Team 2 is probably most talented but I’d be most nervous about chemistry risk, Shaq staying engaged, LeBron wearing on his teammates, and potential off court problems. Spacing isn’t great either.
Team 1 is elite on both ends. I’d be concerned about the spacing, and it would be tough to find good shooters who are overall competent players to surround them with given three max salaries.
Team 3 is the least talented but the best chemistry and fit. Defense isn’t as good but Kareem was elite and Bird was actually a very high level defender, Curry is small but at least tries. Defense is the easiest trait to find when trying to cobble together a team outside of three max salaries.
MJ and Hakeem literally combined for 8 consecutive NBA championships. They are two of just three players to ever win MVP and DPOY in the same season. Hakeem is the only one to add a Finals MVP to those two awards in the same season. MJ the only one to also win the scoring title with those two awards.
They potentially have the greatest ever point guard, the greatest player ever and the most skilled, two way center ever.
I have only seen Kobe Brons and Shaqs entire careers so can’t really be too objective here. But in any case that trio is unbeatable as long as Shaq doesn’t start shitting in LeBron’s shoes.
Only team with DPOY players, and they have two of them. More major awards among them than anyone else too. Plus you got two arguable top five players OAT, one of which should be considered almost unanimously as the GOAT if it weren't for a whole bunch of deluded LeBron stans who have infested NBA discourse over the last couple of decades.
Group 2 is just way too strong, mainly because of Shaq. I know people like to say Hakeem neutralized Shaq back in Orlando, but he wasnt the true Diesel until LA. Couple that with prime Kobe and Bron? That's wraps and no disrespect to the other legends on here.
I just saw a post about Jordan being the second most well known person across the world in the 90's behind the other MJ. Basketball was no where near the global popularity it has now and it was mostly pre-internet.
Oh and Magic? There is a reason he is still in most people's top 5.
How many rings did LeBron win in the 00’s? LeBron took longer to get his first title than MJ. Hakeem got to a Finals as a rookie. Magic WON a title as a rookie…and was FMVP.
the pistons beat prime bird and the celtics only a few years removed from a ring. they went 7 with LA in a series many argue they were cheated in. I wont bring up 89' cuz magic and scott were hurt
Shaq and LeBron need the same space on the floor though. Defense just packs the paint against both. These are all great trios, but the fit is worst with LeBron and Shaq plus we all know Kobe and Shaq can only get along for so long before developing friction. Both of the other trios are better chemistry both in terms of personalities and play styles.
No chance I'm picking those guys, we already saw Kobe & Shaq struggled to work together because of their egos - you think that's going to be better by adding Bron.
You'll get one season out of them.
1 and 3 have dynasty potential.
Kobe and Shaq could barely handle playing together by the end. Whoever’s fault it was, whoever’s ego was too big, doesn’t matter. The partnership broke down. That’s information we don’t have elsewhere. The reason it’s important is we then have to consider LeBron fitting into an already fractious dynamic. I don’t see it working out well. That team may eat itself alive.
It’s close but I take Team 1. The gap between Jordan and Steph is greater than the gap between KAJ and Hakeem, and although Bird is maybe a better fit for the modern NBA than Magic, they’re extremely close in terms of overall impact. Team 1 also has two elite defenders, which mitigates Magic’s deficiencies on that end. Team 1’s biggest weakness (I.e., shooting or spacing) can be mitigated in a variety of ways, but finding a 3-and-D wing or a stretch big is clearly a top priority. I also like the odds of MJ or Magic developing into a good shooter from distance more than I like the prospect of Steph turning into a lockdown defender, for obvious reasons.
I would agree but it's the worst defensively too which means if they're having a bad shooting night (yes I know this may be too literal) they're gonna struggle to contain the other teams
Weakest of the three yes but not bad. KAJ was elite defensively, Bird was pretty good and made several all defensive teams, and Curry wasn’t good and is small but wasn’t terrible. Just surround them with decent wing defenders and they’ll be fine.
Steph, Bird and Kareem is a really interesting combo. The spacing would be insane with Steph and Bird, and Kareem gives you that unstoppable inside scoring. Hard to go wrong with that trio tbh.
LeBron stans only see the name 'LeBron' listed and immediately just vote on that....probably why that team is the top comment. Bunch of glazers immediately hitting the upvote button when seeing his name.
They'd stop themselves. Shaq was known not to take practice and conditioning as seriously as he should of. That already pissed off kobe and LeGM isn't letting that fly either.
1 without question for me, all you would need is a few shooters on the vet minimum or second round rookeis and you would win it all, would make building a team so easy
Imagine guarding Kobe at the top of the key and here comes Lebron to set a hard pick, and now your caught in between. Lebron slips the pick and barrels towards the basket and you try to pursue. Kobe lobs the ball towards the basket and all of a sudden all you see is Shaq's nuts right in your face as he yams the ball for the alley oop.
All these teams are nuts but given the SPECIFIC parameters you gave: I'd want 3. All in their primes and I get their entire careers? Sure I lose Bird but I keep Curry and KAJ for ages, and I wouldn't have the crazy dynamic of team two with Kobe and Shaq
Im gona go with team 1. Magic, Jordan
And Olajuwon?!
The greatest PG ever, the greatest SG - and player, one of the greatest centers ever. They all know how to win. Even if egos clash they put it to the side to win. Incredible inside out game with Magic and Hakeem, and Jordan is Jordan.
They all compliment each other completely. This is a guaranteed winner.
Team 3 has the best shooters ever alongside Kareem. Deadly for sure. They'll need a slasher though.
Team 2? Egos are gona clash. U got Kobe and Shaq - which only worked for a short time plus LeBron. Kobe and LeBron are gona have chemistry issues. U never kno maybe Kobe gets Bron to get with the Mamba mentality and develop killer instinct. I genuinely think Team 3 falls apart due to ego, and u cant build seriously because LeBron will want to be traded after a few years regardless if you are winning or not. Also Shaq cant hit free throws and is a bully, going as far to dump his feces on Team mates while showeing, or put their mouth guards under his ballsack. Kobe will be mad at LeBron and Shaq if he thinks theyre not being aggressive enough or have the right work ethic/drive. LeBron shuts down as a result (2011 finals), which causes Kobe to quit because his team isn't giving effort. This team is the. Biggest risk... but if they click... super. SUPER scary
Robert Horry played with Hakeem in his prime (1992-96), Shaq in his prime (1996-2003) and Duncan in his prime (2003-08). When asked who was the best big man among the three, Horry said "Dream is #1 by far" https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeDGi5hS7i3/?dlrf=aDN1MHUzeG5sY2V1
lol are you seriously comparing the personalities of Wade and Kobe? They are about as opposite as you can get. Wade very gladly handed the reigns of his own franchise over the LeBron. There is no way in hell Kobe is doing that. And that is where the assumed personality clashes would come into play....nobody willing to give up being the alpha.
I can't imagine that would be an issue with the other teams. Magic is one of the best teammates you could ever imagine, willingly handing over the mantle of NBA top dog to MJ when he saw it was apparent. Hakeem is pretty easy going as well, never really heard anything about ego or clashing with teammates and he has said multiple times he believes MJ is the greatest player he has ever seen. I doubt he would be reluctant to concede top dog status to MJ.
Team three would be similar though it's hard to say who would be the top dog....it probably should be Kareem, but his personality and intellect would not be the type to cause friction, and history shows he willingly conceded top dog status to Magic. Steph is as easy going as you can imagine and again, he has a history of conceding top dog status when he was with KD. There was no discourse surrounding Steph and KD and any simmering friction that may have been around after KD won Finals MVP over him. Maybe they just both look at Bird and go 'you the man Larry...show us the way'.
Team two features three massive egos, none of which would even consider the notion of being second dog to anyone else. It would be a firecracker ready to go off in a big way....
I dont see how egos would matter when it didnt matter in practice. When Kobe started his prime... 3 peat with Shaq. When Kobe joined the olympic team with Lebron... undefeated
Realistically, #1 simply because of the defense, but also magic is arguably the best point guard, Dream is really top 5 center all time, and jordan is the goat.
Ain't nobody got an answer for Shaq. Bron is too versatile. Kobe is gonna go off with the shot creation. The defense of these 3 combined is O.P.
Steph and Larry are going to Fry just about most of their match ups unless Steph is having an off night. Steph isn't the best defender either. Kareem is gonna get his buckets because Shaq and Hakeem ain't stopping the skyhook but Kareem can't be out on the perimeter guarding anyone either. He's essentially going to be a good rim protector, glass cleaner and he'll get you 20-24 pts and 6-10 rebounds a game if not more as well as at least 4-5 blocks a night.
lol are you completely forgetting team one has two DPOYs and possibly the two greatest defenders of all time at their respective positions? They are head and shoulders the best defensive team of the three.
Jordan is the goat, and team 1 has the best defenders, but it’s 2 or 3. 3 has the shooting, but 2 has scoring and athleticism and above average defensive ability. I’d probably go with 2 if I had to choose one of them.
Listen, all 3 teams are going to barrel through regular season and most of playoffs in any given year, so the difference will be in the finals in a 7 game series. That means you want a team with the least weaknesses to exploit and the tightest defense, who is going to close out the series in a dogfight.
That means this will be between 1 and 2. Steph’s shooting will somewhat get neutralized when defenses close down especially with Jordan or Kobe defending him. More importantly, he will get exploited on offense, so 3 is out.
Between 1 and 2, I’m picking 1 because 1) Shaq’s free throw shooting is a liability in the playoffs in a close series; 2) Magic, Jordan, and Hakeem can defend all and any 5 positions; and 3) Jordan will close games out when it comes to crunch time.
On paper team 2 has the most overall skill but we’ve seen the Kobe and Shaq project only lasted so long. Add in the biggest egomaniac of them all, LeBron. That team is doomed to self destruct regardless of how skilled they are. Egos would be the downfall.
Team 1 seems to be oddly constructed with 2 guards. Not sure the thinking behind that. I’m still saying team 1.
Steph, Bird, and Kareem compliment each other better in the modern NBA specifically. The shooting and passing from Steph and bird would make Kareem's life easy, and Kareem would cover any defensive struggles they have. But any other era, Magic, MJ, and Hakeem is just unfair.
Lebron and Shaq is interesting but I don't think their games actually compliment each other well.
I'd fill out my team with a few 3 & D wings, a pure shooter type, a rim running big (8th man level), a quick-ish type backup pg and a couple of big bodies.
First one is probably the most balanced. Magic can feed them both the ball and you have two scoring threats with two DPOY on the same team. Team two, all three need to have the ball to be effective creating a significant log jam and frustration between the three of them. Team three with Steph and Bird team can can great space and would cause trouble, but defensively Kareem is the only major threat. Bird was decent, Steph is a liability. I see the first team as giving the most in both sides of the floor.
Number 1, I’m picking group 3 for chemistry & teamwork. Can see Bird making the shots, and Steph will always be open if Bird is being defended. Kareem being Kareem. They look like they can be cohesive
Number 2, I’m choosing group 1.
Number 3, I’m picking group 2. Group 2 looks like they’ll argue allot. Young Kobe played selfish early on. Then shaq would get fouled too much. I can see the trio arguing allot
This is close enough that it would largely depend on the players they have around them.
I would choose Kobe-Lebron-Shaq flying blind on the rest of the roster. And I'm an MJ guy through and through. But Shaq makes them a nightmare matchup for anybody, and really tilts things in their favor.
If you put a team of 3 and D guys around MJ, Magic, and Hakeem, and a couple of extra scrub centers to play hack-a-Shaq with, that would be a difficult matchup for virtually any grouping around Bron-Kobe-Shaq. Nothing is guaranteed, it would just create some matchup problems.
Now, the same could be said for the Bron-Kobe-Shaq roster...a bunch of 3 and D guys to spread the floor, including some solid shooting big men on the perimeter, would make them an even bigger nightmare matchup.
But the Kareem-Steph-Bird roster would be the most intriguing to build around. 2 lethal shooters with one of the most savvy big men with an impossible to block shot that he perfected, and could hit from anywhere inside 18 feet...you put the right combo of players around them, and that team could end up being the most OP of the bunch.
2 looks dominant, but I think you’re going to have ego problems. I could see Kobe freezing the other two out, and losing as a result. Which is what happened with the Lakers super team that lost to Detroit.
I’m gonna say it once again: Hakeem faced Kareem and Shaqnin the playoffs, and he was clearly better than both. Kareem was old and Shaq was young. But they met and Hakeem was better.
Magic, Michael and The Dream for the win. Hakeem may be the 3rd best center on the list but not by a big margin as he was amazing. But paired with the greatest point guard and greatest player of all time and we are good to go with these 3 players.
Kobe and Shaq won 67 games in a season and also went 15-1 in the playoffs in another season. 3 straight titles. And you are going to add either the best or 2nd best player (depending on who you ask) of all time?! My god.
Olajuwon and Jordan together is going to be insane. Throw magic in there and that team can run and dominate the glass. Rebounds and defense wins games. It also just so happens you've got 3 very clutch performers too
I'm going with JJO, The G.O.A.T not to mention one of the greatest Defensive players ever. One of if not the greatest floor general ever and one of the best bigmen to ever grace the Game. Give me Air, The Dream and Magic all day.
All players are in their prime!!?? I draft Scottie and Rodman with 1987 MJ / GOAT. I would put money on them vs Kobe Shaq LeFlop or Steph Bird Kareem. MJ + Scottie + Magic + Hakeem fresh prime!!?? Can you imagine Magic playmaker no-look passing with them - or just keeping the ball since SOMEONE has to double cover The GOAT. And we already know how compatible MJ was both Offensively AND Defensively with Scottie and Rodman. 1985 Hakeem would NOT back down from Shaq, and Rodman would wear him / get him in foul trouble by halftime. I agree with another comment here that LeBron is not compatible with Kobe as second fiddle.
Basically all even. 2s the worst one because they will break apart and demand trades after a couple years. 3 is the easiest to build a roster around, so I’ll choose 3.
Magic-MJ-Hakeem takes the narrow win. They have the best combination of elite perimeter scoring, interior defense, playmaking and two-way versatility. Team Shaq-Kobe-LeBron and Steph-Bird-Jabbar may have glorious offenses, but team 1’s defense wins the games
Magic, MJ, Hakeem would be a cheat code, that never loses. MJ and Hakeem both managed to dominate without floor generals like Magic but nice to have, and Magic was one of the best at utilizing teammates
Shaq and Kobe historically had beef, since Shaq's effort during off seasons was unreliable. dont know how you would fit Lebron in their, who historically needed to be ball dominant, and didnt play well with bigs.
Steph Bird Kaj would have synergy for sure. but hard to compete with MJ Hakeem on the same team. Steph is kind of weak defensively, and Bird was an ok team defender, but didnt have the athleticism to guard players like MJ.
Best player - Jordan
Best playmaker - Magic
Best defender - Hakeem
Best perimeter defender - Jordan
Best winner - Jordan
Most dominant - Shaq
Best shooter - Curry
Longevity - LeBron
Group 1 - 13 x championships, 9 x MVPs, 3 x DPOYs, 11 x Finals MVPs (35 major trophies)
Group 2 - 13 x championships, 6 x MVPs, 0 x DPOYs, 9 x Finals MVPs (28 major trophies)
Group 3 - 13 x championships, 11 x MVPs, 0 x DPOYs, 6 x Finals MVPs (30 major trophies)
Also 'spend their entire careers with your franchise'. Lol, LeBron is NOT doing that EVER. He has no loyalty, he would find a way to get himself off that team at the first sign of hardship.
Give me team 1 then for role players throw Rodman on power forward. Trust me if he's winning and getting boards he's happy plus he'll be told you're here to clean the glass and play defense only don't worry about scoring at all. His ass will be happy. At small forward give me Chris Mullin or Dominic Wilkins. Just imagine Magic running the break with the Human highlight reel or Jordan waiting to jump for it.
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u/Radiant-Road-7858 14h ago
Team 2 is probably most talented but I’d be most nervous about chemistry risk, Shaq staying engaged, LeBron wearing on his teammates, and potential off court problems. Spacing isn’t great either.
Team 1 is elite on both ends. I’d be concerned about the spacing, and it would be tough to find good shooters who are overall competent players to surround them with given three max salaries.
Team 3 is the least talented but the best chemistry and fit. Defense isn’t as good but Kareem was elite and Bird was actually a very high level defender, Curry is small but at least tries. Defense is the easiest trait to find when trying to cobble together a team outside of three max salaries.
Team 3 probably takes it for me