As a player in the NBA, one of the highest honors you can receive is being named to the All-NBA Team for a respective season of accomplishment. The selection to an All-NBA Team usually means that for that season, you were one of the 15 best players in the entire league. Of course, being named to the First Team is the highest honor when it comes to All-NBA selections, but Second Team and Third Team are still incredible feats. Today, we are picking All-NBA Teams on a different plane. The teams selected today will be made up of NBA legends from across history based on their entire body of work rather than one year of great success.
The NBA legends in each lineup are the top players at their respective positions on an all-time scale. Whether they are members of the First, Second, and Third Teams is basically irrelevant because the debates will rage on for the rest of the time. No matter which scale you use to measure these 15 players, the 15 names will be the same. The All-Time NBA Teams are guaranteed to spark some debate and criticism, but they are the most accurate depiction of its kind.
These are the greatest All-Time First, Second, and Third NBA Teams.
The Greatest All-Time Third TeamPoint Guard – Oscar Robertson
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Oscar Robertson was the first do-it-all point guard in NBA history. He could score at an elite level, and his playmaking skills were decades ahead of his time. Robertson became the first man in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season with the Cincinnati Royals early on in his career and led the NBA in assists in 7 out of his first 9 seasons in the NBA. He averaged over 30.0 PPG 6 times and won a scoring title in 1968 as well. He became an NBA champion in 1971 in his first year with the Milwaukee Bucks alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Robertson broke into the NBA as an electric point guard who defied all the standard definitions of the position. He won the 1961 Rookie of the Year award when he averaged 30.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 9.7 APG. The following season he averaged a triple-double for the year with 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, and 11.4 APG. He would go on to win the 1964 MVP award as well when he averaged 31.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 11.0 APG. When he got to Milwaukee, Robertson wasn’t the MVP candidate he once was, but he still pushed them over the top for an NBA championship.
Shooting Guard – Dwyane Wade
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Over the course of his career, Dwyane Wade solidified his status as a Top 3 shooting guard of all-time with his outstanding ability on both sides of the ball. Wade was most dangerous in open space with or without the ball in his hands. He was a defensive nightmare in isolation and was the same way on the defensive side of the ball for opponents. Wade helped lead Miami to 3 NBA championships in his career and was named Finals MVP for his 2006 run to the championship.
Wade’s Finals series in 2006 was as good as it could possibly get for somebody in their 3rd professional season. Wade and the Heat fell into a 2-0 hole against the Mavericks during the Finals and found themselves at a crossroads of what to do. They let Wade take command of the ball, and he rewarded them with 4 straight wins for the NBA championship. He took home Finals MVP honors with 34.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.7 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. Aside from that 2006 masterpiece, Wade was a 13-time All-Star, 8-time All-NBA Team selection, and a 3-time All-Defensive Team selection.
Small Forward – Julius Erving
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The 3rd piece to our All-NBA Third Team is none other than Julius Erving. Dr. J. was an innovator of the above-the-rim playstyle and could glide through the air at any moment during his time on the court. After dominating the competition in the ABA, Erving made his way to the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. He would spend the entirety of his NBA career in Philadelphia, where he led the Sixers to 4 NBA Finals appearances and an NBA championship in 1983.
After winning 3 MVP awards in the ABA, Erving took home 1 MVP award in the NBA after the 1981 season. That season, he averaged 24.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.1 SPG, and 1.8 BPG. Erving would help the Sixers advance to 4 NBA Finals between 1977 and 1982, with his lone victory coming in 1983 against the Lakers. Erving was aided by the presence of Andrew Toney and Moses Malone but still held his own in earning his first and only NBA title. Overall, Erving would go to 11 All-Star Games and get selected to 7 All-NBA Teams as well as 1 All-Defensive Team.
Power Forward – Karl Malone
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Karl Malone is one of the most consistent superstars in NBA history. Malone was a threat in every sense of the word on offense. He could knock down mid to medium-range shots that made his pick-and-roll offense with John Stockton as successful as it was in their careers. He could overpower opponents on the low block with an array of power moves used to finish at the rim. In transition, Malone was as fast and finished as strong as anyone in basketball, especially at his size. Malone helped the Utah Jazz reach 2 NBA Finals in his career and advance to a 3rd with the Lakers but finished 0-3 and without an NBA title in his career.
Malone was a 2-time MVP during his career, both within a 3-year span. He won his first MVP after the 1997 season, which saw him average 27.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.2 SPG leading the Jazz to 64 wins. He won his 2nd MVP 2 years later in 1999, when he averaged 23.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 4.1 APG, and 1.3 SPG while leading the Jazz to 37 wins in a 50-game season. Malone retired as the game’s 2nd all-time leading scorer and earned 14 All-Star appearances, 14 All-NBA Team selections, and 4 All-Defensive Team selections.
Center – Bill Russell
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The final spot in the All-Time NBA Third Team is the greatest winner in the history of the NBA. Bill Russell played for 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics and led them to 11 NBA championships within that time. Russell is still considered to be one of the best in league history on defense and the game’s greatest rebounder. Although his offensive game wasn’t as statistically dominant as the other great centers ever, Russell was still one of the most impactful players in league history. Russell would lose only 1 Finals series in his career and won 11. With no Finals MVP award created yet, Russell had the award named after him instead and would easily have 10 if they were around in his time.
Russell would take home 5 MVP awards during his career and 12 All-Star appearances, as well as 11 All-NBA Team selections and 1 All-Defensive team selection (they didn’t introduce the All-Defensive team until 1969). Russell led the NBA in rebounds 5 times during his NBA career and averaged 22.5 RPG for his 13 seasons in the NBA. As the NBA’s greatest rebounder, defender, and winner, a selection to the Third Team may be selling him a bit short.
The Greatest All-Time Second TeamPoint Guard – Stephen Curry
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The All-Time NBA Second Team gets started off with a player who revolutionized the game of basketball as we know it. Stephen Curry has taken the game to new heights, and certainly new lengths, with his incredible display of high-volume, high-efficiency shooting from distances unseen throughout the game’s history. It seems everyone and their brother wants to be Stephen Curry these days, and the game has gravitated further away from the basket with every passing year at all levels of development. That is the kind of impact you can have when you evolve into one of the game’s greatest players and its greatest shooter in front of millions of fans every year.
Curry has been at the center of one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history for the past 8-plus seasons. The entire flow of the offense completely centered around him and his off-ball ability and gravity. Curry has led the Warriors to 4 NBA Finals victories in 6 attempts and claimed 1 Finals MVP award. He is a 2-time MVP and the only unanimous MVP in NBA history. He has won 2 scoring titles, 1 steals title, and 1 All-Star Game MVP award. He has also been selected as an All-Star 8 times and to 8 All-NBA Teams. With his role in the evolution of basketball and the career he has had already, Stephen Curry is a clear-cut choice for Second Team honors.
Shooting Guard – Kobe Bryant
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Speaking of NBA icons and players who transcended the game, Kobe Bryant is our selection for Second Team shooting guard. Bryant played 20 seasons in the NBA and became one of the game’s greatest players, ambassadors, and face’s in its history. Bryant was a two-way weapon legendary for his obsession with winning and doing whatever it took to push his team to do the same. He perfected his craft on offense to the point he mimicked the game of Michael Jordan by dominating opponents at the rim and from the mid-range. He was a swarming and physical presence on defense who made sure you earned every bucket.
As either the No. 1 or No. 2 option, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to 5 NBA championships in his career and claimed 2 Finals MVP awards in those victories. He was also named an MVP in 2008 and a 4-time All-Star Game MVP. Bryant would go on to etch his name in stone as one of the greatest players in Lakers and NBA history with 18 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA Team selections, and 12 All-Defensive Team selections.
Small Forward – Larry Bird
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The other half of the rivalry that saved the NBA in the 80s, Larry Bird, comes in as our small forward of the All-NBA Second Team. Bird’s career is something that is still rightly glorified today as one of the best in the game with his smooth shooting, overall scoring, playmaking, and defense. Bird did it all for the Celtics in the 1980s, leading the franchise to 3 NBA championships and taking home 2 Finals MVP awards.
Larry Bird is the last person in NBA history to win 3 MVP awards consecutively. The 1984 through 1986 seasons can be considered the peak of Bird’s career at a time when he ruled the NBA. In 1984, Bird won MVP by averaging 24.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.8 SPG. The Celtics would go on to win the NBA championship that season. In 1985, he averaged 28.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG to win MVP and lost in the NBA Finals to the Lakers. He won his final MVP and championship in 1986 when he averaged 25.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG. The legend of Larry Bird lives on as one of the greatest players in NBA history, and our selection as our Second Team small forward.
Power Forward – Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant is an interesting selection for our Second Team power forward, but he has played at an elite level at both positions to earn his slot. Look at it as a loophole. Durant is one of the most offensively gifted basketball players in NBA history with his ability to score the ball on levels of efficiency rarely ever seen and underrated playmaking abilities when he needs to deliver. Durant has led his teams to 4 NBA Finals appearances with 2 wins as a member of the Golden State Warriors along with an MVP award, 4 scoring titles, Rookie of the Year, 10 All-NBA Team selections, and 12 All-Star appearances.
NBA fans all over the world still claim that Kevin Durant’s rings in Golden State are somehow tainted because of the overall talent of the team, as well as the nature in which he left Oklahoma City. What cannot be denied is the overall dominance he displayed to earn those 2 championships. In 2017, Durant led the Warriors to a title and claimed Finals MVP with 35.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 5.4 APG. He led them once again in 2018 with 28.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 7.5 APG to a second straight NBA title and Finals MVP award. His overall talent and career earn Durant a spot on the Second Team.
Center – Shaquille O’Neal
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Shaquille O’Neal may have had the most dominant and impactful peak of any center in basketball history. During his earlier years with the Magic, O’Neal was an athletic and powerful player who helped lead the Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995. When the 2000s rolled around, Shaq put on the mass necessary to alter his game and take over the NBA, putting the game in a chokehold. O’Neal would lead the Lakers to 3 straight NBA championships from 2000 through 2002 with one of the most incredible runs by a big man ever.
O’Neal’s 2000 season is one for the record books. Shaq would win MVP in the regular season and lead the Lakers to their first NBA championship. He claimed Finals MVP with 38.0 PPG, 16.7 RPG, and 2.7 BPG. He repeated his dominance again in 2001 when he led the Lakers to a Finals victory over the 76ers. Once again, Shaq was Finals MVP with 33.0 PPG, 15.8 RPG, and 3.4 BPG. When he led the Lakers to a 3-peat in 2002 over the Nets, O’Neal would cement his place in the record books forever with a third Finals MVP award. Overall, O’Neal won 1 MVP award, 3 Finals MVP awards, 4 NBA titles, a Rookie of the Year award, and 2 scoring titles.
The Greatest All-Time First TeamPoint Guard – Magic Johnson
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To kick off our selections for the All-NBA Teams is the greatest point guard to ever play the game, Magic Johnson. Magic is the orchestrator of one of the greatest and most beloved teams in NBA history, the Showtime Lakers. Magic led the Lakers during the 1980s with his natural point guard abilities. His court vision is second to none across NBA history, and he operated in the fast break better than anyone could ever attempt to. Magic could score, pass, and defend among the best players in basketball as one of the most versatile players ever.
From the moment he stepped foot in the NBA, Magic’s impact on the game was significant. His rivalry with Larry Bird is credited with saving the NBA at a time the sport was dying. He led the Lakers to an NBA championship in his first year, along with taking home the Finals MVP award. He would go on to win 5 NBA championships in his career, with a total of 3 Finals MVP trophies. He also gained himself 3 MVP awards, 12 All-Star appearances, 10 All-NBA selections, and 4 assists titles. For the Los Angeles Lakers and aloof NBA history, Magic Johnson is the only choice for the All-NBA First Team’s point guard.
Shooting Guard – Michael Jordan
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In what is likely the most obvious selection for our All-NBA First Team, the greatest player of all time takes the shooting guard spot with Michael Jordan. There is no player in NBA history, much like MJ. From the iconic shoe deals he made possible with his signature line to the way he brought the game to peak popularity on a global scale, Michael Jordan is simply the greatest. Oh, and he was pretty good on the court too. Jordan would have the greatest run in NBA history during the 90s leading the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA championships by way of 2 three-peats.
Jordan advanced to 6 NBA Finals in his career, winning all 6 and claiming all 6 Finals MVP awards. He won 10 scoring titles as well as the greatest scorer in history, and holds the record for PPG both for the regular season and playoffs. He has won 5 MVP awards, a Rookie of the Year award, and a Defensive Player of the Year award. He has also earned 14 All-Star appearances, 11 All-NBA Team selections, and 9 All-Defensive Team selections. To choose any other player to put in this position would be a travesty, as Michael Jordan remains the GOAT.
Small Forward – LeBron James
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Ok, let us be honest for a moment. LeBron James has had one heck of a career as well, even worthy of consideration for the GOAT. James had the weight of the world placed on his shoulders as a teen out of high school and has only done remarkable things to live up to and surpass them. James is on pace to break a record no one thought possible in 2022-23 in Kareem’s all-time scoring record. With a career full of records and longevity that has been unmatched before throughout time, LeBron James is one of the greatest.
In his 20-year career, James has led 3 different NBA franchises to the promised land. He has a career record of 4-6 in the NBA Finals and has claimed all 4 Finals MVP trophies in those series he has won. James is also a winner of 4 MVP awards, a Rookie of the Year award, and 3 All-Star MVP awards. James has been named to 18 All-Star Teams, 6 All-Defensive Teams, and 18 All-NBA Teams. No other small forward has accomplished the things James has been able to accomplish, and his place as the All-Time NBA First Team small forward is more than justified.
Power Forward – Tim Duncan
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One of the more underappreciated superstars to ever step foot in the NBA is Tim Duncan. He wasn’t flashy or loud about his game which probably hurt his case amongst the casual NBA fan. However, few greats in NBA history handled their business like Tim Duncan did once he step foot on that court, and it was time to go to work. He mastered the fundamental of the sport to punish opponents on offense and demoralize them on defense. He was the NBA’s greatest silent assassin, and his career resume proves so to be true.
Duncan played his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs and took them from a titleless, desperate franchise to one of the most well-respected dynasties of all time. In his second season, Duncan led the Spurs to their first NBA championship and would lead them to 3 more over the next 7 seasons. He added another in 2014 and claimed 3 of the 5 Finals MVP awards. He also won 2 MVP awards, a Rookie of the Year award, and 1 All-Star MVP award. For his consistently high level of play, Duncan received 15 All-Star selections, 15 All-NBA Team selections, and 15 All-Defensive Team Selections.
Center – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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The final member of our All-Time NBA First Team is none other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem took hold over the NBA from the very first time he stepped on the court. He was a devastating offensive player with one of the best signature moves in NBA history with his Skyhook and could rebound the ball extremely well. He was a difference maker on defense as well with his shot-blocking ability and presence in the paint, altering shots and schemes.
When he retired in 1989 and up until this day, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in total points. He won 6 NBA championships, including 1 with the Milwaukee Bucks and 5 with the Lakers. He was named Finals MVP twice and took home an NBA-record 6 MVP trophies during his long career. He won 2 scoring titles, 4 block titles, and 1 rebounding title in his career, as well as a Rookie of the Year trophy. Kareem was named to 19 All-Star teams, 15 All-NBA Teams, and 11 All-Defensive Teams stringing together one of the greatest resumes of all time.
