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.