82), Philadelphia 76ers (1982-86, 1993-94), Washington Bullets (1986-88), Atlanta Hawks (1988-91), Milwaukee Bucks (1991-93), San Antonio Spurs (1994-95)

Stats: 1,455 G, 20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 49.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1983), NBA Finals MVP (1983), three-time NBA MVP (1979, 1982, 1983), 12-time NBA All-Star (1978-89), eight-time All-NBA Team (1979-85, 1987), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1979, 1983), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: If you lead the NBA in rebounding six times and average 12.3 rebounds for your career, that means you’re Moses Malone and one of the most respected, talented post players in league history.

Malone skipped college altogether and went directly to the pros, playing in the ABA for two seasons before the league merged with the NBA, where he became a three-time NBA MVP, winning his first two trophies with the Rockets.

He won his third with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he led the team to an NBA title in 1983.

Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon, Center

Hakeem Olajuwon won two NBA titles. Jim Johnson / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 21, 1963 (Lagos, Nigeria)

High school: Muslim Teachers College (Lagos, Nigeria)

College: Houston

Height/weight: 7-foot, 255 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (1984-2002)

Teams: Houston Rockets (1984-2001), Toronto Raptors (2001-2002)

Stats: 1,238 G, 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 51.2 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1994, 1995), two-time NBA Finals MVP (1994, 1995), NBA MVP (1994), 12-time NBA All-Star (1985-90, 1992-97), 12-time All-NBA Team (1986-81, 1993-97, 1999), nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997), NBA All-Rookie Team (1985)

Bottom line: One of the greatest centers in NBA history, Hakeem Olajuwon was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft — just two spots ahead of Michael Jordan.

Olajuwon’s dizzying array of post moves was truly something to behold. Want to know how LeBron James became great in the post later in his career? He credits several summers spent training with Olajuwon.

There was very little Olajuwon couldn’t do on a basketball court on the offensive or defensive end of the floor. He also led the NBA in blocks three times and averaged a staggering 4.6 blocks per game in the 1989-90 season.

Houston Rockets: Rudy Tomjanovich, Head Coach

Rudy Tomjanovich led the Houston Rockets to their first NBA championship in 1994. Ann Heisenfelt / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 24, 1948 (Hamtramck, Michigan)

Career: 12 seasons (1992-2003, 2004-05)

Teams: Houston Rockets (1992-2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2004-05)

W-L record (overall): 527-416 (.559)

W-L record (with Rockets): 503-397 (.559)

NBA championships: 2 (1994, 1995)

Bottom line: Rudy Tomjanovich spent a decade as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets following the abrupt end of his playing career before he was hired as the head coach in 1992.

Tomjanovich and the Rockets set the NBA on fire, winning the franchise’s only two NBA titles in his first three seasons, their style defined by their coach’s fiery personality.

If one person has defined the Houston Rockets’ franchise from start to finish, well, of course, it’s Hakeem Olajuwon. After that, it’s Tomjanovich.

10. Oklahoma City Thunder: Seattle’s Heartbreak Is Oklahoma City’s Joy

The Oklahoma City Thunder had two future NBA MVPs on the roster in 2012 with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Lynne Sladky / AP Photo

Seasons: 54 (1967-present)

Team names: Seattle SuperSonics (1967-2008), Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-present)

Record: 2,333-1,967 (.543)

Playoff appearances: 32

NBA championships: 1 (1979)

Bottom line: Few moves of a professional sports team from one city to another invoked the abject heartbreak that came when the Seattle SuperSonics left town to become the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.

Even more heartbreaking for basketball fans is the team was on the verge of becoming great again, having taken future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook back-to-back in the 2007 and 2008 drafts.

Financially, the move has proved to be a windfall. The team’s estimated value has risen from approximately $300 million in 2008 to $1.575 billion in 2020, according to Forbes Magazine. But Seattle still longs for the return of an NBA team and might get one.

Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Gary Payton

Shooting guard: Russell Westbrook

Small forward: Kevin Durant

Power forward: Shawn Kemp

Center: Jack Sikma

Head coach: Lenny Wilkens

Oklahoma City Thunder: Gary Payton, Point Guard

Gary Payton is one of the greatest trash-talkers in NBA history. Lorraine Thompson / AP Photo

Born: July 23, 1968 (Oakland, California)

High school: Skyline High School (Oakland, California)

College: Oregon State

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 180 pounds

Career: 17 seasons (1990-2007)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1990-2003), Milwaukee Bucks (2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04), Boston Celtics (2004-05), Miami Heat (2005-07)

Stats: 1,335 G, 16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.7 APG, 46.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2006), nine-time NBA All-Star (1994-98, 2000-03), nine-time All-NBA Team (1994-2002), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1996), nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1994-2002), NBA All-Rookie Team (1991)

Bottom line: Most of America’s introduction to Gary Payton came via one of the most iconic Sports Illustrated covers of all time, when he was a senior at Oregon State University in 1990. Payton’s reputation was defined by his skill as much as by his fearlessness, talking trash and backing it up at every opportunity once he entered the league with the Seattle SuperSonics.

The nine-time All-Star and 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year credited learning the game on the streets of Oakland for creating his toughness. A big part of that came from Payton’s father, Al, who infamously had “MR. MEAN” on his customized license plates when Gary was growing up.

Later in his career, Payton managed to shake off his reputation for being brash and became a steady presence in the locker room.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook, Shooting Guard

Russell Westbrook was named NBA MVP in 2017. Sue Ogrocki / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 12, 1988 (Long Beach, California)

High school: Leuzinger High School (Lawndale, California)

College: UCLA

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-19), Houston Rockets (2019-20), Washington Wizards (2020-present)

Stats: 885 G, 23.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 8.3 APG, 43.7 FG%g

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2017), nine-time NBA All-Star (2011-13, 2015-20), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2016), nine-time All-NBA Team (2011-13, 2015-17, 2019, 2020), NBA All-Rookie Team (2009)

Bottom line: Yeah, we know Russell Westbrook is a point guard. But you’re nuts if you think we’re going to put together an all-time starting five for the Oklahoma City Thunder and not include him and Gary Payton both. Also if you’ve watched any basketball in the last decade, you know Westbrook is a combo guard more than anything else.

Few players in NBA history have been as electric on the court as Westbrook, who won NBA Most Valuable Player honors in 2017 when he became only the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double and first since Oscar Roberston in 1966-67.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant, Small Forward

Kevin Durant played one year in Seattle before the team moved to Oklahoma City. Sue Ogrocki / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 29, 1988 (Washington, D.C.)

High school: Montrose Christian School (Rockville, Maryland)

College: Texas

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (2007-present)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-present)

Stats: 860 G, 27.1 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 4.1 APG, 49.3 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (2017, 2018), two-time NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018), NBA MVP (2014), 10-time NBA All-Star (2010-19), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2012, 2019), nine-time All-NBA Team (2010-14, 2016-19), NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)

Bottom line: One of the greatest players in NBA history, there is literally nothing left for Kevin Durant to accomplish on a basketball court. Durant played his rookie season in Seattle before the franchise moved to Oklahoma City in his second year and won NBA Most Valuable Player honors in 2014.

Durant’s legacy in Oklahoma City is complicated due to him leaving the team in free agency to go play for the Golden State Warriors after the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead to the Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference finals. Durant won two rings with the Dubs.

Now, he’s working on bringing a title to the Nets.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Shawn Kemp, Power Forward

Shawn Kemp was something to behold playing for the Sonics in the 1990s. Tony Cheng / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 26, 1969 (Elkhart, Indiana)

High school: Concord High School (Elkhart, Indiana)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 230 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1989-2003)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1989-97), Cleveland Cavaliers (1997-2000), Portland Trail Blazers (2000-02), Orlando Magic (2002-03)

Stats: 1,051 G, 15.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 46.4 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (1993-98), three-time All-NBA Team (1994-96)

Bottom line: The greatness of Shawn Kemp has been lost to the years, but feel free to cue up YouTube highlights from his eight seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics.

Few players in the 1990s played above the rim with the sheer ferocity and athleticism Shawn Kemp did, and he was an All-NBA pick for three consecutive years in Seattle, including teaming with Gary Payton to guide the Sonics to the NBA Finals in 1996.

Off-court issues, including his out-of-control weight gain, sank Kemp’s career in its later stages as he bounced from team to team.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Jack Sikma, Center

Jack Sikma became an NBA star after playing for NCAA Division III Illinois Wesleyan. Gary Stewart / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 14, 1955 (Kankakee, Illinois)

High school: St. Anne Community High School (St. Anne, Illinois)

College: Illinois Wesleyan

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 230 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1977-91)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1977-86), Milwaukee Bucks (1986-91)

Stats: 1,107 G, 15.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 46.4 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1979), seven-time NBA All-Star (1979-85), NBA All-Defensive Team (1982), NBA All-Rookie Team (1978)

Bottom line: Jack Sikma was unique before he made it to the NBA. He chose NCAA Division III Illinois Wesleyan over a multitude of Division I offers because of his close relationship with the school’s head coach.

Sikma led the Sonics to the NBA Finals in his rookie season, where they lost to the Washington Bullets, and led them right back there in 1979 against the Bullets and pulled off one of the great upsets in pro sports history.

Sikma’s numbers in nine seasons with the Sonics match up with the very best big men of all time — 16.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Lenny Wilkens, Head Coach

Lenny Wilkens looks like he’s having a good time at this parade. AP Photo

Born: Oct. 28, 1937 (Brooklyn, New York)

Career: 31 seasons (1969-72, 1974-76, 1977-85, 1986-2003, 2004-05)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1969-72, 1977-85), Portland Trail Blazers (1974-76), Cleveland Cavaliers (1986-93), Atlanta Hawks (1993-2000), Toronto Raptors (2000-03), New York Knicks (2004-05)

W-L record (overall): 1,332-1,155 (.536)

W-L record (with SuperSonics): 478-402 (.543)

NBA championships: 1 (1979)

Bottom line: Lenny Wilkens was a nine-time NBA All-Star before he was an NBA head coach for 31 seasons with six different franchises.

He won one NBA championship as a coach, leading the Seattle SuperSonics past the Washington Bullets for one of the greatest upsets of all time in 1979.

Wilkens’ basketball career was so vast and all-encompassing he was inducted into the Hall of Fame three different times — as a player, as a coach and with the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, which he was an assistant coach on.

9. Milwaukee Bucks: Just a Solid Franchise

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the NBA MVP award and the NBA title in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks. AP Photo

Seasons: 53 (1968-present)

Record: 2,194-2,027 (.520)

Playoff appearances: 32

NBA championships: 1 (1971)

Bottom line: Few small-market teams have been as well-run and successful as the Milwaukee Bucks have been in the history of the NBA. You can’t tell just by looking at the one NBA championship the team won led by Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.

The Bucks have been competitive throughout much of their existence and find themselves in another golden age headed into the 2020s behind star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player awards in 2019 and 2020.

Milwaukee Bucks Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Sidney Moncrief

Shooting guard: Marques Johnson

Small forward: Glenn Robinson

Power forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Center: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Head coach: Don Nelson

Milwaukee Bucks: Sidney Moncrief, Point Guard

Sidney Moncrief was the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner. David M. Tenenbaum / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 21, 1957 (Little Rock, Arkansas)

High school: Hall High School (Little Rock, Arkansas)

College: Arkansas

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1979-1991)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1979-1989), Atlanta Hawks (1989-1991)

Stats: 767 G, 15.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 50.2 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1982-86), five-time All-NBA Team (1982-86), two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1983, 1984), five-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1982-86)

Bottom line: Sidney Moncrief was the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1986, then won it again in 1987.

Moncrief had a tough career with the Bucks as far as making it to the NBA Finals. He played on some great teams but also during the heyday of the 76ers with Dr. J and the Celtics with Larry Bird running the Eastern Conference. In Moncrief’s 10 seasons with the Bucks, his teams lost in the conference finals or conference semifinals eight times.

Along with Detroit’s Joe Dumars, NBA legend Michael Jordan said Moncrief was one of the two toughest defensive players he ever faced.

Milwaukee Bucks: Marques Johnson, Shooting Guard

Marques Johnson had a small but pivotal role in the film “White Men Can’t Jump” starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Steve Pyle / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 8, 1956 (Natchitoches, Louisiana)

High school: Crenshaw High School (Los Angeles, California)

College: UCLA

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 218 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (1977-87, 1989)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1977-84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984-87), Golden State Warriors (1989)

Stats: 691 G, 20.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 51.8 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA All-Star (1979-81, 1983, 1986), three-time All-NBA Team (1979-81), NBA All-Rookie Team (1978)

Bottom line: Marques Johnson was a bad, bad man on the court. He could have been in the Bucks’ all-time starting five at either small forward or shooting guard and was skilled enough with the ball in his hands he could easily run the offense at 6-foot-7.

Johnson claims to have coined the term “point forward” — several people have claimed this — and made four out of his five All-Star teams and all three of his All-NBA picks with the Bucks.

After his career ended early because of a neck injury, he became a basketball analyst and has had a niche career as an actor, most notably as a pickup basketball player in the classic sports movie “White Men Can’t Jump” in 1992.

Milwaukee Bucks: Glenn Robinson, Small Forward

Glenn Robinson’s rookie contract in 1994 remains the richest rookie contract in NBA history. Morry Gash / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 10, 1973 (Gary, Indiana)

High school: Roosevelt High School (Gary, Indiana)

College: Purdue

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 240 pounds

Career: 11 seasons (1994-2005)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1994-2002), Atlanta Hawks (2002-2003), Philadelphia 76ers (2003-2004), San Antonio Spurs (2005)

Stats: 688 G, 20.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 45.9 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2005), two-time NBA All-Star (2000, 2001), NBA All-Rookie Team (1995)

Bottom line: Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson’s 10-year, $68 million rookie contract after being picked No. 1 overall in 1994 is still the richest rookie deal in NBA history.

Robinson’s career numbers are more than respectable, but the problem is the next two picks — Jason Kidd and Grant Hill — both ended up as Hall of Famers, and Robinson never made an All-NBA team.

Robinson’s stats were always great. He just never got wins. In eight seasons with the Bucks, he only made the playoffs three times and made it past the postseason just once.

Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Power Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo grew three inches in the year after he was drafted in 2013. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 6, 1994 (Athens, Greece)

Youth club: Filathlitikos (Athens, Greece)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 242 pounds

Career: 8 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks

Stats: 541 G, 20.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.3 APG, 52.7 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA MVP (2019, 2020), four-time NBA All-Star (2017-20), four-time All-NBA Team (2017-20), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2020), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2017, 2019, 2020), NBA Most Improved Player (2017), NBA All-Rookie Team (2014)

Bottom line: The Milwaukee Bucks had no idea what they were getting when they drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft — evidenced by the fact he grew three inches in the year after he was drafted.

Since making his NBA debut just a shade past his 18th birthday, Antetokounmpo has become one of the greatest players of his generation and was already a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player award winner by the time he was 25 years old.

After playing out a four-year, $100 million contract extension signed in 2016, Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million extension with the Bucks in December 2020.

Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Center

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won an NBA title with the Bucks in 1971. Paul Shane / AP Photo

Born: April 16, 1947 (Manhattan, New York)

High school: Power Memorial High School (New York City, New York)

College: UCLA

Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 225 pounds

Career: 20 seasons (1969-1989)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-75), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89)

Stats: 1,560 G, 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 55.9 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA champion (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), two-time NBA Finals MVP (1971, 1985), six-time NBA MVP (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980), 19-time NBA All-Star (1970-77, 1979-89), 15-time All-NBA (1970-74, 1976-81, 1983-86), 11-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1970, 1971, 1974-81, 1984), NBA Rookie of the Year (1970), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA titles and six NBA Most Valuable Player awards and is in the conversation when it comes to the greatest basketball players of all time, which puts him in the conversation for toughest players as well.

He will always be tougher than we give him credit for. He played in an age where African-American players were fighting for equal rights on and off the floor and was one of the leaders of that movement.

One stat stands out more than any other. More than two decades after his retirement, Abdul-Jabbar’s 1,797 career games (including the playoffs) is more than anyone in NBA history.

Milwaukee Bucks: Don Nelson, Head Coach

Don Nelson coached the Milwaukee Bucks for nine seasons. Mike Kullen / AP Photo

Born: May 15, 1940 (Muskegon, Michigan)

Career: 31 seasons (1976-87, 1988-96, 1997-2005, 2006-10)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1976-87), Golden State Warriors (1988-95, 2006-10), New York Knicks (1995-96), Dallas Mavericks (1997-2005)

W-L record (overall): 1,335-1,063 (.557)

W-L record (with Bucks): 540-344 (.611)

NBA championships: None

Bottom line: Don Nelson played in the NBA for 14 seasons and won five NBA championships with the Boston Celtics before embarking on a coaching odyssey unlike any in league history.

Nelson spent 31 seasons as an NBA head coach for four different teams, and while he never won an NBA title, he had his best seasons in a nine-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning NBA Coach of the Year twice in that stretch.

8. Philadelphia 76ers: In a Street Fight, Take the Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers won an NBA title in 1983 with Julius Erving and Moses Malone leading the way. AP Photo

Seasons: 72 (1949-present)

Team names: Syracuse Nationals (1949-63), Philadelphia 76ers (1963-present)

Record: 2,909-2,728 (.516)

Playoff appearances: 50

NBA championships: 3 (1955, 1967, 1983)

Bottom line: The Philadelphia 76ers won their first NBA championships when they were still the Syracuse Nationals in 1955.

They made the leap to The City of Brotherly Love in 1963 and won a championship four years later in 1967, then again in 1983 led by Julius Erving and Moses Malone.

Perhaps the team’s greatest player never won a championship. Point guard Allen Iverson, whom the 76ers selected No. 1 overall out of Georgetown in 1996, finished his career ringless.

Philadelphia 76ers Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Allen Iverson

Shooting guard: Hall Greer

Small forward: Julius Erving

Power forward: Billy Cunningham

Center: Dolph Schayes

Head coach: Billy Cunningham

Philadelphia 76ers: Allen Iverson, Point Guard

Allen Iverson is one of the most popular players in NBA history. Miles Kennedy / AP Photo

Born: June 7, 1975 (Hampton, Virginia)

High school: Bethel High School (Hampton, Virginia)

College: Georgetown

Height/weight: 6-foot, 165 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1996-2010)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-10), Denver Nuggets (2006-08), Detroit Pistons (2008-09), Memphis Grizzlies (2009)

Stats: 914 G, 26.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 42.5 FG%

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2001), 11-time NBA All-Star (2000-10), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2001, 2005), seven-time All-NBA Team (1999-2003, 2005), NBA Rookie of the Year (1997)

Bottom line: Allen Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001 — the same year he won his lone NBA MVP award.

“The Answer” played with reckless abandon for someone his size and became one of the most popular players in NBA history and one of pop culture’s all-time greatest antiheroes.

Iverson did it on both ends of the floor as well. He led the NBA in scoring four times and led the NBA in steals three times despite never earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Team, which is a travesty.

Philadelphia 76ers: Hal Greer, Shooting Guard

Hal Greer was an undersized guard at 6-foot-2. AP Photo

Born: June 26, 1936 (Huntington, West Virginia)

Died: April 14, 2018 (age 81, Phoenix, Arizona)

High school: Douglass High School (Huntington, West Virginia)

College: Marshall

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 175 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (1958-73)

Teams: Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers

Stats: 1,122 G, 19.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 45.2 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1967), 10-time NBA All-Star (1961-70), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1968), seven-time All-NBA Team (1963-69), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Hal Greer was the first Black college basketball player at a public university in West Virginia and led Marshall to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1958.

Greer was at his best teamed with center Wilt Chamberlain and led the 76ers with 27.7 points in the 1967 NBA playoffs on the way to the only title of his career.

An undersized guard at 6-foot-2, Greer is still the franchise record holder for points, field goals, field-goal attempts, games played and minutes played.

Philadelphia 76ers: Julius Erving, Small Forward

Julius Erving spent the first part of his career in the ABA. AP Photo

Born: Feb. 22, 1950 (East Meadow, New York)

High school: Roosevelt High School (Roosevelt, New York)

College: Massachusetts

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (1976-87)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers

Stats: 836 G, 22.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 50.7 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1983), NBA MVP (1981), 11-time NBA All-Star (1977-87), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1977, 1983), seven-time All-NBA Team (1977, 1978, 1980-84), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: What’s really amazing about Dr. J’s dominance in his nine seasons in the NBA is that he spent the first five seasons of his career in the ABA, where he was arguably the greatest player in that league’s history.

Dr. J won MVP honors in both leagues and won championships in both leagues, teaming with Moses Malone to win the 1983 NBA championship. It was also during the regular season in 1983 that Dr. J orchestrated perhaps the greatest in-game dunk of all time — the “Rock the Baby” cradle dunk over Michael Cooper of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Philadelphia 76ers: Billy Cunningham, Power Forward

Billy Cunningham helped lead the 76ers to an NBA title in 1967. AP Photo

Born: June 3, 1943 (Brooklyn, New York)

High school: Erasmus Hall High School (Brooklyn, New York)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds

Career: 9 seasons (1965-72, 1974-76)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers

Stats: 770 G, 21.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, 45.2 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1967), four-time NBA All-Star (1969-72), four-time All-NBA Team (1969-72), NBA All-Rookie Team (1966), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Billy Cunningham was so good as both a player and a coach for the same 76ers that we had to put him in the starting lineup and as the team’s coach. He’s one of just two people out of the 30 franchises that got that honor (Rudy Tomjanovich with the Rockets is the other).

Cunningham helped lead the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA title in 1967, then coached them to a title in 1983.

Cunningham spent two seasons in his prime playing in the ABA for the Carolina Cougars, but returned to play the final two seasons in the NBA with the 76ers.

Philadelphia 76ers: Dolph Schayes, Center

Dolph Schayes won an NBA title in 1955. AP Photo

Born: May 18, 1928 (The Bronx, New York)

Died: Dec. 10, 2015 (age 87, Syracuse, New York)

High school: DeWitt Clinton High School (The Bronx, New York)

College: New York University

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1948-64)

Teams: Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers

Stats: 996 G, 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 38.0 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1955), 12-time NBA All-Star (1951-62), 12-time All-NBA Team (1950-61), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Bronx native Dolph Schayes led NYU to the NCAA tournament final as a 16-year-old college freshman in 1945 then became a 12-time All-Star and 12-time All-NBA pick with both sets of honors coming in 12 consecutive seasons.

Schayes won his lone NBA title in 1955 and played his entire 16-year career with one franchise, the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers. Schayes’ game was unique even for his era as a big man with a high-arcing, outside jumper.

His son, Danny, played 18 seasons in the NBA from 1981 to 1999.

Philadelphia 76ers: Billy Cunningham, Head Coach

Billy Cunningham was only a head coach for eight seasons. AP Photo

Born: June 3, 1943 (Brooklyn, New York)

Career: 8 seasons (1977-85)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers

W-L record (overall): 454-196 (.698)

NBA championships: 1 (1983)

Bottom line: Billy Cunningham was part of both of the Philadelphia 76ers NBA championships after moving from Syracuse — the first as a player in 1967, then the second as a head coach in 1983.

What’s amazing about Cunningham is he only coached one team in his entire career and still has the third-highest winning percentage of all time behind just Steve Kerr and Phil Jackson — two other former NBA players who also won championships as both a player and head coach.

7. New York Knicks: Being a Knicks Fan Is Hard

The New York Knicks haven’t won an NBA title since 1973. AP Photo

Seasons: 75 (1946-present)

Record: 2,806-2,996 (.484)

Playoff appearances: 42

NBA championships: 2 (1970, 1973)

Bottom line: There isn’t a more frustrating NBA franchise than the New York Knicks.

They are a marquee team in a marquee city that’s one of the two original BAA franchises alongside the Boston Celtics. The Knicks only have 15 fewer championships to show for it.

You would think they would’ve stumbled into another title at some point — even by accident — but they never came closer than with the great teams led by Patrick Ewing that lost in the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999.

New York Knicks Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Walt Frazier

Shooting guard: Earl Monroe

Small forward: Harry Gallatin

Power forward: Willis Reed

Center: Patrick Ewing

Head coach: Red Holzman

New York Knicks: Walt Frazier, Point Guard

Walt Frazier was a cool dude. AP Photo

Born: March 29, 1945 (Atlanta, Georgia)

High school: Howard High School (Atlanta, Georgia)

College: Southern Illinois

Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1967-79)

Teams: New York Knicks (1967-77), Cleveland Cavaliers (1977-79)

Stats: 825 G, 18.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 49.0 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1970, 1973), seven-time NBA All-Star (1970-76), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1975), six-time All-NBA Team (1970-75), seven-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1969-75), NBA All-Rookie Team (1968), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Walt Frazier was the perfect guard — the perfect size, speed, strength, smarts and athleticism to put on a basketball court.

He found the perfect team to play on with the New York Knicks of the late 1960s and early 1970s, teaming with a gaggle of fellow Hall of Famers and head coach Red Holzman to lead the team to a pair of NBA championships in 1970 and 1973.

And while you might think Frazier’s overall coolness had no impact on how the man played the game, we respectfully disagree. There has been no player in the NBA that had as much style, swag and overall bravado as Frazier, whose style influenced no less than three-time Oscar winner and coolest man alive Jack Nicholson.

New York Knicks: Earl Monroe, Shooting Guard

Earl Monroe was a matchup problem. Dave Pickoff / AP Photo

Born: Nov. 21, 1944 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

High school: Bartram High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

College: Winston-Salem State

Height/weight: 6-foot-2

Career: 13 seasons (1967-80)

Teams: Baltimore Bullets (1967-71), New York Knicks (1971-80)

Stats: 926 G, 18.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.9 APG, 46.4%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1973), four-time NBA All-Star (1969, 1971, 1975, 1977), All-NBA Team (1969), NBA Rookie of the Year (1968), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Let’s say it up front. An elite point guard shouldn’t have a career assists average of 3.9 per game.

But Earl Monroe played shooting guard with the Knicks, and he was entertaining. The guy was a master showman and had as much fun as anyone on the court.

While he shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame with those kind of statistics, it’s impossible to look past the influence Monroe had on the game and how important a player he was in his era.

New York Knicks: Harry Gallatin, Small Forward

Harry Gallatin made it to the Hall of Fame out of tiny Truman State. AP Photo

Born: April 26, 1927 (Roxana, Illinois)

Died: Oct. 7, 2015 (age 88, Edwardsville, Illinois)

High school: Roxana High School (Roxana, Illinois)

College: Truman State

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 210 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1948-58)

Teams: New York Knicks (1948-57), Detroit Pistons (1957-58)

Stats: 602 G, 13.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 39.8 FG%

Career highlights: Seven-time NBA All-Star (1951-57), two-time All-NBA Team (1954, 1955)

Bottom line: This spot came down to either Hall of Famer Harry Gallatin or likely future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, who we decided to put on the Denver Nuggets’ all-time starting five.

Gallatin was a two-time all-NBA pick and seven-time All-Star, and that was in large part thanks to his tenacious rebounding. Gallatin’s career average of 11.0 rebounds jumps off the page.

Gallatin led the NBA in rebounding in 1954 at 15.3 rebound per game, which was part of a three-year stretch where Gallatin averaged at least 13.0 rebounds.

New York Knicks: Willis Reed, Power Forward

Willis Reed orchestrated perhaps the most inspiring moment in NBA history. AP Photo

Born: June 25, 1942 (Bernice, Louisiana)

High school: West Side High School (Lillie, Louisiana)

College: Grambling State

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1964-1974)

Teams: New York Knicks

Stats: 650 G, 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 47.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1970, 1973), two-time NBA Finals MVP (1970, 1973), NBA MVP (1970), seven-time NBA All-Star (1965-71), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1970), five-time All-NBA Team (1967-71), NBA Rookie of the Year (1965), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Willis Reed isn’t just one of the toughest players in NBA history, he’s also the author of one of the single greatest moments in pro sports history.

After missing Game 6 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers with a torn thigh muscle, Reed seemed destined to be a scratch for Game 7. His heroic, limping walk out of the tunnel for warm-ups, followed by scoring the first two baskets of the game (his only points) sparked the Knicks to the win and the NBA title.

Famed broadcaster Howard Cosell summed up America’s feelings toward Reed in the winning locker room after the game. “You exemplify the very best that the human spirit has to offer,” Cosell told Reed. He was right.

New York Knicks: Patrick Ewing, Center

Patrick Ewing was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft, which is the source of some crazy conspiracy theories. Ron Frehm / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 5, 1962 (Kingston, Jamaica)

High school: Rindge and Latin School (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

College: Georgetown

Height/weight: 7-foot, 255 pounds

Career: 17 seasons (1985-2002)

Teams: New York Knicks (1985-2000), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01), Orlando Magic (2001-02)

Stats: 1,183 G, 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 50.4 FG%

Career highlights: Eleven-time NBA All-Star (1986, 1988-97), seven-time All-NBA Team (1988-93, 1997), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1988, 1989, 1992), NBA Rookie of the Year (1986), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Patrick Ewing was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft and immediately became the focal point of the Knicks’ offense for the next 15 years. Which meant taking a lot of shots.

Ewing was an 11-time All-Star but never won an NBA title, coming up short in two trips to the finals in 1994 and 1999. Ewing played in the last great era of NBA centers — the last era you could build a team around a pure center.

And the Knicks built their team around Ewing for over a decade.

New York Knicks: Red Holzman, Head Coach

Red Holzman was a great coach and mentor to arguably the greatest coach in NBA history. AP Photo

Born: Aug. 10, 2020 (New York, New York)

Died: Nov. 13, 1998 (age 78, New Hyde Park, New York)

Career: 18 seasons (1953-57, 1967-77, 1978-82)

Teams: Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1953-57), New York Knicks (1967-77, 1978-82)

W-L record (overall): 696-603 (.536)

W-L record (with Knicks): 613-483 (.559)

NBA championships: 2 (1970, 1973)

Bottom line: Red Holzman won an NBA title as a player with the Rochester Royals in 1951 and spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach for the Knicks before taking over in 1967 and leading the team to a pair of NBA titles in 1970 and 1973.

Holzman’s impact extends beyond his own career as he influenced perhaps the greatest professional sports coach of all time. Holzman guided Phil Jackson through the early parts of his coaching career after he played for the Knicks and Holzman on those title teams.

6. Detroit Pistons: Bad Boys for Life

The Detroit Pistons won back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. Douglas C. Pizac / AP Photo

Seasons: 63 (1948-present)

Team names: Fort Wayne Pistons (1948-57), Detroit Pistons (1957-present)

Record: 2,756-2,937 (.484)

Playoff appearances: 42

NBA championships: 3 (1989, 1990, 2004)

Bottom line: The Detroit Pistons struggled for decades before hitting paydirt with the perfect combination of coach and player when they picked point guard Isiah Thomas No. 2 overall in the 1981 NBA draft out of the University of Indiana and hired Chuck Daly as head coach in 1983.

The “Bad Boys” era that ensued for the Pistons resulted in back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990, along with another NBA Finals appearance in 1988.

The franchise added another NBA title in 2004 with an upset of the Los Angeles Lakers, but it was those teams with Thomas and Daly that still define the Pistons.

Detroit Pistons Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Isiah Thomas

Shooting guard: Joe Dumars

Small forward: Dennis Rodman

Power forward: Ben Wallace

Center: Bob Lanier

Head coach: Chuck Daly

Detroit Pistons: Isiah Thomas, Point Guard

Isiah Thomas has a complicated legacy. Mark Duncan / AP Photo

Born: April 30, 1961 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: St. Joseph High School (Westchester, Illinois)

College: Indiana

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1981-94)

Teams: Detroit Pistons

Stats: 979 G, 19.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 9.3 APG, 45.2 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1989, 1990), NBA Finals MVP (1990), 12-time NBA All-Star (1982-93), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1984, 1986), five-time All-NBA Team (1983-87), NBA All-Rookie Team (1982), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Few players in NBA history have as complicated a legacy as Isiah Thomas, who is one of the greatest point guards of all time as well as one of the greatest pro sports villains in NBA history thanks to his rivalry with Michael Jordan.

Thomas was the star player on the “Bad Boys” era teams for the Detroit Pistons that played in three consecutive NBA Finals and won back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.

Thomas has done little to burnish his legacy since his career was over, failing at almost every attempt at coaching, management and ownership on different levels of basketball from the CBA to the NBA to college basketball and even the WNBA.

Detroit Pistons: Joe Dumars, Shooting Guard

Joe Dumars was named NBA Finals MVP in 1989. Duane Burleson / AP Photo

Born: May 24, 1963 (Shreveport, Louisiana)

High school: Central High School (Natchitoches, Louisiana)

College: McNeese State

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1985-99)

Teams: Detroit Pistons

Stats: 1,018 G, 16.1 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 46.0 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1989, 1990), NBA Finals MVP (1989), six-time NBA All-Star (1990-93, 1995, 1997), three-time All-NBA Team (1990, 1991, 1993), five-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1989-93), NBA All-Rookie Team (1986), NBA Sportsmanship Award (1996)

Bottom line: Joe Dumars was built more like the NFL safeties of his era than a shooting guard. That was fitting because he grew up playing defensive back in Louisiana, and younger brother David played in the USFL.

The most important thing to remember about Dumars is that Michael Jordan called him the best defender he ever faced, and the “Jordan Rules” established by Pistons coach Chuck Daly in the 1990s centered around Dumars’ unique defensive ability, despite Dumars giving up at least three inches to Jordan in the matchup.

It’s ironic that Dumars, who has the NBA Sportsmanship Award named after him, was such a key part of Detroit’s “Bad Boys” teams that won NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.

Detroit Pistons: Dennis Rodman, Small Forward

Dennis Rodman went from the NAIA to being named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Bob Galbraith / AP Photo

Born: May 13, 1961 (Trenton, New Jersey)

High school: South Oak Cliff High School (Dallas, Texas)

College: Southeastern Oklahoma State

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 228 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1986-2000)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (1986-1993), San Antonio Spurs (1993-1995), Chicago Bulls (1995-98), Los Angeles Lakers (1999), Dallas Mavericks (2000)

Stats: 911 G, 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 52.1 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (1989, 1990, 1996-98), two-time NBA All-Star (1990, 1992), two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1991), two-time All-NBA (1992, 1995), eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1989-96)

Bottom line: NBA fans who got to know Dennis Rodman in the 1980s, when he first joined the league, were able to appreciate his innate toughness before his life off the court overshadowed his game.

Rodman was always willing to do that little extra to get a rebound or make a defensive play, which usually meant sacrificing his body by diving for a loose ball. The two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, which stands among the NBA’s best career marks.

From 1989 to 1998, he won five NBA titles with two different teams, the Pistons and the Bulls, and averaged at least 15 rebounds per game for seven seasons in that stretch. That included a career-high 18.7 rebounds in the 1991-92 season.

Rodman was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace, Power Forward

Ben Wallace is a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Paul Sancya / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 10, 1974 (White Hall, Alabama)

High school: Central High School (Hayneville, Alabama)

College: Virginia Union

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 240 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1996-2012)

Teams: Washington Bullets/Wizards (1996-99), Orlando Magic (1999-2000), Detroit Pistons (2000-06, 2009-12), Chicago Bulls (2006-08), Cleveland Cavaliers (2008-09)

Stats: 1,088 G, 5.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 47.4 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (2004), four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), four-time NBA All-Star (2003-06), five-time All-NBA Team (2002-06), six-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2002-07)

Bottom line: Ben Wallace was discovered by another NBA star post player, Charles Oakley, during a basketball camp at NCAA Division II Virginia Union while Wallace was in high school.

Despite going undrafted out of Virginia Union, Wallace is tied with Dikembe Mutombo with an NBA record four Defensive Player of the Year awards and helped lead the Pistons to the 2004 NBA title and back into the NBA Finals in 2005. Wallace also is the only undrafted player in NBA history to be voted a starter for the All-Star game.

Wallace was named a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 but somehow wasn’t voted in, furthering the notion that the Basketball Hall of Fame is a joke and needs a complete overhaul if it wants to stay relevant.

Detroit Pistons: Bob Lanier, Center

Injuries and cigarettes held Bob Lanier’s career back somewhat. AP Photo

Born: Sept. 10, 1948 (Buffalo, New York)

High school: Bennett High School (Buffalo, New York)

College: St. Bonaventure

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1970-84)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (1970-80), Milwaukee Bucks (1980-84)

Stats: 959 G, 20.1 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 51.4 FG%

Career highlights: Eight-time NBA All-Star (1972-75, 1977-79, 1982), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1974), NBA All-Rookie Team (1971)

Bottom line: Bob Lanier is one of the most well-respected NBA players of all time and has his iconic No. 16 retired by both of the teams he played for — the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks — despite never winning an NBA title in14 seasons.

Lanier, at 6-foot-11, was one of the best all-around big men in NBA history and averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in his career. What makes those numbers even more amazing is the fact he underwent an astonishing eight knee surgeries over his career and was known to choke back several cigarettes in the halftime locker room.

Later in his career, as players began to embrace conditioning routines, the smoking was definitely a disadvantage.

Detroit Pistons: Chuck Daly, Head Coach

“Daddy Rich” was Chuck Daly’s nickname. Jim Mone / AP Photo

Born: July 20, 1930 (Kane, Pennsylvania)

Died: May 9, 2009 (age 78, Jupiter, Florida)

Career: 14 seasons (1981-82, 1983-94, 1997-99)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (1981-82), Detroit Pistons (1983-92), New Jersey Nets (1992-94), Orlando Magic (1997-99)

W-L record (overall): 638-437 (.593)

W-L record (with Pistons): 467-271 (.633)

NBA championships: 2 (1989, 1990)

Bottom line: Chuck Daly — who was known as “Daddy Rich” for the stylish suits he wore during games — cut a wide swath during his 14 seasons as an NBA coach, leading the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.

Daly also was the head coach who led the greatest assemblage of basketball talent in history when the United States men’s basketball team won the Olympic gold medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics.

That’s a pretty good legacy.

5. San Antonio Spurs: Duncan’s Dynasty for the Ages

The San Antonio Spurs have won five NBA titles. Amy Sancetta / AP Photo

Seasons: 54 (1967-present, 45 NBA, 9 ABA)

Record: 2,580-1,727 (.599, 2,201-1,361 NBA, 378-366 ABA)

Playoff appearances: 47 (39 NBA, 8 ABA)

NBA championships: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)

Bottom line: The Spurs trail only the Chicago Bulls as the greatest team in the modern era of the NBA.

All five of Spurs’ NBA championships came under the same coach, Gregg Popovich, and with the same star player, 1997 No. 1 overall pick Tim Duncan.

The Spurs were one of just four ABA teams to make the leap to the NBA in 1976 and have the best winning percentage of any team in professional sports over the last 30 years.

San Antonio Spurs Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Tony Parker

Shooting guard: Manu Ginobili

Small forward: George Gervin

Power forward: Tim Duncan

Center: David Robinson

Head coach: Gregg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker, Point Guard

Tony Parker is one of the quickest players in NBA history. Joe Cavaretta / AP Photo

Born: May 17, 1982 (Bruges, Belgium)

Youth club: Paris Basket Racing (Paris, France)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds

Career: 18 seasons (2001-19)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs (2001-18), Charlotte Hornets (2018-19)

Stats: 1,254 G, 15.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 49.1 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), NBA Finals MVP (2007), six-time NBA All-Star (2006, 2007. 2009, 2012-14), four-time All-NBA (2009, 2012-14), NBA All-Rookie Team (2002)

Bottom line: Tony Parker played two seasons of professional basketball in his native France before joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2001 at just 19 years old.

Parker never missed the playoff seasons in 17 seasons with the Spurs and won four NBA championships, earning NBA Finals MVP in 2007. Parker’s quickness in his prime was unparalleled, but he almost never made it to the NBA after a disastrous first workout in front of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who wanted to send him home after 10 minutes.

The Spurs still took Parker 28th overall in the 2001 draft, and the rest is history.

San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili, Shooting Guard

Manu Ginobili didn’t play in the NBA until he was 25 years old. Doug Sebres / AP Photo

Born: July 28, 1977 (Bahia Blanca, Argentina)

Youth club: Estudiantes de Bahia Blanca (Bahia Blanca, Argentina)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 205 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (2002-18)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

Stats: 1,057 G, 13.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, 44.7 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), two-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2011), two-time All-NBA (2008, 2011), NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2008), NBA All-Rookie Team (2003)

Bottom line: Manu Ginobili’s career numbers would be much higher, but he spent seven seasons playing professional basketball overseas before coming to the NBA.

Ginobili was a sensation once he joined the NBA in 2002, at 25 years old, winning three NBA titles in his first five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and adding another title in 2014 with a shocking upset of the Miami Heat.

Ginobili spent his entire 16-year career with the Spurs and was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2008 — the same year he made his first All-NBA team.

San Antonio Spurs: George Gervin, Small Forward

That ain’t no finger roll. AP Photo

Born: April 27, 1952 (Detroit, Michigan)

High school: Martin Luther King High School (Detroit, Michigan)

College: Eastern Michigan

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 180 pounds

Career: 10 seasons(1976-86)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs (1976-85), Chicago Bulls (1985-86)

Stats: 1,060 G, 25.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 50.4 FG%

Career highlights: Nine-time NBA All-Star (1977-85), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1980), seven-time All-NBA Team (1977-83), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: One of the greatest scorers in basketball history, George “The Iceman” Gervin spent the first four seasons of his pro career in the ABA with the Virginia Squires and the San Antonio Spurs, making the move to the NBA with the Spurs in 1976.

Gervin only played 10 seasons in the NBA and was a nine-time All-Star and led the league in scoring four times. Gervin’s career was largely devoid of postseason success, and he never played in the championship finals in the ABA or NBA.

That’s a shame because is one of the game’s all-time greats.

San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan, Power Forward

Tim Duncan is arguably the greatest power forward in NBA history. Eric Gay / AP Photo

Born: April 25, 1976 (Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands)

High school: St. Dunstan’s Episcopal School (Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands)

College: Wake Forest

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1997-2016)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

Stats: 1,392 G, 19.0 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 50.6 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), three-time NBA FInals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005), two-time NBA MVP (2002, 2003), 15-time NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-11, 2013, 2015), 15-time All-NBA (1998-2009, 2013), 15-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1998-2010, 2013, 2015), NBA Rookie of the Year (1998)

Bottom line: Arguably the greatest power forward in NBA history, Tim Duncan won five NBA titles with the Spurs in his 19-year career.

Duncan’s offensive workload was made much easier to bear with the addition of guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and Duncan’s 50.6 career field-goal percentage speaks to his efficiency. That the Spurs never missed the playoffs once with Duncan speaks to his greatness.

Duncan is the only player in NBA history to be selected to the All-NBA team and the NBA All-Defensive Team for 13 consecutive seasons.

San Antonio Spurs: David Robinson, Center

David Robinson played his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs. Donna McWilliam / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 6, 1965 (Key West, Florida)

High school: Osbourn Park High School (Manassas, Virginia)

College: Navy

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 230 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1989-2003)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

Stats: 987 G, 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 51.8 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1999, 2003), NBA MVP (1995), 10-time NBA All-Star (1990-96, 1998, 2000, 2001), 10-time All-NBA Team (1990-96, 1998, 2000, 2001), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1992), eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1990-96, 1998), NBA Rookie of the Year (1990), NBA Sportsmanship Award (2001), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: David Robinson didn’t play for the Spurs until two years after he was drafted since he fulfilled his military service obligation with the Navy. When Robinson did play, he turned around the entire franchise and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 1995.

The biggest knock on Robinson was he lacked killer instinct when it came to close games or the playoffs. He was able to win two NBA championships late in his career playing with Tim Duncan, and his career average of 3.0 blocks per game is one of the best in league history.

San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich, Head Coach

Gregg Popovich is the longest-tenured coach in pro sports. Eric Gay / AP Photo

Born: Jan. 28, 1949 (East Chicago, Indiana)

Career: 25 seasons (1996-present)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs

W-L record: 1,284-620 (.674)

NBA championships: 5 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)

Bottom line: Gregg Popovich is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, if not all of team sports.

Popovich also is the longest-tenured coach in all of North American professional sports and has spent his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs, who hired him in 1996 after six seasons as an assistant.

Popovich has led the Spurs to five NBA titles in three different decades — the only NBA titles in franchise history — and is one of only five coaches in NBA history to win five titles.

4. Golden State Warriors: The Splash Brothers Create a Dynasty

The Golden State Warriors have won three NBA championships since 2015. Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo

Seasons: 75 (1946-present)

Team names: Philadelphia Warriors (1946-62), San Francisco Warriors (1962-71), Golden State Warriors (1971-present)

Record: 2,793-3,004 (.482)

Playoff appearances: 35

NBA championships: 6 (1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018)

Bottom line: The Golden State Warriors trail just the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics when it comes to NBA championships, with the first two of the Warriors’ six titles coming when they were the Philadelphia Warriors.

The Warriors won another title in 1975, after they moved to Oakland, and were the NBA’s preeminent franchise of the 2010s, making it to the NBA Finals five consecutive seasons from 2015-19 and winning three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. The

We’ll see where they go this decade.

Golden State Warriors Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Stephen Curry

Shooting guard: Klay Thompson

Small forward: Rick Barry

Power forward: Nate Thurmond

Center: Wilt Chamberlain

Head coach: Steve Kerr

Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, Point Guard

Stephen Curry is a two-time NBA MVP. Ben Margot / AP Photo

Born: March 14, 1988 (Akron, Ohio)

High school: Charlotte Christian School (Charlotte, North Carolina)

College: Davidson

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: Golden State Warriors

Stats: 712 G, 23.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 47.6 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (2015, 2017, 2018), two-time NBA MVP (2015, 2016), six-time NBA All-Star (2014-19), six-time All-NBA Team (2014-19), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2015), NBA Sportsmanship Award (2011), NBA All-Rookie Team (2010)

Bottom line: Few NBA players change the way the game is played, but two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry is one of them.

Curry, the son of longtime NBA guard Dell Curry, turned the league on its head with his shooting ability. Then, he teamed with Klay Thompson to form one of the greatest backcourts in NBA history, and they won three NBA titles and played in the NBA Finals five consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019.

Curry has the NBA record with a 90.6 percent mark from the free-throw line for his career, and his 43.3 percent mark from beyond the three-point arc is one of the best in NBA history.

Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson, Shooting Guard

Klay Thompson set an NBA record with 37 points in a single quarter. Ben Margot / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 8, 1990 (Los Angeles, California)

High school: Santa Margarita Catholic High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, California)

College: Washington State

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 215 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Golden State Warriors

Stats: 615 G, 19.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 45.9 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (2015, 2017, 2018), five-time NBA All-Star (2015-19), two-time All-NBA Team (2015, 2016), NBA All-Defensive Team (2019), NBA Three-Point Contest champion (2016), NBA All-Rookie Team (2012)

Bottom line: The son of 1978 No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Mychal Thompson, Klay Thompson made his own name in the NBA by pairing with fellow superstar Stephen Curry — also the son of a former NBA player — to win three NBA championships on the Golden State Warriors from 2015 to 2019.

Thompson, who owns the NBA record with 37 points in a single quarter, tore his ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals and, just months from starting the 2020-21 season, tore his Achilles tendon during a workout, robbing him of a second straight season in his prime.

Golden State Warriors: Rick Barry, Small Forward

Rick Barry was a six-time All-NBA pick. Sal Veder / AP Photo

Born: March 28, 1944 (Elizabeth, New Jersey)

High school: Roselle Park High School (Roselle Park, New Jersey)

College: Miami (Florida)

Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 205 pounds

Career: 10 seasons (1965-67, 1972-80)

Teams: San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1965-67, 1972-78), Houston Rockets (1978-80)

Stats: 1,020 G, 24.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.9 APG, 45.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA champion (1975), NBA Finals MVP (1975), eight-time NBA All-Star (1966, 1967, 1973-78), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1967), six-time All-NBA Team (1966, 1967, 1973-76), NBA Rookie of the Year (1966), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: There was very little Rick Barry couldn’t do on a basketball court, and he was the prototype for the point-forward position — a forward who was the primary ballhandler in his team’s offense with an ability to pass and dish out assists at a high level.

Barry left the NBA and the Warriors to play five seasons in the ABA in his prime, then returned to lead the Warriors to one of the greatest upsets in NBA history with a sweep of the Washington Bullets in the 1975 NBA Finals.

Golden State Warriors: Nate Thurmond, Power Forward

Nate Thurmond was one of the most beloved Warriors of all time. AP Photo

Born: July 25, 1941 (Akron, Ohio)

Died: July 16, 2016 (age 74, San Francisco, California)

High school: Central High School (Akron, Ohio)

College: Bowling Green

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 225 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1963-1977)

Teams: San Francisco/Golden State Warriors (1963-1974), Chicago Bulls (1974-1976), Cleveland Cavaliers (1976-1977)

Stats: 964 G, 15.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 42.1 FG%

Career highlights: Seven-time NBA All-Star (1965-68, 1970, 1973, 1974), five-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1969, 1971-74), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Nate Thurmond was one of the most ferocious rebounders in NBA history, and he was just as good at blocking shots and playing defense.

He once was singled out by NBA career leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the toughest defender he ever faced and was the only post player of that era who could stand toe-to-toe with both Wilt Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar.

Thurmond set the NBA record with 18 rebounds in one quarter, was the first NBA player to record a quadruple-double but only played in one NBA Finals, losing to Chamberlain and the 76ers in 1967. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and died of leukemia in 2016.

Golden State Warriors: Wilt Chamberlain, Center

Wilt Chamberlain still holds the NBA single-game scoring record with 100 points. Paul Mathis / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 21, 1936 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: Oct. 12, 1999 (age 63, Bel Air, California)

High school: Overbrook High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

College: Kansas

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 275 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1959-73)

Teams: Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors (1959-63), Philadelphia 76ers (1965-68), Los Angeles Lakers (1968-73)

Stats: 1,045 G, 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, 54.0 FG%

Career highlights: Two-time NBA champion (1967, 1972), NBA Finals MVP (1972), four-time NBA MVP (1960, 1966-68), 13-time NBA All-Star (1960-69, 1971-73), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1960), 10-time All-NBA Team (1960-68, 1972), two-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1972, 1973), NBA Rookie of the Year (1960), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Wilt Chamberlain won seven scoring titles and, almost out of spite, led the league in assists one season when fans and media complained he took too many shots.

Chamberlain could score at will, but at times in his career, he played with a very pronounced indifference toward the game. His career, with only two NBA titles, will always have a certain degree of “what if” hanging over it.

Chamberlain could have been the center on the all-time starting five for the Philadelphia 76ers, but he was at his most dominant on the Philadelphia Warriors where he set the NBA record by scoring 100 points in a game and won his first NBA MVP award in 1960.

Golden State Warriors: Steve Kerr, Head Coach

Steve Kerr won an NBA title in his first season as head coach. John Leyba / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 27, 1965 (Beirut, Lebanon)

Career: 9 seasons (2014-present)

Teams: Golden State Warriors

W-L record: 473-238 (.665)

NBA championships: 3 (2015, 2017, 2018)

Bottom line: Steve Kerr’s head coaching career has been short and sweet and incredibly successful.

Kerr became the first rookie head coach since the Los Angeles Lakers’ Pat Riley in 1982 to win the NBA championship when he led the Golden State Warriors to the title in 2015. Kerr led the Warriors into the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons, adding two more titles in 2017 and 2018 and a surprise fourth title in 2022.

Kerr’s 2015-16 team set the NBA record for most wins in a regular season by going 73-9 but blew a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

3. Chicago Bulls: The GOAT Leads the Bulls to Glory

Michael Jordan won the first of six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in 1991. Reed Saxon / AP Photo

Seasons: 55 (1966-present)

Record: 2,233-2,143 (.510)

Playoff appearances: 35

NBA championships: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)

Bottom line: The story of the Chicago Bulls franchise can be summed up into two eras — pre-Michael Jordan, when they were terrible, and post-Michael Jordan era, when they’ve been terrible again.

With Jordan, who was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in 1984, the Bulls were the signature franchise in the NBA, if not all of professional sports all over the world.

They won six NBA championships with Jordan leading the team and have never seriously contended for a title since his departure after the 1997-98 season.

Chicago Bulls Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Derrick Rose

Shooting guard: Michael Jordan

Small forward: Scottie Pippen

Power forward: Horace Grant

Center: Artis Gilmore

Head coach: Phil Jackson

Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose, Point Guard

Derrick Rose was named NBA MVP in 2011. Jim Prescott / AP Photo

Born: Oct. 4, 1988 (Chicago, Illinois)

High school: Simeon Career Academy (Chicago, Illinois)

College: Memphis

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (2008-2016), New York Knicks (2016-2017), Cleveland Cavaliers (2017-2018), Minnesota Timberwolves (2018-2019), Detroit Pistons (2019-present)

Stats: 601 G, 18.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, 45.6 FG%

Career highlights: NBA MVP (2011) three-time NBA All-Star (2010-12), All-NBA Team (2011), NBA Rookie of the Year (2009)

Bottom line: Derrick Rose got off to a tremendous start as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. He was the NBA MVP in 2011, just his third season, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to win the award at just 22 years old after leading the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 record.

Rose appeared to have the Bulls on the verge of becoming a legitimate NBA title contender again before he saw his career come undone. First, with a string of devastating injuries, including an ACL tear in the 2011-12 season, and a rape accusation in California that ended in a messy civil lawsuit.

Unfortunately for the Bulls and fortunately for Rose, he signed a five-year, $94.8 million contract extension right before his injury. He didn’t play a game from May 2012 to October 2013.

Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan, Shooting Guard

Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete of all time. Kirthmon Dozier / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 17, 1963 (Brooklyn, New York)

High school: Laney High School (Wilmington, North Carolina)

College: North Carolina

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 210 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1984-1993, 1995-1998, 2001-2003)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998), Washington Wizards (2001-2003)

Stats: 1,072 G, 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 49.7 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA champion (1991-93, 1996-98), six-time NBA Finals MVP (1991-93, 1996-98), five-time NBA MVP (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998), 14-time NBA All-Star (1985-93, 1996-98, 2002, 2003), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1988, 1996, 1998), 11-time All-NBA (1985, 1987-93, 1996-98), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988), nine-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1988-93, 1996-98), NBA Rookie of the Year (1985)

Bottom line: Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. Some may debate it, but just like the ball don’t lie, neither do the eyes.

Jordan was a highlight machine from the moment he stepped foot on an NBA floor and lifted the Chicago Bulls to amazing heights, helping the team become the signature pro sports franchise in all of North America, if not the world.

Jordan won five NBA Most Valuable Player awards with the Bulls, six NBA championships and six NBA Finals MVP awards in that stretch. Had it not been for a two-year, mid-career retirement in which Jordan pursued a professional baseball career he may have added two more titles to the total.

Chicago Bulls: Scottie Pippen, Small Forward

Scottie Pippen was a great defender and a great dunker. Charles Bennett / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 25, 1965 (Hamburg, Arkansas)

High school: Hamburg High School (Hamburg, Arkansas)

College: Central Arkansas

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 228 pounds

Career: 17 seasons (1987-2004)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1987-98, 2003-04), Houston Rockets (1998-99), Portland Trail Blazers (1999-2003)

Stats: 1,178 G, 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.2 APG, 47.3 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA champion (1991-93, 1996-98)

Bottom line: The perfect complement to Michael Jordan during the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s, Scottie Pippen also was one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history.

Pippen and Jordan’s Batman and Robin routine produced six championships in nine full NBA seasons together and cemented both players as two of the greatest of all time.

Pippen averaged an NBA-leading 2.9 steals in 1994-95 — the second consecutive season he averaged 2.9 steals — and he averaged 2.1 steals in 12 seasons with the franchise.

Chicago Bulls: Horace Grant, Power Forward

Horace Grant was a key part of three NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. Fred Jewell / AP Photo

Born: July 4, 1965 (Augusta, Georgia)

High school: Hancock Central High School (Sparta, Georgia)

College: Clemson

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 215 pounds

Career: 15 seasons (1987-2002)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1987-94), Orlando Magic (1994-99, 2001-02), Seattle SuperSonics (1999-2000), Los Angeles Lakers (2000-01, 2003-04), Orlando Magic (2001-02)

Stats: 1,165 G, 11.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 50.9 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (1991-93, 2001), NBA All-Star (1994), four-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1993-96)

Bottom line: One of the greatest NBA Ddrafts of all time for any single franchise came in 1987 when the Chicago Bulls selected Horace Grant and also added draft pick Scottie Pippen via a trade. The two players were cornerstones for their dynasty in the 1990s.

Grant won three titles with the Bulls in the early 1990s, had playoff success with the Orlando Magic and won another title with the Lakers in 2001.

Grant was never better than when he was with the Bulls and averaged career highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks.

Chicago Bulls: Artis Gilmore, Center

Artis Gilmore is one of the most underrated centers of all time. AP Photo

Born: Sept. 21, 1949 (Chipley, Florida)

High school: Roulhac High School (Chipley, Florida)

College: Jacksonville

Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 240 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1976-88)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1976-82, 1987), San Antonio Spurs (1982-87), Boston Celtics (1988)

Stats: 909 G, 17.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 59.9 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA All-Star (1978, 1979, 1981-83, 1986), NBA All-Defensive Team (1978)

Bottom line: Artis Gilmore spent part of his prime dominating in the ABA, where he was one of the league’s signature players alongside Julius Erving and George Gervin.

Gilmore was still dominant when he finally joined the NBA in 1976 with the Bulls, although he had his best years on some really, really bad teams.

Gilmore was a four-time All-Star with the Bulls and the lone bright spot in some awful years, leading the NBA in field-goal percentage four times.

Chicago Bulls: Phil Jackson, Head Coach

Phil Jackson won six NBA titles as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Steve Simoneau / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 17, 1945 (Deer Lodge, Montana)

Career: 20 seasons (1989-98, 1999-2004, 2005-11)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1989-98), Los Angeles Lakers (1999-2004, 2005-2011)

W-L record (overall): 1,155-485 (.704)

W-L record (with Bulls): 545-193 (.738)

NBA championships: 11 (1991-93, 1996-98, 2000-02, 2009-10)

Bottom line: Phil Jackson won two NBA championships as a player with the New York Knicks in the 1970s before he embarked on the greatest coaching career in NBA history, if not all of professional sports.

Jackson won six NBA titles in nine seasons as the coach of the Chicago Bulls after he convinced star Michael Jordan to embrace the triangle offense and take a more team-first approach.

Jackson went on to win five more championships as the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: From Showtime to Kobe and Shaq

The Los Angeles Lakers won three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. Michael Conroy / AP Photo

Seasons: 73 (1948-present)

Team names: Minneapolis Lakers (1948-60), Los Angeles Lakers (1960-present)

Record: 3,396-2,304 (.596)

Playoff appearances: 61

NBA championships: 17 (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020)

Bottom line: The Lakers are one of the NBA’s two greatest franchises with the Boston Celtics — tied with for the most NBA titles in league history.

The Lakers won their first five titles in Minneapolis, including three consecutive from 1952 to 1954 behind center George Mikan. They won five titles in the 1980s during the “Showtime” era. Then, they won three consecutive titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal from 2000 to 2002, another pair of back-to-back titles with Kobe in 2009 and 2010.

That’s a lot of winning.

Los Angeles Lakers Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Magic Johnson

Shooting guard: Kobe Bryant

Small forward: Elgin Baylor

Power forward: James Worthy

Center: Shaquille O’Neal

Head coach: Pat Riley

Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson, Point Guard

Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard of all time. AP Photo

Born: Aug. 14, 1959 (Lansing, Michigan)

High school: Everett High School (Lansing, Michigan)

College: Michigan State

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1978-91, 1996)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 906 G, 19.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 11.2 APG, 52.0 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), three-time NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987), three-time NBA MVP (1987, 1989, 1990), 12-time NBA All-Star (1980, 1982-92), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992), 10-time All-NBA (1982-91), NBA All-Rookie Team (1980), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Magic Johnson is the greatest point guard of all-time, one of the most exciting, dynamic players in NBA history and a global sports icon.

Magic’s rivalry with Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird, which started in the 1979 NCAA championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State, put the NBA on the path to becoming the global behemoth it is today, generating approximately $8 billion in revenue annually.

Johnson was the guiding force behind the Lakers’ “Showtime” era, leading the franchise to five NBA titles in the 1980s.

Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant, Shooting Guard

Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles. Brandmir Kvartic / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 23, 1978 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Died: Jan. 26, 2020 (age 41, Los Angeles, California)

High school: Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)

College: None

Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 212 pounds

Career: 20 seasons (1996-2016)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 1,346 G, 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.7 APG, 44.7 FG%

Career highlights: Five-time NBA champion (2000-02, 2009, 2010), two-time NBA Finals MVP 2009, 2010), NBA MVP (2008), 18-time NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-16), four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011), 15-time All-NBA (1999-2013), 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team (2000-04, 2006-12)

Bottom line: Kobe Bryant was the ultimate competitor. He won five NBA titles in 20 seasons and demanded excellence from his teammates, which sometimes rubbed players the wrong way, none more than Shaq, who was traded to the Heat in 2004, making the Lakers Kobe’s team.

In the final game of his career, Kobe scored 60 points on 22-of-50 shooting in a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz, including 10-of-12 from the free-throw line and 6-of-21 from beyond the three-point arc. Bryant surprisingly only won the NBA Most Valuable Player award once in his career, in 2008, but was also a 12-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection.

Bryant died tragically in a helicopter accident with his 13-year-old daughter and seven other passengers in January 2020, when he was 41 years old.

Los Angeles Lakers: Elgin Baylor, Small Forward

Elgin Baylor was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft. AP Photo

Born: Sept. 16, 1934 (Washington, D.C.)

High school: Spingarn High School (Washington, D.C.)

College: Seattle

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 225 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1958-1971)

Teams: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 846 G, 27.4 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 43.1 FG%

Career highlights: Eleven-time NBA All-Star (1959-65, 1967-70), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1959), 10-time All-NBA Team (1959-65, 1967-69), NBA Rookie of the Year (1959), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: With the benefit of hindsight, it seems like the first time an NBA team truly nailed the No. 1 overall pick was when the Lakers took Elgin Baylor No. 1 overall out of Seattle University in 1958.

Baylor was an offensive wizard and is one of the game’s greatest players — his career averages of almost 30 points and 14 rebounds per game jump off the page.

Baylor does have one big thing missing from his resume, though. The Lakers went 0-for-8 in the NBA Finals over the course of his career, with seven of those losses coming at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

Los Angeles Lakers: James Worthy, Power Forward

James Worthy was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1983 NBA draft. Lenox McLendon / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 27, 1961 (Gastonia, North Carolina)

High school: Ashbrook High School (Gastonia, North Carolina)

College: North Carolina

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 225 pounds

Career: 12 seasons (1982-94)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 926 G, 17.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 52.1 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (1985, 1987, 1988), NBA Finals MVP (1988), seven-time NBA All-Star (1986-92), two-time All-NBA (1990, 1991), NBA All-Rookie Team (1983), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: The Los Angeles Lakers made James Worthy the No. 1 pick in the 1983 NBA draft, and the begoggled Worthy, already indoctrinated into the idea of team ball at North Carolina with Dean Smith, was the perfect fit for the “Showtime” era.

Worthy was the prototype power forward for any era and the thrill of watching him run the floor alongside Magic Johnson was one of the greatest combinations in NBA history.

At the apex of his career, Worthy helped lead the Lakers to three championships in four seasons and won NBA Finals Most Valuable Player honors in 1988.

Los Angeles Lakers: Shaquille O’Neal, Center

Shaquille O’Neal signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 1996. Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo

Born: March 6, 1972 (Newark, New Jersey)

High school: Cole High School (San Antonio, Texas)

College: LSU

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 325 pounds

Career: 19 seasons (1992-2011)

Teams: Orlando Magic (1992-96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004), Miami Heat (2004-08), Phoenix Suns (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-11)

Stats: 1,207 G, 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 58.2 FG%

Career highlights: Four-time NBA champion (2000-02, 2006), three-time NBA Finals MVP (2000-02), NBA Most Valuable Player (2000), 15-time NBA All-Star (1993-98, 2000-07, 2009), three-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2000, 2004, 2009), 14-time All-NBA (1994-2006, 2009), three-time All-NBA Defensive Team (2000, 2001, 2003), NBA Rookie of the Year (1993), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Shaquille O’Neal is on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore of centers with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

Aside from being a four-time NBA champion, Shaq is also a 15-time All-Star and 14-time All-NBA pick. That the Magic couldn’t re-sign O’Neal and let him sign with the Lakers in free agency was as much a result of O’Neal’s agent, Leonard D’Amato, wanting him in Los Angeles as much as the Magic not wanting to pay up.

Hands down one of the most popular players in league history as well, Shaq teamed with Kobe Bryant to lead the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002 and won three consecutive NBA Finals MVP trophies in that same stretch.

Los Angeles Lakers: Pat Riley, Head Coach

Pat Riley won four NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. Bob Galbraith / AP Photo

Born: March 20, 1945 (Schenectady, New York)

Career: 24 seasons (1981-90, 1991-2003, 2005-08)

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (1981-90), New York Knicks (1991-95), Miami Heat (1995-2003, 2005-08)

W-L record (overall): 1,210-694 (.636)

W-L record (with Lakers): 533-194 (.733)

NBA championships: 5 (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006)

Bottom line: Pat Riley was the perfect coach for the perfect team at the perfect time when he was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers as head coach early in the 1981-82 seasons, leading the franchise to four NBA titles that decade.

Riley, who was the basis for Michael Douglas’ Academy Award-winning performance in “Wall Street,” was known for his high fashion and style on the court — a look that only took a backseat to what an incredible winner he was on it.

1. Boston Celtics: Bill, Hondo and Larry Legend

The Boston Celtics won eight consecutive NBA championships with Bill Russell and Red Auerbach. AP Photo

Seasons: 75 (1946-present)

Record: 3,434-2,374 (.591)

Playoff appearances: 57

NBA championships: 17 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008)

Bottom line: The Boston Celtics are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for an NBA-best 17 championships, but it’s worth pointing out that all of the Celtics’ titles have come in Boston, while the Lakers’ first five championships came while the franchise was in Minneapolis.

The Celtics’ consistency has made them one of the most well-known franchises in all of professional sports. They’re one of just two original BAA teams that are still in their original city (the New York Knicks are the other) and have won more games than any team in NBA history.

Boston Celtics Starting Five

Alexandra Vincent / Granite Media

Point guard: Bob Cousy

Shooting guard: John Havlicek

Small forward: Larry Bird

Power forward: Kevin McHale

Center: Bill Russell

Head coach: Red Auerbach

Boston Celtics: Bob Cousy, Point Guard

Bob Cousy refused to play for the team that drafted him, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. Tom Fitzsimmons / AP Photo

Born: Aug. 9, 1928 (Manhattan, New York)

High school: Andrew Jackson High School (Queens, New York)

College: Holy Cross

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds

Career: 14 seasons (1950-63, 1969-70)

Teams: Boston Celtics (1950-63), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70)

Stats: 924 G, 18.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.5 APG, 37.5 FG%

Career highlights: Six-time NBA champion (1957, 1959-63), NBA MVP (1957), 13-time NBA All-Star (1951-63), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (1954, 1957), 12-time All-NBA (1952-63), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Bob Cousy won six NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and was the 1957 NBA MVP. Cousy made the All-Star team in all 13 seasons with the Celtics and led the NBA in assists for eight consecutive years in that stretch.

Cousy was drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks — the franchise now known as the Atlanta Hawks — but refused to report to the team and was picked up by the Celtics. Cousy was one of the first NBA players to adopt an up-tempo style and was criticized for playing “streetball” early in his career.

This was mainly because of between-the-legs dribbling and no-look and behind-the-back passes. You could say “The Cooz” was ahead of his time.

Boston Celtics: John Havlicek, Shooting Guard

John Havlicek could’ve played in the NFL if he didn’t choose the NBA. AP Photo

Born: April 8, 1940 (Martins Ferry, Ohio)

Died: April 25, 2019 (age 79, Jupiter, Florida)

High school: Bridgeport High School (Bridgeport, Ohio)

College: Ohio State

Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 203 pounds

Career: 16 seasons (1962-78)

Teams: Boston Celtics

Stats: 1,270 G, 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 43.9 FG%

Career highlights: Eight-time NBA champion (1963-1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976), NBA Finals MVP (1974), 13-time NBA All-Star (1966-78), 11-time All-NBA (1964, 1966, 1968-76), NBA All-Rookie Team (1963), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: John Havlicek was the first true swingman in NBA history — a player who was indistinguishable from a guard or a forward because he did everything on the floor for both positions.

His eight NBA titles trail only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones for the most in league history, but more than that, Havlicek never lost in the NBA Finals, going 8-0. It wasn’t just the NBA where Havlicek was a winner. He also won a national championship at Ohio State.

Havlicek is one of the greatest players in NBA history. He died in April 2019 at 79 years old.

Boston Celtics: Larry Bird, Small Forward

Larry Bird liked to drop dimes. AP Photo

Born: Dec. 7, 1956 (West Baden Springs, Indiana)

High school: Springs Valley High School (French Lick, Indiana)

College: Indiana State

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1979-92)

Teams: Boston Celtics

Stats: 897 G, 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 49.6 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986), two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986), three-time NBA MVP (1984-86), 12-time NBA All-Star (1980-88, 1990-92), NBA All-Star Game MVP (1982), 10-time All-NBA (1980-88, 1990), three-time NBA All-Defensive Team (1982-84), NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), three-time NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1986-88), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: The Celtics have been blessed with many great players. None were greater than Larry Bird in his prime.

“Larry Legend” was drafted by the Boston Celtics a full year before he joined the team and led the franchise to three NBA championships in 13 seasons and won three NBA Most Valuable Player awards.

Bird’s achievements are even more amazing when you consider that back injuries decimated the latter half of his career. He only played six games in 1988-89, 60 games in 1990-91 and 45 games in 1991-92, his final season.

Boston Celtics: Kevin McHale, Power Forward

Opponents called Kevin McHale’s array of post moves “The Torture Chamber.” Fred Jewell / AP Photo

Born: Dec. 19, 1957 (Hibbing, Minnesota)

High school: Hibbing High School (Hibbing, Minnesota)

College: Minnesota

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1980-93)

Teams: Boston Celtics

Stats: 971 G, 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 55.4 FG%

Career highlights: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986), seven-time NBA All-Star (1984, 1986-91), All-NBA (1987), six-time All-NBA Defensive Team (1983, 1986-90), two-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1984, 1985), NBA All-Rookie Team (1981), NBA 50th Anniversary Team

Bottom line: Kevin McHale gave opponents nightmares because of his arsenal of low-post offensive moves, which he called “the torture chamber,” and for being a rugged, punishing defender. It’s kind of incredible to think of now, but McHale didn’t even become a full-time starter until five years into his career, winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year twice in that stretch.

McHale was always thought of as a uniquely gifted offensive player, but his reputation as being tough or intimidating was centered around just one famous play. When McHale clotheslined Lakers’ forward Kurt Rambis during Game 4 of the 1984 NBA Finals, it shocked teammates and opponents alike and arguably turned the tide of the series.

The Celtics won the title in seven games. The championship cemented McHale as one of the most beloved players in Boston. And most hated everywhere else.

Boston Celtics: Bill Russell, Center

Bill Russell is the greatest winner in pro sports history. Bill Chapois / AP Photo

Born: Feb. 12, 1934 (Monroe, Louisiana)

High school: McClymonds High School (Oakland, California)

College: San Francisco

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 215 pounds

Career: 13 seasons (1956-1969)

Teams: Boston Celtics

Stats: 963 G, 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 44.0 FG%

Career highlights: Eleven-time NBA champion (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969), five-time NBA MVP (1958, 1961-63, 1965), 12-time NBA All-Star (1958-69), 11-time All-NBA (1958-68)

Bottom line: Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the greatest dynasty in NBA history, winning 11 NBA championships in his 13 NBA career.

The five-time NBA Most Valuable Player needed to define toughness to succeed in his era, with his direct counterpart none other than Wilt Chamberlain, the only other player besides Russell to grab 50 rebounds in a single game.

Russell averaged a staggering 22.5 rebounds per game for his career, and his dominance in the NBA Finals was so complete that the NBA Finals MVP award was named after him.

Boston Celtics: Red Auerbach, Head Coach

Red Auerbach won nine NBA titles as head coach of the Boston Celtics. Ed Widdis / AP Photo

Born: Sept. 20, 1917 (Brooklyn, New York)

Died: Oct. 28, 2006 (age 89, Washington, D.C.)

Career: 17 seasons (1949-66)

Teams: Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949-50), Boston Celtics (1950-66)

W-L record (overall): 823-426 (.659)

W-L record (with Boston): 795-327 (.667)

NBA championships: 9 (1957, 1959-66)

Bottom line: More than a winner, Red Auerbach broke down racial barriers in the NBA.

Auerbach drafted the first African-American in NBA history in 1950 when he picked Chuck Cooper, had the first African-American starting five in NBA history in 1964 and hired the first African-American head coach in NBA history with Bill Russell in 1966.

In total, Auerbach won 16 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics — nine as head coach and seven more as the team’s chief executive. Now, that’s a legacy.