Michael Jordan played with, and against, some of the greats.
The Chicago Bulls legend dominated the NBA the 1990s, winning six NBA titles and six Finals MVPs while cementing his status as the greatest of all time.
No.23 saw it all and did it all, which makes him more than qualified enough to name an all-time NBA starting five.
During an interview with Cigar Aficionado founder Marvin R. Shanken in 2005, MJ explained who his dream point guard, small forward, power forward and center would be, with ‘His Airness’ himself naturally filling the shooting guard spot.
First up was his center.
MJ admitted there was stiff competition, but ultimately plumped for legendary Houston Rockets big man Hakeem Olajuwon, who won back-to-back titles in ’94 and ’95 right in the middle of Jordan’s two separate three-peats.
“It’s going to be somewhat biased because I didn’t play back in the days of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, some of the great stars prior to me. And it’s very tough because I’m friends with a lot of players today,” Jordan explained.
“But if I had to pick a center, I would take [Hakeem] Olajuwon. That leaves out Shaq, Patrick Ewing. It leaves out Wilt Chamberlain. It leaves out a lot of people.
“And the reason I would take Olajuwon is very simple: he is so versatile because of what he can give you from that position. It’s not just his scoring, not just his rebounding or not just his blocked shots. People don’t realize he was in the top seven in steals. He always made great decisions on the court. For all facets of the game, I have to give it to him.
Next up was his power forward. While Jordan gave props to a bevvy of incredible 4s, he had to give the nod to the man who consistently bested him on the grandest stage of all.
That man was the great Larry Bird, the Boston Celtics icon who enjoyed a 6-0 record against MJ in the playoffs.
A young Jordan may have dropped a playoff record 63 points on Boston in the 1986 playoffs, but Larry Legend dominated the decade and boasted a 17-11 against his Chicago counterpart.
5
5
“There’s James Worthy, whom I love, and he is a North Carolina guy,” Mike explained.
“Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, whom I adore and is a good friend, and Charles Oakley. But in terms again of versatility, it has to be Larry Bird. The things he could provide to you all around: his demeanor, his work ethic and his versatility once again.
“The idea here is I would build a versatile, multitalented team able to do so many different things. When the defense comes at you, they have to guard a lot of different areas, and that makes Larry Bird the choice for me.”
Then it was the turn of the small forwards. Jordan admitted there had been a number of excellent small forwards, including Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins, but ultimately it was hard to look past his Bulls running mate Scottie Pippen, whom he won six titles alongside.
“That is the toughest part because I played with one of the best small forwards, Scottie Pippen.
“He is as versatile as it comes. He handles the ball. He’s a good defensive rebounder. I would be hard-pressed to pick someone else at the small forward position, even though I know Dr. J [Julius Erving] is sitting right there, too, especially in terms of excitement.
5
5
“And there’s Dominique Wilkins, too. And you’d have to think about Elgin Baylor, even though I never saw Baylor play, or played with him.
“But from what I know, and what he could provide, it’s Scottie Pippen. I know that’s being biased to some degree. But I can’t help it.
Last but not least was the point guard, perhaps the easiest decision MJ had to make.
“That’s easy. Magic Johnson,” Jordan said without hesitation.
“Because of his height, you’d have a tough time defending him. It’s a beautiful thing to see a 6-foot 9-inch guy rebound the ball and start the break.
“It would be the all-time tallest team, putting me at the two guard.”
The ten-time scoring champion then rounded off his team with the surprise inclusion of a sixth man, the ‘logo’ himself, Jerry West.
“And coming off the bench would be Jerry West to replace me. I love Jerry West,” MJ added.