Innocent Deserve Protection

Whether it is a baby in the womb or a worshipper in a church, mosque, or synagogue, innocent human life should be held precious. People going about their ordinary business should not be under threat of murder. To those who cheer the murder of Israeli civilians or even IDF soldiers and pass out candy to celebrate the butchery- you are no different than the psychopaths who rooted for the shooter gunning down supplicants in the New Zealand mosque. Those who spill innocent blood have forfeited their freedom, and those who murder should pay with their lives.

The Position-less Powerhouses

1.)Earvin "Magic" Johnson- the best of the one though five players- the Lakers could contend for titles without Kareem on the floor with Magic filling in as the center but could not triumph without Johnson. 2.)Ben Simmons- the only active player on this list. If his game continues to improve, with his size and athleticism, he could develop into another Magic. 3.)Larry Bird- was the most versatile Celtic ever. 4.)Scottie Pippen- similar versatility as Bird with more quickness and leaping ability, was somewhat overshadowed on the Bulls by the greatest player ever (MJ). 5.)Toni Kukoc- another Chicago phenom whose light was somewhat eclipsed by Pippen and Jordan.

The Best Defenders

The best defenders in the history of professional basketball by position: Center- Bill Russell- Probably blocked more shots before blocked shots were counted in official statistics than anyone has since they began to count. Russell had a remarkable ability to block and control the ball. Power forward- Ben Wallace- strong enough to prevent any player from posting him up and agile enough to defend anyone on the perimeter. Small forward- Dennis Rodman-another one through five defender who could cover every opponent. Scoring guard- Michael Jordan- Great all-around defender and great at stealing the ball. Point guard- John Stockton- best ever on the ball defender and all-time leading steals man. Second team: Center- Hakeem Olajuwon- a great shot blocker who also was tremendous at stealing the ball. Power forward- Bobby Jones- one of the first defenders capable of guarding any opponent from the largest center to the quickest point guard and did so without ever resorting to dirty play. Small forward- Scottie Pippen- another defender who could cover anybody. Scoring guard- Casey Jones- a two guard who was not a prolific scorer but a good enough defender to make that lack of scoring inconsequential. Point guard- Jason Kidd- a great all-around player who could really "guard". Third team: Center- Dikembe Mutombo- he controlled the lane by blocking a lot of shots. Power forward- Kevin McHale- the strongest defender in the Celtics eighties dynasty. Small forward- Michael Cooper- The 1980s era Lakers best defender, generally coming off the bench to shut down the opponent's biggest offensive threat. Scoring guard- M.L. Carr- If the Celtics perimeter defenders were taking a beating, Carr would come in with his surpassing energy and excellent defensive skills to lift Boston up. Point guard- Gary Payton- he earned the appellation "the Glove". Note- Point guards Maurice Cheeks and Dennis Johnson and scoring guard Clyde Drexler were excellent defenders in their own right and just about as good as those on my all-defense teams.

Best by Position

First Team: Center-Bill Russell- the essential component in the Celtics championship run that has never been matched and is not likely to be. Power Forward- Tim Duncan- the Spurs championship maker. Showed that mastering the fundamentals and outworking opponents creates victories. Small Forward- LeBron James- the strength of a center combined with the speed and ball handling ability of a point guard to help elevate two different teams to three championships. Scoring Guard- Michael Jordan- the most dominant athlete and hardest competitor in the history of team sports. Point Guard- Earvin "Magic" Johnson- A lead guard with the size of a center who was perfect as the orchestra conductor of the Showtime Lakers championship era. Second Team: Center- Wilt Chamberlain-the most physically dominant player of his era. Did not win as many rings as he might have otherwise if he had not had the misfortune of playing at the peak of the Celtics dominance. Power Forward- Karl Malone- A hulking force who never won a championship because he had the bad luck to be pitted against the Chicago Bulls championship run. Small Forward- Larry Bird- the key player in the Celtics championship resurgence. Scoring Guard- Kobe Bryant- The next best thing to Michael Jordan. Point Guard- Oscar Robertson- the original triple double king who also led the Bucks to a championship. Third Team: Center- Kareem Abdul Jabbar- a consistency of excellence that spanned longer than any other player on the the all-time teams. Power Forward- Elvin Hayes- The only player to challenge Abdul Jabbar's dominance in college and manage to capture an NBA title as well with the Bullets (now called the Wizards). Small Forward- Elgin Baylor- Unstoppable scorer and rebounder who was also a force on defense. Scoring Guard- James Harden- What he is doing this season proves he belongs on this list. Point Guard- Isiah Thomas- the one from Indiana University who was the leader of the Detroit Pistons run to two championships.