I'm nearing the end of round one of the 256 team NFL tournament, I won't be moving to something else.
However - I recently ranked the top 150 players in NBA history, and that makes it easy to create 16 all time rosters. I'l leave it fluid, so say when the next 16 guys reach the 75 regular season WS threshold to be considered, they become eligible to join these teams. I'll designate one player from each roster as "at risk"
These rosters were created by snake draft, with some swapping post draft just for competitive balance purposes; there was not an attempt to place specific players with each other, the chips fell where they fell.
Team 1
C Moses Malone Petersberg High (75th)
C Robert Parish Centenary (75th)
F Pau Gasol Spain
F LeBron James St Vincent St Mary High (75th)
F Jerry Lucas Ohio St (75th)
F Peja Stojakovic Croatia
G Allen Iverson Georgetown (75th)
G Jeff Hornacek Iowa St
G Dennis Johnson Pepperdine
G Walter Davis North Carolina (at risk)
-a pioneer of the HS to pro basketball leap, Moses, playing with LeBron. LeBron also playing with Jerry Lucas, an Ohio legend from a prior generation. DJ and the Chief, Celtics teammates, both on the second unit.
Team 2
C Artis Gilmore Jacksonville
C DeAndre Jordan Texas A&M (at risk)
F Horace Grant Clemson
F Paul Pierce Kansas (75th)
F Vern Mikkelsen Hamline
F Bob Dandridge Norfolk St
G Russell Westbrook UCLA (75th)
G Michael Jordan North Carolina (75th)
G Deron Williams Illinois
G Sam Jones NC Central (75th)
Jordan gets to play with his champship teammate Grant - and also with Gilmore, who returned to Chicago for a late career stint. One could imagine Westbrook getting a lot of second unit run to add firepower to the bench (and maybe get him away from Jordan; a Williams/Jordan backcourt might make more sense).
Team 3
C Wilt Chamberlain Kansas (75th)
C Neil Johnston Ohio St
F Bailey Howell Miss St
F Scottie Pippen Central Ark (75th)
F Bob McAdoo North Carolina (75th)
F George Gervin East Michigan (75th)
G Damian Lillard Weber St (75th)
G Ray Allen UConn (75th)
G Andre Miller Utah (at risk)
G Andre Iguodala Arizona
Johnston was the Warriors All Star center in the 50s - they drafted Wilt and that was the end of Johnston, they're together here. Wilt has to like the composition of the team - Allen to shoot from outside, Lillard to handle to ball, Pippen the all court player; Gervin and McAdoo with the bench firepower.
Team 4
C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar UCLA (75th)
C Bill Laimbeer N Dame
F Elton Brand Duke
F Shawn Marion UNLV
F Sam Perkins North Carolina
F Bernard King Tennessee (at risk)
G Jason Kidd Cal (75th)
G Dwyane Wade Marquette (75th)
G Mike Conley Ohio St
G Eddie Jones Temple
Lot of defense here - Marion and Jones and Brand - Kidd/Wade as Kareem's backcourt is strong - Jones and Wade reunite from their Miami days. King as bench offense.
Team 5
C Walt Bellamy Indiana Hall of Fame
C Marc Gasol Spain
F Tim Duncan Wake Forest (75th)/Hall of Fame
F Kawhi Leonard S Diego St (75th)
F Amar'e Stoudemire Cypress Creek High
F James Worthy North Carolina (75th)/Hall of Fame
G Kevin Johnson Cal
G Chauncey Billups Colorado
G Mark Jackson St Johns (at risk)
G Dan Majerle C Michigan
Teammates really mark Team 5 - Duncan and Kawhi are together and the Suns, KJ and Thunder Dan.
Team 6
C Dan Issel Kentucky Hall of Fame
C Vlade Divac Serbia
F Karl Malone La Tech (75th) Hall of Fame
F John Havlicek Ohio St (75th) Hall of Fame
F Anthony Mason Tenn St
F Dominique Wilkins Georgia (75th) Hall of Fame
G Steph Curry Davidson (75th)
G Paul George Fresno St
G Tony Parker France
G DeMar DeRozan USC (at risk)
Malone and Issel on the inside; Steph on the outside, Havlicek as the all court wing; 'Nique providing points off the bench.
Team 7
C Nikola Jokic Serbia
C Alonzo Mourning Georgetown Hall of Fame
F Bob Pettit LSU (75th)/Hall of Fame
F Rick Barry Miami (75th)/Hall of Fame
F LaMarcus Aldridge Texas
F Grant Hill Duke Hall of Fame
G Chris Paul Wake Forest (75th)
G Tracy McGrady Mt Zion Academy High Hall of Fame
G Lenny Wilkens Providence (75th) Hall of Fame
G Byron Scott Arizona St (at risk)
It's CP3 getting the ball to the frontcourt scorers - Jokic/Pettit/Barry.
Team 8
C Dwight Howard SW Atl Christian Academy High
C Dave Cowens Florida St (75th) Hall of Fame
F Ben Wallace Virg Union Hall of Fame
F Adrian Dantley N Dame Hall of Fame
F Larry Nance Clemson
F Andrei Kirilenko Russia
G Magic Johnson Mich St (75th) Hall of Fame
G Clyde Drexler Houston (75th) Hall of Fame
G Sam Cassell Florida St
G Mitch Richmond Kansas St (at risk) Hall of Fame
Magic will look to get the ball into Howard, with Dantley and Drexler the wing scorers - AK47 gives you bench points.
Team 9
C Hakeem Olajuwon Houston (75th) Hall of Fame
C Al Horford Florida
F Anthony Davis Kentucky (75th)
F Elgin Baylor Seattle (75th) Hall of Fame
F Buck Williams Maryland
F Dennis Rodman SE Oklahoma St (75th) Hall of Fame
G John Stockton Gonzaga (75th) Hall of Fame
G Vince Carter North Carolina
G Calvin Murphy Niagara (at risk) Hall of Fame
G Hal Greer Marshall (75th) Hall of Fame
This team - this team looks like a problem. Look at that front line - Olajuwon, AD, Baylor. With Stockton getting them the ball. Williams and Rodman are a little duplicative, if they wanted to move one of them into the starting lineup and have Davis lead the second unit, that makes sense.
Team 10
C David Robinson Navy (75th) Hall of Fame
C Ed Macauley St Louis Hall of Fame
F Elvin Hayes Houston (75th) Hall of Fame
F Paul Arizin Villanova (75th) Hall of Fame
F Kevin Love UCLA
F Glen Rice Michigan
G Gary Payton Oregon (75th) Hall of Fame
G Reggie Miller UCLA (75th) Hall of Fame
G Bob Cousy Holy Cross (75th) Hall of Fame
G Lou Hudson Minnesota (at risk) Hall of Fame
Smooooth, maybe a little too smooth. Admiral, Big E, Love and Rice and Reggie Miller. Smoooth. GP is here to provide the grit. Cousy and Macauley, old teammates, on the second unit.
Team 11
C Shaquille O'Neal LSU (75th) Hall of Fame
C Rudy Gobert France
F Chris Webber Michigan Hall of Fame
F Julius Erving UMass (75th) Hall of Game
F Blake Griffin Oklahoma
F Carmelo Anthony Syracuse (75th)
G Walt Frazier S Illinois (75th) Hall of Fame
G Sidney Moncrief Arkansas Hall of Fame
G Jason Terry Arizona
G Michael Finley Wisconsin (at risk)
Like Team 10, lots of guys who primarily exist to get buckets, Dr J, Melo and Blake, CWebb - but there's also Shaq, dominating the middle, and Gobert, an all time great defensive big man - Frazier to run the show, Moncrief, so consistent.
Team 12
C George Mikan DePaul (75th) Hall of Fame
C Dikembe Mutombo Georgetown Hall of Fame
F Kevin McHale Minnesota (75th) Hall of Fame
F Kevin Durant Texas (75th)
F Detlef Schrempf Washington
F Cedric Maxwell UNCC
G Maurice Cheeks W Texas A&M Hall of Fame
G James Harden Arizona St (75th)
G Stephon Marbury Geo Tech (at risk)
G Bill Sharman USC (75th) Hall of Fame
KD and Harden, together again - as are McHale and Cornbread, with Sharman, a Celtic from a prior generation.
Team 13
C Bob Lanier St Bonaventure Hall of Fame
C Jack Sikma Illinois Wesleyan Hall of Fame
F Charles Barkley Auburn (75th) Hall of Fame
F Giannis Anteotokounmpo Greece (75th)
F David West Xavier (at risk)
F Chris Mullin St Johns Hall of Fame
G Kyle Lowry Villanova Hall of Fame
G Kobe Bryant Lower Merion High (75th)
G Tim Hardaway UTEP Hall of Fame
G Steve Smith Michigan St
Whoa. This might be unfair. Kobe. Barkley. Giannis. Look and Mullin and Hardaway, together in the second unit. It might take a minute for Giannis and Kobe to work together on the floor - like if Mullin made more sense in the first unit and Giannis takes over the second string - I don't know, there's a lot to work with here.
Team 14
C Bill Russell San Francisco (75th) Hall of Fame
C Chris Bosh Georgia Tech Hall of Fame
F Kevin Garnett Farragut Academy High (75th) Hall of Fame
F Chet Walker Bradley Hall of Fame
F Paul Millsap La Tech
F Rashard Lewis Alief Elsik High
G Steve Nash Santa Clara (75th) Hall of Fame
G Manu Ginobli Argentina Hall of Fame
G Rod Strickland DePaul (at risk)
G Hersey Hawkins Bradley
You want the team that plays the "right way"? Here's Bill Russell and KG and Nash and Ginobli. The Bradley Braves are represented here by both Walker and Hawkins.
Team 15
C Patrick Ewing Georgetown (75th) Hall of Fame
C Willis Reed Grambling (75th) Hall of Fame
F Dirk Nowitzki Germany (75th) Hall of Fame
F Larry Bird Indiana St (75th) Hall of Fame
F Bobby Jones North Carolina Hall of Fame
F Alex English South Carolina Hall of Fame
G Isiah Thomas Indiana (75th) Hall of Fame
G Jimmy Butler Marquette
G Derek Harper Illinois (at risk)
G Joe Dumars McNeese St Hall of Fame
Here's a fun team - it's Bird and Dirk shooting the lights out - it's Zeke and Dumars on the same club; it's the Knicks centers, Ewing and Reed. I sort of love the Jones/English second string frontcourt pairing.
Team 16
C Wes Unseld Louisville (75th) Hall of Fame
C Zelmo Beatty Prairie View Hall of Fame
F Dolph Schayes NYU (75th) Hall of Fame
F Marques Johnson UCLA
F Rasheed Wallace North Carolina
F Cliff Hagan Kentucky Hall of Fame
G Oscar Robertson Cincinnati (75th) Hall of Fame
G Jerry West W Virginia (75th) Hall of Fame
G Terry Porter Wisc Stevens Pt
G Earl Monroe Winston Salem (at risk) (75th) Hall of Fame
This team's about that starting backcourt, they go as far as Oscar and West will take them.
