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The Starting Line-Up
PG- Magic Johnson #32
Ht: 6-9 Wt: 255 College: Michigan State Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (1979-1991, 1996)
Few players in history have exhibited as much enthusiasm for basketball or displayed such an engaging personality both on-and-off the court as Earvin "Magic" Johnson. It was Johnson's incredible passion, coupled with his amazing skills that dazzled generations of fans and turned basketball into "Showtime." At 6-foot-9, Johnson was a point guard in a power forward's body. No player Johnson's size had ever done what he could do with a basketball and his incredible talents resulted in a national championship at Michigan State (1979) and five with the Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). Throughout the 1980s, he turned the triple double - double figures in three statistical categories - into an art form. The all-time assist (10,141) and steals (1,724) leader in Laker history, Johnson was the NBA's all-time leader in assists when he retired. Johnson redefined the sphere of traditional position play because he could excel at every phase of the game. As a rookie in the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson played all five positions - scored 42 points - and was named NBA Finals MVP. Following his star-studded scholastic career at Lansing Everett High School and All-America career at MSU, Johnson became an immediate NBA superstar, becoming a 12-time All-Star, a two-time All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992) and nine-time NBA First-Team selection. (hoophall.com)
Highlights:
NCAA Championship with Michigan State, 1979
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1979
NBA Championship, 1980,1982, 1985, 1987, 1988
NBA Most Valuable Player, 1987, 1989, 1990
NBA Finals MVP, 1980, 1982, 1987
NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1990, 1992
NBA First Team, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
NBA Second Team, 1982
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996
NBA Hall of Fame, 1992
SG- Michael Jordan #23
Ht: 6-6 Wt: 220 College: North Carolina Teams: Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998) Washington Wizards (2001-2003)
Early life
Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, one of James and Deloris Jordan's five children. The family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when Michael was very young. His father worked as a General Electric plant supervisor, and his mother worked at a bank. His father taught him to work hard and not to be tempted by street life. His mother taught him to sew, clean, and do laundry. Jordan loved sports but failed to make his high school basketball team as a sophomore. He continued to practice and made the team the next year. After high school he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina, where he played under head coach Dean Smith.
In Jordan's first season at North Carolina he was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year for 1982. The team won the ACC championship, and Jordan made the clutch jump shot that beat Georgetown University for the championship of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Jordan led the ACC in scoring as a sophomore and as a junior. The Sporting News named him college player of the year for both years. He left North Carolina after his junior year and was selected by the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the third pick of the 1984 draft. Before joining the Bulls, Jordan was a member of the Summer 1984 United States Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, California.
Early pro years
When Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls they were a losing team, drawing only around six thousand fans to home games. Jordan quickly turned that around. His style of play and fierce spirit of competition reminded sportswriters and fans of Julius Erving (1950–), who had been a superstar player during the 1970s. Jordan's incredible leaping ability and hang time thrilled fans in arenas around the league. In his first season he was named to the All-Star team and was later honored as the league's Rookie of the Year.
A broken foot sidelined Jordan for 64 games during the 1985–86 season, but he returned to score 49 points against the Boston Celtics in the first game of the playoffs and 63 in the second game—an NBA playoff record. The 1986–87 season was again one of individual successes, and Jordan started in the All-Star game after receiving a record 1.5 million votes. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain (1936–1999) to score 3,000 points in a single season. Jordan enjoyed personal success, but Chicago did not advance beyond the first round of the playoffs until 1988. Jordan concentrated on improving his other basketball skills, and in 1988 he was named Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and became the first player to lead the league in both scoring and steals. He was again named MVP in that year's All-Star game.
By adding such players as Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, and John Paxson around Jordan, the Bulls' management created a strong team that won the 1991 NBA title by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. The next year, the Bulls repeated as NBA champions by beating the Portland Trail Blazers. In 1992 Jordan also played on the "Dream Team," which participated in the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. The Olympic Committee had voted to lift the ban on professional athletes participating in the games. The team easily won the gold medal, winning their eight games by an average margin of 43.7 points.
Unexpected retirement
In 1993, after a tough playoff series with the New York Knicks, the Bulls met the Phoenix Suns for the NBA championship. When it was over, Jordan was again playoff MVP, and Chicago had won a third straight title. That summer Jordan's father, James, was murdered by two men during a robbery attempt. Jordan was grief stricken, and his father's death, combined with media reports about his gambling, led him to announce his retirement from professional basketball in October. Jordan had won three straight NBA titles, three regular season MVP awards, three playoff MVP titles, seven consecutive scoring titles, and he was a member of the All-Star team every year that he was in the league. In just nine seasons he had become the Bulls all-time leading scorer.
In 1994–95 Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league baseball team in the Chicago White Sox system. Although the seventeen-month experiment showed that he was not a major league baseball player, the experience and time away from basketball provided a much-needed rest and opportunity to regain his love of basketball.
Return to glory
When Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls during the 1994–95 regular season, people wondered, "Could he do it again?" He played well, but he was obviously rusty. The Bulls were defeated in the playoffs by the Orlando Magic. After a summer of playing basketball during breaks from filming the live-action cartoon movie Space Jam, Jordan returned with a fierce determination to prove that he had the ability to get back on top. The 1995–96 Bulls finished the regular season 72–10, an NBA record for most wins in a season, and Jordan, with his shooting rhythm back, earned his eighth scoring title. He also became the tenth NBA player to score 25,000 career points and second fastest after Chamberlain to reach that mark. The Bulls went on to win their fourth NBA championship, overpowering the Seattle Supersonics in six games. Few who watched will ever forget how Jordan sank to his knees, head bent over the winning ball, in a moment of bittersweet victory and deep sadness. The game had been played on Father's Day, three years after his father's murder.
The defending champions had a tougher time during the 1996–97 season but entered the playoffs as expected. Sheer determination took the Bulls to their fifth NBA championship. Illness, injury, and at times a lack of concentration hurt the team. In the fifth game of the finals Jordan carried the team to victory despite suffering from a stomach virus. In the 1997–98 season the Bulls were again in the playoffs, and again they faced tough competition. As before, they were able to clinch the NBA championship, and Jordan claimed his sixth NBA finals MVP award.
Jordan's other professional life as a businessman was never off track. Profitable endorsements (ads in which he voiced his support for certain products) for companies such as Nike and Wheaties, as well as his own golf company and products such as Michael Jordan cologne (which reportedly sold 1.5 million bottles in its first two months), made Jordan a multimillionaire. In 1997 he was ranked the world's highest paid athlete, with a $30 million contract—the largest one-year salary in sports history—and approximately $40 million a year in endorsement fees.
Retired again
Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, ending his career on a high note just after the official end of a labor dispute between NBA players and team owners. Many people saw him as the greatest basketball player ever, and his retirement was called the end of an era. In 2000 Jordan became part-owner and president of basketball operations of the Washington Wizards. This made him only the third African American owner in the NBA. He also gained an ownership stake in the Washington Capitals hockey team. Also in 2000, Jordan celebrated the first year of his $1 million grant program to help teachers make a difference in their schools.
In September 2001, after months of rumors, Jordan announced that he was ending his three-year retirement to play for the Wizards at age thirty-eight. At a news conference to discuss his comeback, he said, "Physically, I know I'm not twenty-five years old, but I feel I can play the game of basketball on the highest level." The Wizards, who had won only nineteen games the season before, improved with the addition of Jordan. After being voted to play in his thirteenth All-Star game (during which he missed a slam dunk), Jordan had the Wizards in the race for the playoffs until suffering a knee injury and missing the last part of the season. He was also distracted in January 2002 when his wife Juanita, whom he married in 1989, filed for divorce. (They have three children.) The next month the divorce was called off. Jordan said he planned to play one more season for the Wizards. (notablebiographies.com)
Highlights:
NCAA Championship with North Carolina, 1982
NBA Rookie of the Year, 1985
NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 1988
NBA Most Valuable Player, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998
NBA Finals MVP, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA Scoring Title, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA All-Star Game MVP- 1988, 1996, 1998
NBA First Team, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA Defensive First Team, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA Slam Dunk Champion, 1987, 1988
USA Gold Medals, 1984, 1992
Highest PPG in the playoffs, career- 33.4
50 or more points in a game- 37 times
FLU GAME
SF- Larry Bird #33
Ht: 6-9 Wt: 220 College: Indiana State Teams: Boston Celtics (1979-1992)
In 1979, when Larry Bird joined the Boston Celtics, he launched a new era in basketball, both in Beantown and throughout the NBA. Bird got his start in a small Indiana town, where he led Springs Valley High School to the state sectional championship. In 1979, Bird led Indiana State to the NCAA Championship Game. Turning pro at a time when the league and the Celtics needed a boost, Bird and fellow rookie sensation Magic Johnson rejuvenated the NBA world. Bird's court savvy, deft passing, and clutch shooting forever redefined the small forward position and turned the Celtics into winners. When Bird retired in 1992, he held or shared 27 Celtics' records and brought three more NBA championship banners to Boston (1981, 1984, and 1986). At the end of his legendary thirteen-year career with the Celtics, Bird's famous number 33 jersey was retired by the team. (hoophall.com)
Highlights:
College Player of the Year, 1979
NBA Rookie of the Year, 1980
NBA Champion, 1981, 1984, 1986
NBA Finals MVP, 1984, 1986
NBA First-Team, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
NBA Most Valuable Player, 1984, 1985, 1986
NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1982
NBA Three Point Shootout Champ, 1986, 1987, 1988
USA Gold Medal, 1992
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996
NBA Hall of Fame, 1998
PF- Tim Duncan #21
Ht: 6-11 Wt: 260 College: Wake Forest Teams: San Antonio Spurs (1997-present)
Tim Duncan was born on April 25, 1976, in Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He started out wanting to be an Olympic swimmer but eventually turned to playing basketball in the ninth grade. He quickly developed into a fantastic basketball player and averaged 25 points per game his senior year at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal High School. Duncan grabbed the attention of some Division 1-A coaches and he ended up playing college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Duncan had nothing short of an outstanding career at Wake Forest. Over his four-year career he averaged 16.5 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game, accumulated 481 blocked shots, and had a 58% shooting percentage. He led the Demon Deacons to two straight Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) titles and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Duncan was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-American, two-time ACC Player of the Year, and winner of both the John Wooden and Naismith Awards as college basketball’s top player.
The San Antonio Spurs made Duncan the first overall selection of the 1997 NBA Draft. Duncan has spent his entire ten-year career with the Spurs, and an amazing career it has been. Considered by some as one of the best power forwards in NBA history, he has averaged over 20 points per game every year but one, over 10 rebounds per game every year, and at least two blocks per game every year. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year, is a two-time NBA MVP, four-time NBA Champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, a nine-time All-Star, and a perennial selection to the NBA All-Defensive Team. He has career averages of 21.8 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game. (allsports.com)
Highlights:
College Player of the Year, 1997
NBA Rookie of the Year, 1998
NBA Most Valuable Player. 2002, 2003
NBA Champion, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007
NBA Finals MVP, 1999, 2003, 2005
NBA First Team, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
NBA Defensive First Team, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005
NBA All-Star Game MVP, 2000
C- Bill Russelll #6
Ht: 6-9 Wt: 210 College: San Francisco Teams: Boston Celtics (1956-1969)
Before Bill Russell brought his marvelous defensive and shot-blocking skills to basketball, the game focused primarily on offense. But Russell initiated a defensive mentality that remains a focal part of championship basketball. Considered the greatest defensive center in basketball history, the agile Russell was a dominant collegian. Playing under Hall of Fame Coach Phil Woolpert, and with fellow Hall of Famer K.C. Jones, Russell helped University of San Francisco become one of college basketball's most exciting and prosperous teams. Russell turned the Boston Celtics into a powerful machine that overwhelmed opponents both defensively and offensively. During Russell's career, Boston won eleven NBA championships, including eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966. Russell's head-to-head battles with Wilt Chamberlain are legendary. Russell's accolades include: five-time league MVP (1958, 1961-63, 1965), twelve-time All-Star Game participant (MVP in 1963), Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1968), and The Sporting News Athlete of the Decade (1970). (hoophall.com)
Highlights:
NCAA Championship with San Francisco, 1955, 1956
Olympic Gold Medal, 1956
NBA Champion, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969
NBA MVP, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965
NBA First Team, 1959, 1963, 1965
NBA Defensive First Team, 1969
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996
NBA Hall of Fame, 1975
PG: Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson
SG: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
SF: Larry Bird, Julius Erving
PF: Tim Duncan, Karl Malone
C: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
PG- Magic Johnson #32
Ht: 6-9 Wt: 255 College: Michigan State Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (1979-1991, 1996)
Few players in history have exhibited as much enthusiasm for basketball or displayed such an engaging personality both on-and-off the court as Earvin "Magic" Johnson. It was Johnson's incredible passion, coupled with his amazing skills that dazzled generations of fans and turned basketball into "Showtime." At 6-foot-9, Johnson was a point guard in a power forward's body. No player Johnson's size had ever done what he could do with a basketball and his incredible talents resulted in a national championship at Michigan State (1979) and five with the Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). Throughout the 1980s, he turned the triple double - double figures in three statistical categories - into an art form. The all-time assist (10,141) and steals (1,724) leader in Laker history, Johnson was the NBA's all-time leader in assists when he retired. Johnson redefined the sphere of traditional position play because he could excel at every phase of the game. As a rookie in the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson played all five positions - scored 42 points - and was named NBA Finals MVP. Following his star-studded scholastic career at Lansing Everett High School and All-America career at MSU, Johnson became an immediate NBA superstar, becoming a 12-time All-Star, a two-time All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992) and nine-time NBA First-Team selection. (hoophall.com)
Highlights:
NCAA Championship with Michigan State, 1979
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1979
NBA Championship, 1980,1982, 1985, 1987, 1988
NBA Most Valuable Player, 1987, 1989, 1990
NBA Finals MVP, 1980, 1982, 1987
NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1990, 1992
NBA First Team, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
NBA Second Team, 1982
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996
NBA Hall of Fame, 1992
SG- Michael Jordan #23
Ht: 6-6 Wt: 220 College: North Carolina Teams: Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998) Washington Wizards (2001-2003)
Early life
Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, one of James and Deloris Jordan's five children. The family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when Michael was very young. His father worked as a General Electric plant supervisor, and his mother worked at a bank. His father taught him to work hard and not to be tempted by street life. His mother taught him to sew, clean, and do laundry. Jordan loved sports but failed to make his high school basketball team as a sophomore. He continued to practice and made the team the next year. After high school he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina, where he played under head coach Dean Smith.
In Jordan's first season at North Carolina he was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year for 1982. The team won the ACC championship, and Jordan made the clutch jump shot that beat Georgetown University for the championship of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Jordan led the ACC in scoring as a sophomore and as a junior. The Sporting News named him college player of the year for both years. He left North Carolina after his junior year and was selected by the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the third pick of the 1984 draft. Before joining the Bulls, Jordan was a member of the Summer 1984 United States Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, California.
Early pro years
When Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls they were a losing team, drawing only around six thousand fans to home games. Jordan quickly turned that around. His style of play and fierce spirit of competition reminded sportswriters and fans of Julius Erving (1950–), who had been a superstar player during the 1970s. Jordan's incredible leaping ability and hang time thrilled fans in arenas around the league. In his first season he was named to the All-Star team and was later honored as the league's Rookie of the Year.
A broken foot sidelined Jordan for 64 games during the 1985–86 season, but he returned to score 49 points against the Boston Celtics in the first game of the playoffs and 63 in the second game—an NBA playoff record. The 1986–87 season was again one of individual successes, and Jordan started in the All-Star game after receiving a record 1.5 million votes. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain (1936–1999) to score 3,000 points in a single season. Jordan enjoyed personal success, but Chicago did not advance beyond the first round of the playoffs until 1988. Jordan concentrated on improving his other basketball skills, and in 1988 he was named Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and became the first player to lead the league in both scoring and steals. He was again named MVP in that year's All-Star game.
By adding such players as Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, and John Paxson around Jordan, the Bulls' management created a strong team that won the 1991 NBA title by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. The next year, the Bulls repeated as NBA champions by beating the Portland Trail Blazers. In 1992 Jordan also played on the "Dream Team," which participated in the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. The Olympic Committee had voted to lift the ban on professional athletes participating in the games. The team easily won the gold medal, winning their eight games by an average margin of 43.7 points.
Unexpected retirement
In 1993, after a tough playoff series with the New York Knicks, the Bulls met the Phoenix Suns for the NBA championship. When it was over, Jordan was again playoff MVP, and Chicago had won a third straight title. That summer Jordan's father, James, was murdered by two men during a robbery attempt. Jordan was grief stricken, and his father's death, combined with media reports about his gambling, led him to announce his retirement from professional basketball in October. Jordan had won three straight NBA titles, three regular season MVP awards, three playoff MVP titles, seven consecutive scoring titles, and he was a member of the All-Star team every year that he was in the league. In just nine seasons he had become the Bulls all-time leading scorer.
In 1994–95 Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league baseball team in the Chicago White Sox system. Although the seventeen-month experiment showed that he was not a major league baseball player, the experience and time away from basketball provided a much-needed rest and opportunity to regain his love of basketball.
Return to glory
When Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls during the 1994–95 regular season, people wondered, "Could he do it again?" He played well, but he was obviously rusty. The Bulls were defeated in the playoffs by the Orlando Magic. After a summer of playing basketball during breaks from filming the live-action cartoon movie Space Jam, Jordan returned with a fierce determination to prove that he had the ability to get back on top. The 1995–96 Bulls finished the regular season 72–10, an NBA record for most wins in a season, and Jordan, with his shooting rhythm back, earned his eighth scoring title. He also became the tenth NBA player to score 25,000 career points and second fastest after Chamberlain to reach that mark. The Bulls went on to win their fourth NBA championship, overpowering the Seattle Supersonics in six games. Few who watched will ever forget how Jordan sank to his knees, head bent over the winning ball, in a moment of bittersweet victory and deep sadness. The game had been played on Father's Day, three years after his father's murder.
The defending champions had a tougher time during the 1996–97 season but entered the playoffs as expected. Sheer determination took the Bulls to their fifth NBA championship. Illness, injury, and at times a lack of concentration hurt the team. In the fifth game of the finals Jordan carried the team to victory despite suffering from a stomach virus. In the 1997–98 season the Bulls were again in the playoffs, and again they faced tough competition. As before, they were able to clinch the NBA championship, and Jordan claimed his sixth NBA finals MVP award.
Jordan's other professional life as a businessman was never off track. Profitable endorsements (ads in which he voiced his support for certain products) for companies such as Nike and Wheaties, as well as his own golf company and products such as Michael Jordan cologne (which reportedly sold 1.5 million bottles in its first two months), made Jordan a multimillionaire. In 1997 he was ranked the world's highest paid athlete, with a $30 million contract—the largest one-year salary in sports history—and approximately $40 million a year in endorsement fees.
Retired again
Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, ending his career on a high note just after the official end of a labor dispute between NBA players and team owners. Many people saw him as the greatest basketball player ever, and his retirement was called the end of an era. In 2000 Jordan became part-owner and president of basketball operations of the Washington Wizards. This made him only the third African American owner in the NBA. He also gained an ownership stake in the Washington Capitals hockey team. Also in 2000, Jordan celebrated the first year of his $1 million grant program to help teachers make a difference in their schools.
In September 2001, after months of rumors, Jordan announced that he was ending his three-year retirement to play for the Wizards at age thirty-eight. At a news conference to discuss his comeback, he said, "Physically, I know I'm not twenty-five years old, but I feel I can play the game of basketball on the highest level." The Wizards, who had won only nineteen games the season before, improved with the addition of Jordan. After being voted to play in his thirteenth All-Star game (during which he missed a slam dunk), Jordan had the Wizards in the race for the playoffs until suffering a knee injury and missing the last part of the season. He was also distracted in January 2002 when his wife Juanita, whom he married in 1989, filed for divorce. (They have three children.) The next month the divorce was called off. Jordan said he planned to play one more season for the Wizards. (notablebiographies.com)
Highlights:
NCAA Championship with North Carolina, 1982
NBA Rookie of the Year, 1985
NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 1988
NBA Most Valuable Player, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998
NBA Finals MVP, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA Scoring Title, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA All-Star Game MVP- 1988, 1996, 1998
NBA First Team, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA Defensive First Team, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
NBA Slam Dunk Champion, 1987, 1988
USA Gold Medals, 1984, 1992
Highest PPG in the playoffs, career- 33.4
50 or more points in a game- 37 times
FLU GAME
SF- Larry Bird #33
Ht: 6-9 Wt: 220 College: Indiana State Teams: Boston Celtics (1979-1992)
In 1979, when Larry Bird joined the Boston Celtics, he launched a new era in basketball, both in Beantown and throughout the NBA. Bird got his start in a small Indiana town, where he led Springs Valley High School to the state sectional championship. In 1979, Bird led Indiana State to the NCAA Championship Game. Turning pro at a time when the league and the Celtics needed a boost, Bird and fellow rookie sensation Magic Johnson rejuvenated the NBA world. Bird's court savvy, deft passing, and clutch shooting forever redefined the small forward position and turned the Celtics into winners. When Bird retired in 1992, he held or shared 27 Celtics' records and brought three more NBA championship banners to Boston (1981, 1984, and 1986). At the end of his legendary thirteen-year career with the Celtics, Bird's famous number 33 jersey was retired by the team. (hoophall.com)
Highlights:
College Player of the Year, 1979
NBA Rookie of the Year, 1980
NBA Champion, 1981, 1984, 1986
NBA Finals MVP, 1984, 1986
NBA First-Team, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
NBA Most Valuable Player, 1984, 1985, 1986
NBA All-Star Game MVP, 1982
NBA Three Point Shootout Champ, 1986, 1987, 1988
USA Gold Medal, 1992
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996
NBA Hall of Fame, 1998
PF- Tim Duncan #21
Ht: 6-11 Wt: 260 College: Wake Forest Teams: San Antonio Spurs (1997-present)
Tim Duncan was born on April 25, 1976, in Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He started out wanting to be an Olympic swimmer but eventually turned to playing basketball in the ninth grade. He quickly developed into a fantastic basketball player and averaged 25 points per game his senior year at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal High School. Duncan grabbed the attention of some Division 1-A coaches and he ended up playing college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Duncan had nothing short of an outstanding career at Wake Forest. Over his four-year career he averaged 16.5 points per game, 12.3 rebounds per game, accumulated 481 blocked shots, and had a 58% shooting percentage. He led the Demon Deacons to two straight Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) titles and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Duncan was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-American, two-time ACC Player of the Year, and winner of both the John Wooden and Naismith Awards as college basketball’s top player.
The San Antonio Spurs made Duncan the first overall selection of the 1997 NBA Draft. Duncan has spent his entire ten-year career with the Spurs, and an amazing career it has been. Considered by some as one of the best power forwards in NBA history, he has averaged over 20 points per game every year but one, over 10 rebounds per game every year, and at least two blocks per game every year. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year, is a two-time NBA MVP, four-time NBA Champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, a nine-time All-Star, and a perennial selection to the NBA All-Defensive Team. He has career averages of 21.8 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game. (allsports.com)
Highlights:
College Player of the Year, 1997
NBA Rookie of the Year, 1998
NBA Most Valuable Player. 2002, 2003
NBA Champion, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007
NBA Finals MVP, 1999, 2003, 2005
NBA First Team, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
NBA Defensive First Team, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005
NBA All-Star Game MVP, 2000
C- Bill Russelll #6
Ht: 6-9 Wt: 210 College: San Francisco Teams: Boston Celtics (1956-1969)
Before Bill Russell brought his marvelous defensive and shot-blocking skills to basketball, the game focused primarily on offense. But Russell initiated a defensive mentality that remains a focal part of championship basketball. Considered the greatest defensive center in basketball history, the agile Russell was a dominant collegian. Playing under Hall of Fame Coach Phil Woolpert, and with fellow Hall of Famer K.C. Jones, Russell helped University of San Francisco become one of college basketball's most exciting and prosperous teams. Russell turned the Boston Celtics into a powerful machine that overwhelmed opponents both defensively and offensively. During Russell's career, Boston won eleven NBA championships, including eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966. Russell's head-to-head battles with Wilt Chamberlain are legendary. Russell's accolades include: five-time league MVP (1958, 1961-63, 1965), twelve-time All-Star Game participant (MVP in 1963), Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1968), and The Sporting News Athlete of the Decade (1970). (hoophall.com)
Highlights:
NCAA Championship with San Francisco, 1955, 1956
Olympic Gold Medal, 1956
NBA Champion, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969
NBA MVP, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965
NBA First Team, 1959, 1963, 1965
NBA Defensive First Team, 1969
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 1996
NBA Hall of Fame, 1975
PG: Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson
SG: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
SF: Larry Bird, Julius Erving
PF: Tim Duncan, Karl Malone
C: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
