The game of basketball has evolved over time, and the style of play has changed. Fundamentals went from a necessity to an accessory, as athleticism has come to the forefront. Whether the game has changed or not, there have been great players no matter the era. Opinions are thrown left and right on who’s the best of the best. Here is my rendition of an all-time NBA all-star team.

Starting 5

Point Guard(1)-Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah is every coach’s dream. He’s a true winner and plays with fight and intensity. He is not the most physically gifted, but he makes up for it with his heart. This group needs a winner that will lay his body on the line for the team. They don’t need someone to go and score a ton of points, which Isiah will not. He is a top notch defender and facilitator. With MJ and Lebron at the 2 and 3, Isaiah is the perfect guy to have to set them up for shots. During his time with the Pistons, he won 2 championships and played in 12 all star games. Isaiah will go down as one of the best Pistons of all time.

Shooting Guard(2)-Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is arguably the best player of all-time. He racked up 6 championships during his time in Chicago. He’s well rounded in terms of talent and has a winning mentality. MJ and Isaiah battled many times in their careers, but if they were to have played together, who knows how many championships they would’ve shared. Winning is what differentiates players nowadays. Also, MJ and the rest of this group are extremely unselfish and do not worry about the number on the front of their jerseys. With Lebron and MJ’s underrated passing abilities, there would be no problem with ball movement on this team.

Small Forward(3)-Lebron James

Lebron is this decade’s MJ. There are a lot of comparisons made between the two, and a lot of questions as to which one is the greatest to ever play. Lebron is the type of guy every GM wants to center their team around. Like MJ, he’s an all-around player with a versatile skill set. As a small forward, he’s a true match-up issue for opposing teams. He can guard big or small, but it’s tough for big and small guys to guard him. There’s no doubt that he cares about winning more than most. With these guys surrounding him, winning is all they would do.

Forward(4)-Wilt Chamberlain

Although Chamberlain was a center, I think he is versatile enough to play the 4 with Shaq in the lineup. With Wilt and Shaq in the front court, it would make it very hard for their opponents to finish around the rim. Offensively, he brings pure scoring ability with his famous sky-hook. Nowadays, there are more guys that could guard Wilt, but fundamentals will take you a long way. Chamberlain isn’t as strong as Shaq, but he will add the athleticism this front court needs.

Center(5)-Shaquille O’neal

Shaq is arguably one of the most unguardable people to ever play the game. At 7’1 325 lbs, he was a scare to fellow big men around the league. He lived up to the saying, “You can’t stop him, you can only contain him.” He won 4 championships during his career, three with the Lakers and one with the Heat. Shaq would do the dirty work for this team and would take a back seat to the rest of the team in terms of scoring. With the trees they would have down low, and the winners in the backcourt, this team is truly unbeatable.