# Your All-Time greatest team (any pro team sport) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 22, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025 "2019-02-22T15:28:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/1 "2019-02-22T15:28:06Z")
PLEASE read the guidelines first: Pick a professional team sport. American football, baseball, hockey, basketball, and association football (soccer) of course, but also any other pro team sport you may be knowledgeable about, like lacrosse or Canadian football or cricket or rugby or field hockey or whatever; if they’ve got a professional league and you know a lot about the players, you’re welcome to participate. Build your all-time greatest team. Starters and one backup for each position only. All players who have ever played professionally are eligible. Players _must_ be in their primary position (or “one of” if a player _regularly_ played multiple positions _professionally_, e.g. Chris Davis pitched in an MLB game once in a pinch, but that doesn’t make him as a pitcher, but he’s played first base, third, and center field regularly and those do count), and each starting position must be represented, so no teams of like 9 center fielders or 22 QBs, not that I think anyone would want to do that. For baseball specifically, we’ll specify one right-handed and one left-handed starting pitcher, 3 relief pitchers, and a DH. You may include a head coach/manager if you like. I hope that all makes sense. Seems like it should be simple enough, but I always forget at least one important thing when I do this, so feel free to point that out. Everyone always does. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/2 "2019-02-22T16:34:02Z")
C - Josh Gibson (Johnny Bench) 1B - Buck Leonard (Albert Pujols) 2B - Jackie Robinson (Joe Morgan) 3B - Mike Schmidt (Wade Boggs) SS - Honus Wagner (Alex Rodriguez) LF - Ted Williams (Barry Bonds) CF - Willie Mays (Oscar Charleston) RF - Babe Ruth (Hank Aaron) DH - Edgar Martinez (Frank Thomas) SP-R - Walter Johnson (Satchel Paige) SP-L - Randy Johnson (Lefty Grove) RP - Mariano Rivera (Goose Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/3 "2019-02-22T16:44:26Z")
Center: 1976 Kareem, 2000 Shaq Power Forward: 2003 Tim Duncan, 1993 Charles Barkley Small Forward: 2007 LeBron, 1986 Larry Bird Shooting Guard: 1992 Jordan, 2002 Kobe Bryant (or 2006 D-Wade. I could go either way on this one.) Point Guard: 2015 Steph Curry, 1987 Magic Johnson (I thought really long and hard about this one - 5, 10 seconds, _easy_). Coach: Popovich. Or Auerbach. I’d be happy either way. GM: Jerry West ---
**Author:** ![Cumbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cumbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumbrian)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/4 "2019-02-22T17:05:09Z")
International Test Cricket (slight wrinkle - the alternates will only be I have actually seen, otherwise you’d likely just run down a stats sheet to select these sides) 1 Jack Hobbs (Matthew Hayden) 2 WG Grace (Alastair Cook) 3 Don Bradman (Ricky Ponting) 4 Sachin Tendulkar (Brian Lara) 5 Viv Richards (Kumar Sangakkara) 6 Garfield Sobers (Jacques Kallis) 7 Alan Knott (Adam Gilchrist) - both to keep wicket 8 Wasim Akram (Imran Khan) 9 Shane Warne (Curtly Ambrose) 10 Malcolm Marshall (Waqar Younis) 11 Glenn McGrath (Muttiah Muralitharan) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/5 "2019-02-22T20:56:11Z")
My NFL team (will skew heavily from the 80s forward because I’m not old enough to have ever seen, say, Jim Brown play; and I like the 4-3 defense): QB Joe Montana (Dan Marino) FB Franco Harris (John Riggins) HB Barry Sanders (Walter Payton) WR1 Jerry Rice (Randy Moss) WR2 Art Monk (Calvin Johnson) TE Tony Gonzalez (Antonio Gates) LT Jonathan Ogden (Orlando Pace) LG Larry Allen (Steve Hutchinson) C Dwight Stephenson (Dermontti Dawson) RG Russ Grimm (Gene Upshaw) RT Walter Jones (Anthony Munoz) DE Reggie White (Bruce Smith) DT Warren Sapp (Geno Atkins) DT John Randle (Aaron Donald) DE Deacon Jones (J.J. Watt) OLB1 Lawrence Taylor (Dick Butkus) MLB Ray Lewis (Mike Singletary) OLB2 Derrick Thomas (Derrick Brooks) CB1 Deion Sanders (Champ Bailey) CB2 Rod Woodson (Charles Woodson) FS Ken Houston (Sean Taylor) SS Ed Reed (Rodney Harrison) K Morten Andersen (Adam Vinatieri) P Sammy Baugh (Shane Lechler) PR Devin Hester (Dante Hall) KR Deion Sanders (Brian Mitchell) HC Vince Lombardi (Joe Gibbs) ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/6 "2019-02-23T01:48:10Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Center: 1976 Kareem, 2000 Shaq > Power Forward: 2003 Tim Duncan, 1993 Charles Barkley > Small Forward: 2007 LeBron, 1986 Larry Bird > Shooting Guard: 1992 Jordan, 2002 Kobe Bryant (or 2006 D-Wade. I could go either way on this one.) > Point Guard: 2015 Steph Curry, 1987 Magic Johnson (I thought really long and hard about this one - 5, 10 seconds, _easy_). > Coach: Popovich. Or Auerbach. I’d be happy either way. > GM: Jerry West I decided to build a team to compete against this one. So no duplicates. Center: 1962 Wilt Chamberlain; 1995 Hakeem Olajuwon Power Forward: 1990 Karl Malone; 2004 Kevin Garnett Small Forward: 2014 Kevin Durant; 1973 Julius Erving Shooting Guard: 1995 Reggie Miller; 1969 John Havlicek Point Guard: 1962 Oscar Robertson; 1991 John Stockton Coach: Phil Jackson GM: Jerry Reinsdorf I still think my team would lose, but it’d be a good game. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/7 "2019-02-23T01:53:36Z")
It would be. However, I got a center with the most unstoppable 2-pt shot ever and I have a guard who is the greatest shooter ever, as well as another guard who is the greatest competitor ever. I like my chances. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/8 "2019-02-23T02:14:17Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > It would be. However, I got a center with the most unstoppable 2-pt shot ever and I have a guard who is the greatest shooter ever, as well as another guard who is the greatest competitor ever. I like my chances. 🙂 Well, you _did_ get first pick on every position in the entire history of the NBA, LOL. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/9 "2019-02-23T02:24:42Z")
I also think you have too many 60s guys who won’t have the training or athleticism of the modern guys, and the only 3-pt specialist you have is Reggie Miller… and he’s no Steph. Are we playing with a 3pt shot? I’d love to see prime Hakeem vs prime Shaq. Biggest defensive liabilities: Curry and Erving. You’d kill me on screens, with Stockton/Malone teaming up again, but I have 2 legitimate 3-point threats, as well as Jordan who once hit 6 threes in a Finals game (the Shrug game). And LeBron. Sorry, Bill Russell. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/10 "2019-02-23T02:30:17Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > Well, you _did_ get first pick on every position in the entire history of the NBA, LOL. Like that’s an advantage! 😉 Great idea for threads though - 2 posters do a draft of the best players of each “league”\*, then another thread with a poll on which team would win. NBA would be easy to do… want to try? \*Could even be done via PM, but what the fun is that? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/11 "2019-02-23T04:11:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **JohnT** > Center: 1976 Kareem, 2000 Shaq > Power Forward: 2003 Tim Duncan, 1993 Charles Barkley > Small Forward: 2007 LeBron, 1986 Larry Bird > Shooting Guard: 1992 Jordan, 2002 Kobe Bryant (or 2006 D-Wade. I could go either way on this one.) > Point Guard: 2015 Steph Curry, 1987 Magic Johnson (I thought really long and hard about this one - 5, 10 seconds, easy). > Coach: Popovich. Or Auerbach. I’d be happy either way. > GM: Jerry West > [@ekedolphin](#): > > I decided to build a team to compete against this one. So no duplicates. > > Center: 1962 Wilt Chamberlain; 1995 Hakeem Olajuwon > Power Forward: 1990 Karl Malone; 2004 Kevin Garnett > Small Forward: 2014 Kevin Durant; 1973 Julius Erving > Shooting Guard: 1995 Reggie Miller; 1969 John Havlicek > Point Guard: 1962 Oscar Robertson; 1991 John Stockton > Coach: Phil Jackson > GM: Jerry Reinsdorf > > I still think my team would lose, but it’d be a good game. 5: 1983 Moses Malone; 1996 Arvydas Sabonis 4: 2007 Dirk Nowitzki; 1987 Kevin McHale 3: 1992 Scottie Pippen; 2019 Giannis Antetokounmpo 2: 2001 Allen Iverson; 2006 Dwyane Wade 1: 1989 Isiah Thomas; 2006 Steve Nash Coach Larry Brown GM R.C. Buford **ekedolphin** - you mean Jerry Krause, Reinsdorf was the owner. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/12 "2019-02-23T16:28:11Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > I decided to build a team to compete against this one. So no duplicates. > > Center: 1962 Wilt Chamberlain; 1995 Hakeem Olajuwon > Power Forward: 1990 Karl Malone; 2004 Kevin Garnett > Small Forward: 2014 Kevin Durant; 1973 Julius Erving > Shooting Guard: 1995 Reggie Miller; 1969 John Havlicek > Point Guard: 1962 Oscar Robertson; 1991 John Stockton > Coach: Phil Jackson > GM: Jerry Reinsdorf > > I still think my team would lose, but it’d be a good game. If we’re playing with current rules, then against Shaq, don’t you want a modern center, who’s strong enough to at least slow Shaq down, but can knock down threes well enough to force him out of the paint on defense (and make all the other defenders worry about the pop as well as the roll)? If Shaq hits 60% of his post-ups against Al Horford (probably not the first choice, but first to come to mind), but Horford hits 40% of his threes, that’s even. Likewise, either move Durant to the 4, or consider bringing in a modern 3-and-D guy. It’s not like you need an unstoppable one-on-one power forward, with Durant and Reggie Miller on your team, right? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/13 "2019-02-23T19:53:31Z")
Davis Cup Tennis: Roger Federer Novak Djokovic The Bryan Brothers Nadal is definitely an option, but I have come around the last few years to the opinion that Novak may actually be the better player. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/14 "2019-02-23T21:16:05Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > C - Josh Gibson (Johnny Bench) > 1B - Buck Leonard (Albert Pujols) > 2B - Jackie Robinson (Joe Morgan) > 3B - Mike Schmidt (Wade Boggs) > SS - Honus Wagner (Alex Rodriguez) > LF - Ted Williams (Barry Bonds) > CF - Willie Mays (Oscar Charleston) > RF - Babe Ruth (Hank Aaron) > DH - Edgar Martinez (Frank Thomas) > SP-R - Walter Johnson (Satchel Paige) > SP-L - Randy Johnson (Lefty Grove) > RP - Mariano Rivera (Goose Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm) These guys could give your’s a tough series maybe: C - Yogi Berra, Pudge Rodriguez 1b - Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial 2b - Eddie Collins, Rogers Hornsby 3b - George Brett, Eddie Mathews SS - Cal Ripken Jr, Ozzie Smith LF - Ricky Henderson, Tim Raines CF - Tris Speaker, Mickey Mantle RF - Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente DH - Mike Trout, Joe DiMaggio SP -R - Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens SP -L - Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton RP - Dennis Eckersley, Trevor Hoffman If you get first pick, then I get the steriod guys. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/15 "2019-02-24T04:36:03Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I also think you have too many 60s guys who won’t have the training or athleticism of the modern guys, and the only 3-pt specialist you have is Reggie Miller… and he’s no Steph. > > Are we playing with a 3pt shot? > > I’d love to see prime Hakeem vs prime Shaq. > > Biggest defensive liabilities: Curry and Erving. You’d kill me on screens, with Stockton/Malone teaming up again, but I have 2 legitimate 3-point threats, as well as Jordan who once hit 6 threes in a Finals game (the Shrug game). And LeBron. > > Sorry, Bill Russell. I loved Shaquille O’Neal being both an LSU grad and Lakers fan, but I felt then and now that Hakeen Olajuwon was a better center. And in today’s game, he’d be much better. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/16 "2019-02-24T04:42:10Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > These guys could give your’s a tough series maybe: > > C - Yogi Berra, Pudge Rodriguez > 1b - Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial > 2b - Eddie Collins, Rogers Hornsby > 3b - George Brett, Eddie Mathews > SS - Cal Ripken Jr, Ozzie Smith > LF - Ricky Henderson, Tim Raines > CF - Tris Speaker, Mickey Mantle > RF - Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente > DH - Mike Trout, Joe DiMaggio > SP -R - Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens > SP -L - Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton > RP - Dennis Eckersley, Trevor Hoffman > > If you get first pick, then I get the steriod guys. 😉 Just figured I’d point out that Sandy Koufax was a triple crown pitcher 3 times. He was, in my opinion, for a 3-5 year window, the best pitcher who ever lived. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/17 "2019-02-24T15:47:08Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I loved Shaquille O’Neal being both an LSU grad and Lakers fan, but I felt then and now that Hakeen Olajuwon was a better center. And in today’s game, he’d be much better. While this is true, Olajuwon was a better overall player, Shaq would have done fine in any era, IMO. Offensively, his game was more or less “be bigger than everyone else, and be quicker and faster than anyone that big has ever been.” I know that’s an extremely simplistic interpretation of his play, but it pretty much boils down to that, doesn’t it? He was a freak of nature, and nobody else had another comparable freak of nature to put up against him. Defensively, he was an elite rim defender, and at the time, on those teams, that was enough, but otherwise he was mostly just a physical obstacle, and was useless in transition (not to mention I remember reading that Phil Jackson, and most of his other coaches for that matter, basically told him to focus on offense and just try not to foul anyone on defense). ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/18 "2019-02-24T21:48:57Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > While this is true, Olajuwon was a better overall player, Shaq would have done fine in any era, IMO. > > Offensively, his game was more or less “be bigger than everyone else, and be quicker and faster than anyone that big has ever been.” I know that’s an extremely simplistic interpretation of his play, but it pretty much boils down to that, doesn’t it? He was a freak of nature, and nobody else had another comparable freak of nature to put up against him. > > Defensively, he was an elite rim defender, and at the time, on those teams, that was enough, but otherwise he was mostly just a physical obstacle, and was useless in transition (not to mention I remember reading that Phil Jackson, and most of his other coaches for that matter, basically told him to focus on offense and just try not to foul anyone on defense). Regarding no one else having a comparable freak, there was one name that popped into my head, that being Yao Ming. I’m not sure if he was supposed to be the second coming of Shaq and he just never panned out, or if his skill set was fundamentally different. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/19 "2019-02-25T00:06:26Z")
Screw it I’m gonna staff a whole 25-man baseball team but you can assume the first name is the starter, meeting the OP’s rule. C - Josh Gibson, Yogi Berra 1B - Lou Gehrig 2B - Joe Morgan, Eddie Collins SS - Honus Wagner, Alex Rodriguez 3B - Mike Schmidt, George Brett LF - Barry Bonds CF - Willie Mays, Oscar Charleston RF - Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron DH - David Ortiz SP - Walter Johnson, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Satchel Paige, Lefty Grove RP - Mariano Rivera, Hoyt Wilhelm, Goose Gossage, Dan Quisenberry, Trevor Hoffman ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2019, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025/20 "2019-02-25T04:57:57Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Regarding no one else having a comparable freak, there was one name that popped into my head, that being Yao Ming. I’m not sure if he was supposed to be the second coming of Shaq and he just never panned out, or if his skill set was fundamentally different. Injured feet. Had Yao Ming played in today’s era and had he not been brutalized by his Chinese basketball handlers, he could have been an elite player for the ages. He was truly gifted. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-all-time-greatest-team-any-pro-team-sport/830025.md?page=2)