The Best All-Star Team Ever
Larry Bird in ’88I’m not hating, but even if Ray Allen is ultimately named to replace Jameer Nelson, the 2009 East All-Star roster isn’t exactly overloaded with Hall of Famers. After the likes of LeBron, KG, D-Wade and a couple others, guys like Devin Harris, Danny Granger, Rashard Lewis and Joe Johnson still have a long way to go before reaching that “all-time great” level.
I bring this up because, as I write this, I’m watching a replay of the 1990 All-Star Game on NBA TV. And quite honestly, the East squad from that year might be the most stacked non-Olympic team EVER. Believe it. Check out this roster:
STARTERS — Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing.
BENCH — Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars, Scottie Pippen, Kevin McHale, Reggie Miller, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman.
Are you SERIOUS? That’s 11 surefire Hall of Famers, and were it not for all his off-court/character-issues drama, Rodman would be a lock as well. This group has, what, 30 NBA championship rings between them? I challenge you to find a (non-Olympic) team of guys that actually played together that could knock off this squad.
(Fun fact: The East won the game that year, but Magic got MVP with 22 points, six boards and six assists.)
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February 4th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Hey!! says:
That’s insane
February 4th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Mamba says:
Cant argue that Austin,
Hell you could even make an argument that the starting East 5 were the best players ever at their respective positions – thats taking it a bit far I know, buts it not crazy to say,
You know a squad is crazy when you have Pippin and Nique comin off the cot damn bench!!!!!
February 4th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
control says:
Might not be the best, but I remember the West actually had a line of Shaq, TD, KG, Dirk and Kobe on the court at one point…it was in like 02 or 03 or sometime.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
fallinup says:
And all you young bucks telling us old fogeys…”It’s 2009! Not the 80′s and 90′s!!! get outta the past!!!”
Bitch please. If you only knew.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Ian says:
im watching the game austin but the west with malone instead of ac is stacked also
hakeem
admiral
magic
clyde
mullin
stockton
worthy
k. johnson
chambers
blackman worst of the group imo
and the most underrated star ever
fat lever
February 4th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
marcus the great says:
yea thats a pretty stacked team, although the center position is a little weak imo. i’d take Dream/Admiral/Shaq over those two
February 4th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Prof. TX says:
Mamba,
I’m with you on the arguments for Jordan, Bird, and maybe Barkley. Thomas is a little debateable (Magic), but you lost me on Ewing. I wouldn’t put him in the top 5 for centers. Still, 4 out of 5 spots isn’t bad.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Ian says:
mamba
well the west that same year has more of a legit case for that
the east had
sg and sf in bird and jordan
but
pg pf and c are from the west magic malone (dont remember if they started dream/admiral because he was injured) and both the dream and admiral were better than pat
February 4th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Ian says:
austin this is the most stacked allstar game overall easy it has all the 80s superstars with all the new comers that will dominate the 90s
February 4th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Austin Burton says:
@Ian — Is it just me or does Fat Lever look EXACTLY like Rafer Alston?
February 4th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
doc (i like kobe AND bron) says:
Yeah that squad tough to beat,but one of them West teams could get them for a game.11 HOFers is crazy.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
fallinup says:
Fat Lever is Rafer’s dad!!!
February 4th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Ian says:
no its just not u my man
i wikied him to see if fat lever was his real name or rafer alstons big bro
but he could ball he was a midget that grabbed close to 9 boards per game
February 4th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Austin Burton says:
I know. Hubie Brown has mentioned Lever’s rebounding numbers at least 6-7 times already.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Ian says:
LOL
i couldnt keep watchin had to go back to work but i can imagine hubie sayin the same crap allover everything fat touched the ball
February 4th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Big Sia says:
Austin you brought up a good year.
But i’d go with 1988 – Similar to your list but added a couple names
EAST
Michael Jordan
Isiah Thomas
Charles Barkley
Larry Bird
Moses Malone
Kevin Mchale
Domoniqe Wilkins
West
Magic Johnson
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Karl Malone
Clyde Drexler
James Worthy
Alex English
Who’s fuckin with that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qyRYkvvSz4
February 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Its disguesting The Worm isnt a HOF..
Dude was basketball genious, ON the court.. now that was someone who couldnt score for shit but still was one of the most valuable players on the court because he knew what he was supposed to be doing out there..
Plus how many rings he got?
February 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Just a Fan says:
Hindsight is 20/20. It only looked stacked because everyone on that list is not playing no more. We’ll have to wait 10? 15? 20? plus years to say if another team would come close.
I’m sure nobdy in 1990 was writing “OMG THIS ALL-STAR TEAM is the most stacked of all time”.
February 4th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Austin Burton says:
@Just a Fan — It “only” looked stacked because of hindsight? Really?
February 4th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Ian says:
just a fan
lol comon those guys we all superstars even the young ones
can u say the same about rashard lewis in 20 years?
February 4th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
dagwaller says:
Yea, Just a Fan, I’m going to have to disagree with you. That’s essentially the same team that two years later were called “the Dream Team”.
Does anyone here think that Rodman DOESN’T deserve to be in the HOF? I love the guy, personally.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
SteveNash says:
HOF debate – the worm
February 4th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
jamesinva says:
cant stand the young bucks who say stupid sht like “whos chris mullin or whos mitch richmond or whos tom chambers or even whos kevin johnson?”
i even read a “whos eric snow” from another forum.
it disgusts me. there should be a NBA 101 class in every college
February 4th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
jdawg says:
jamesinva: it’s called a barbershop
February 5th, 2009 at 12:35 am
kdog says:
The Worm definitely deserves HOF recognition. Who cares about off the court, it’s not like he killed anyone…
He could have MAJOR influence on a game without needing the ball. He averaged 20 rebounds for an entire season. Would those Chicago and Detroit teams have gotten ‘ships without him? I’m not so sure…
February 5th, 2009 at 9:58 am
sans says:
I think the 2006-07 West AllStar Teams were pretty stacked (at least in 2k6/7). Kobe, TMac, Tim Duncan, KG, and Yao. That’s a tough starting five. Their bench was sick too, Amare, Dirk, Ray Allen, Melo, Nash, and others, maybe CP3, Elton Brand, and Baron. That team was pretty stacked, not that it has 11 HOFers on it, but still, being able to have five 7 footers on the court at one time is still imressive.