My Best NBA Roster Ever?

 There are many reason and various talents in basketball players that make an honest, unbiased athletics analyzer rethink their best 5 players for a roster in their known History of the NBA.

 I'll feel that 3 players are solid fits together on the same roster but I cannot say for certain who is the best individual player I would choose on any team combination.

 Yes, I like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Wilt Chamberlain but as solid as Jordan is - there are some facets to Bird's game that I like better, but at a glance I would guess that Jordan has more plusses than Bird, but I actually think Wilt Chamberlain may have more impact than Jordan or Bird on a team with 5 players and maybe in one on one also.

 I tend to lean towards thinking Wilt Chamberlain would be the most impactful on any Roster and although Michael Jordan is a little more well rounded from the foul line and 3 point line - Wilt has a height advantage and similar speed - so, that is where I stand on that for now.

 I am not leaving out LeBron James in the debate of most impactful, but rather I am referring to Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain being possibly the best options in the roles I view them playing on an all time NBA roster.

 Other players who often cross my mind as debatably the most impactful players on any NBA all Time roster are: 

Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Steph Curry, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Isaiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, Oscar Robertson, Bob Cousy, Pete Maravich, Clyde Drexler, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Durant, Dominique Wilkins, Kawhi Leonard, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kevin McHale, Bill Russell, David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nikola Jokic... 

(Jerry West, Grant Hill and other players in other eras could easily be on this list while Grant Hill and Dominique Wilkins often get overlooked and are underrated - I hope to do a blog on all time underrated players and list some of them with explanations)

 Before I go any further - there is a trait about John Stockton and Larry Bird that might drive any opponent crazy if they are both starting on the same roster. Bird and Stockton are both known for always moving on offense and making the defensive player constantly chase them whether they have the ball or not. That is an example of why it is not always about the best player but also how any 5 players compliment each other and also versatility can help if the versatile players are able to master more than one role and scheme mentally as well as physically.

 I wrestled with who to place at Point Guard and Power Forward. I think it is absolutely inconclusive about who is better at Small Forward between Larry Bird and LeBron James overall but I put Bird at Small Forward because LeBron is potentially the best possible player on this roster at three positions: Point Guard, Power Forward & Small Forward, but I think I prefer Bird in a shooters role at Small Forward and having LeBron at Point Guard or Power Forward, and I think Bird and LeBron can switch at both forward positions and Bird can even play some Point Guard in a broken play where they switch or even in a planned play.

 At first I had LeBron at Point Guard and Kevin Garnett as a Stretch 4 at Power Forward, but I have looked a bit more closely at Magic Johnson's skills and considered that although LeBron did not play Power Forward as much as Small Forward - his rating at Power Forward grades Power Forward as his best position and I think his versatility helps any team possibly more than having a big postman at Power Forward as LeBron is also considered a Stretch 4 at the Power Forward position.

 By the way, I do think Magic Johnson is a better Point Guard QB than LeBron but that LeBron is a better scoring Point Guard although he is also elite as a QB Point Guard, which is why on my first go around with this formulated roster I chose LeBron at Point Guard and Kevin Garnett at Power Forward. I almost put Bill Russell, Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki at Power Forward and I would consider Nikola Jokic or David Robinson at Power Forward...

 HERE IS MY UPDATED ALL TIME NBA ROSTER:

PG Magic Johnson, John Stockton 

SG Michael Jordan

SF Larry Bird, Kevin Durant

PF LeBron James, Bill Russell 

C Wilt Chamberlain 

In the playoffs and championship games teams usually narrow down their rotation to 8 players - so, I have added 3 ideal players who I may later change - I am always learning something new to me about many players but I regularly see good traits overlooked in players due to bias and other reasons. So, you can't go wrong with any of the players I've listed on this page but assessing who has a little edge over another in various situation and with variable roster chemistry's is an ongoing analysis.

(The 3 rotation players I chose: John Stockton, Kevin Durant, and Bill Russell were chosen in part because LeBron, Bird and Magic can all switch and play Power Forward while Durant can do the same. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain both have the skills to play Center and Power Forward as well. Defensive talent influenced my decision on Stockton and Bill Russell while they are both elite passers also. Stockton is a good 3 point shooter plus he regular stays on the move on offense just like Bird - so does Steph Curry but I think Stockton is a better defensive player and Bird + Jordan + Durant can do a lot of things as shooters that help fill the role Steph Curry would bring, but it is certainly possible that I should choose Steph because his shot chart does add another dimension that no one else quite brings - I just like defense and feel Bird, Durant, Jordan, LeBron and Stockton give me enough shooting to make up for the dimension I miss by not having Steph Curry.)

Sense-Chaser Bob / Athletics-Analyzer Bob

August 24, 2025

#bestrostersnba, #bobtalkssports