While doing my research for this book, I read a few times where Bob Ryan would write, “If Planet Earth were involved in a winner-take-all one-game basketball playoff against an alien invader, the loser to go into servitude for all eternity, my first pick of anyone who has ever played basketball in our known world would be (…)”. Can you guess who this writer for the Boston Herald picked? It’s not who you think! He ended up picking a healthy Bill Walton. That should tell you a little bit about how dominant Bill Walton was in his prime. But that got me thinking about a fun, but yet important basketball discussion that helped me rank a few of the players from the last chapter. If there was a winner-take-all game with billions of lives at a stake, which players would we trust with our lives? (*)
It’s no secret at this point that I am a fan of the MCU movies. I’ve referenced a lot of their movies throughout this book, but I’m going to dedicate this whole chapter to the premise of their biggest movie, “Avengers: Endgame”. This book is about to get super geeky real quick! Since that movie is currently the highest-grossing film ever, it feels like everyone has seen or heard about what happened in the movie. But I would be remiss if I at least didn’t put the disclaimer that there are going to be some pretty big spoilers from this movie. The Endgame movie presents and executes the theory that they could travel back in time using the Quantum Realm to help the Avengers retrieve the Infinity Stones from the past to reverse the actions of Thanos in the present. They use Pym Particles to shrink to subatomic size and enter the Quantum Realm. Tony Stark (Iron Man) and the Hulk then make the necessary technology and voilà, the Avengers are now time-travelers. They are now able to go to specific periods of time to retrieve all the Infinity Stones. That helped set the epic battle between the Avengers against Thanos and his Black Order army.
That’s what we’re going to be doing here. In a hypothetical winner-take-all game against the aliens, we’ll surely want the best of the best fighting to save life as we know it. So as we’re getting together the best 12-man rotation possible, we’re surely going to think of players like Michael Jordan or LeBron James to be in the team. That’s a given, but what version of Michael Jordan are we picking? Do we want the 1996 version of Jordan that led his team to 72-wins? Or do we want the 1991 version where he was in his athletic prime? That specific detail is extremely important, as we want to make sure that we are picking, not only the best version of that player but also the version that would fit seamlessly with the group of players that they’ll be surrounded with.
For this 12-man rotation, we are not simply picking the best two players of each position, or the 12 greatest players of all time and putting them on a team. There are two specific characteristics that I’m looking for in the players to be able to fight for our existence. The first thing is that they have to be complete players. They have to have little to no weaknesses in their game. If there are question marks to their offensive game like Russell Westbrook or Dennis Rodman, or if they’re too much of a defensive liability like Steve Nash or James Harden, then it would too risky to include those types of players on the team. The second thing would be the toughness factor. This is going to be the fight for their lives. Not all players play the same when the pressure is that great. Remember, this isn’t a seven-game series that they’re playing. This is a game 7 type of scenario. It’s a winner-take-all game. So we are looking for players that don’t shy away from the big moments and that have the reputation of having that “dawg” in them. This is when the Robert Horry test comes to play.
The last thing that I want to point out is that I don’t care too much about the chemistry of the team or if certain players don’t like each other. If the lives of billions are at stake, one would assume that a person is willing to put that petty stuff away for the sack of all of us. Since the aliens have no idea what’s coming, they would have plenty of time for a training camp so the players can learn how to play with each other. There can even be scrimmages with the current players so they can have some playing action before the big final battle. So I’m going to play the role of Nick Fury and choose the players that are going to save the world.
At point guard, we are going back to 1987 and taking Magic Johnson. There is no debate that this is the best version of him. For this season he averaged 23.9 PPG on 52.2% shooting, 12.2 APG, 6.3 RPG, and 1.7 SPG. He was the league MVP and the Lakers had the most dominant season of their storied franchise history. Magic was still the game’s best distributor, as he led the league in assists. This season he also displayed a complete offensive game. He was lethal in the fast break, he had an unstoppable post-up game with his baby skyhook, and he had a respectable outside touch from the perimeter. He also had plenty of clutch moments that season. In the regular season, he played huge under pressure against the Celtics and Sonics, and this was also the year he made the game-winner in game 4 of the Finals on the road against the Boston Celtics. This pick is a no-brainer.
At shooting guard, we are going back to 1992 and taking Michael Jordan. We want Michael to still be in his athletic prime, but it’s important that he has some championship experience under his belt as well. This season he averaged 30.1 PPG on 51.9% shooting, 6.4 RPG, 6.1 APG, and 2.3 SPG. For this version of MJ, he was able to display an incredible array of offensive weapons. He was still the best at finishing above the rim and using his hang time to convert on impossible shots. He was also very efficient in the mid-range. And at this point of his career, he had developed a dangerous post-up game. We already know that he had a killers mentality, and that was specifically shown in the way he performed in game 7 of the semifinals against the New York Knicks. He had 42 points on 51.7% shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. He is the unanimous pick for this position.
At small forward, we are going to 2013 and taking LeBron James. We want the greatest physical specimen at his athletic peak. At this point of his career, he had already won a championship and had experience with playing in a team full of talent. He also fully embraced the “villain” role, and was a lot tougher mentally because of the aftermath of “the decision”. This version of LeBron was simply unfair. He averaged 26.8 PPG on 56.5% shooting, 8 RPG, 7.3 APG, and 1.7 SPG. Whenever he decided to go “freight train” mode on his defenders, there was no stopping him. But he was at a point where he developed a consistent outside shot. This season he averaged a career-high 40.6% from the three. There were no major weaknesses in his game. LeBron also built the reputation for being a clutch performer for the Miami Heat. He came up big in the two deciding games in the Finals that season. He had a 30 point triple-double in game 6, and in game 7 he had the stat line of 37 points on 52.2% shooting, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. The aliens are already in trouble with this unstoppable backcourt.
At power forward, we are going back to 2003 and taking Tim Duncan. What makes him perfect for this squad is that he doesn’t need the ball to make an impact on the game. We already have players like Jordan and LeBron to take the scoring load for the team. Duncan will do the little things, especially on the defensive end, to help the team win. However, if you need to give him the ball, he’s more than capable of holding his own on the offensive end. He’s right behind Kevin McHale and Hakeem Olajuwon for having the most post-up moves, especially at this point of his career. He was the MVP for that season, as he averaged 23.3 PPG on 51.3% shooting, 12.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 2.9 BPG.
He might even be the unsung hero for this game. With all the attention going at the other players in the starting lineup to produce, they might dare Tim Duncan to be the one to save the day. And we would have no issue with that. All we have to do is point to his game 6 performance in the semifinals when he unofficially ended the Kobe-Shaq Lakers era. He finished the game with 37 points on 64% shooting, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. We also have the time when he averaged a combined 35.3 PPG on 61.7% shooting, 18 RPG, 6 APG, and 3.3 BPG for the first three games of the conference finals series against the Dallas Mavericks. When he was asked to carry the load offensively, he showed that he was more than capable of doing so. There’s a reason why he’s the greatest power forward of all time.
At the center position, we are traveling back to the year 2000 and taking Shaquille O’Neal. He’s the Incredible Hulk for this team. He is the biggest mismatch in NBA history, and the aliens are officially screwed with this starting five. Shaq was in the best shape of his career at this point, and he was out to prove that he was a champion. We don’t want “content” Shaq. We want the Shaq that was out for a mission, and indeed he was. He was almost the unanimous MVP this season, as he averaged 29.7 PPG on 57.4% shooting, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3 BPG. This postseason he had 5 total games where he scored over 40 points. Some might point out his game 7 performance in the conference finals when he had only 18 points to argue that he wouldn’t be himself in such a high stakes game. Just like when the Hulk decided to bench himself for the entire “Avengers: Infinity War” movie after getting obliterated by Thanos. However, we should remember that the game plan of the Blazers was to throw three to four guys around him and force the others to win the game. With this squad that we have, the aliens are going to have a tough time deciding if to play him straight up or give the poor defender some help. Either way, they’re screwed.
So here is the starting five: PG) 1987 Magic Johnson SG) 1992 Michael Jordan SF) 2013 LeBron James PF) 2003 Tim Duncan C) 2000 Shaquille O’Neal
This starting lineup has size. This starting lineup has the greatest initiator of a fast break offense along with two of the greatest finishers with LeBron James and Michael Jordan. If they want to play in a half-court setting, all five of these players are great individual scorers and they all are great at setting up their teammates. At the defensive end, we have two great rim protectors that will use their size to clog up the paint. Our backcourt defenders are all great at playing “free safety” and intercepting passes. Jordan is a tough individual wing defender and LeBron is one of the most versatile defenders in history. Now we want a bench that fits with the identity of the team and that can keep up with the aliens for long stretches to keep our starting five fresh to close it out.
For the backup point guard, I originally wanted to pick the 1989 version of Isiah Thomas. He just fits the criteria that I’m looking for in a player. He’s one of the greatest playoff performers of all time, he’s one of the best on-ball defenders at his position, he has plenty of experience with playing with a team full of all-star level talent, and he’s one of the toughest SOB’s the league has ever seen. I just think that he would thrive in a situation like this. However, although I don’t care too much about the chemistry between the players, I think that the rift that exists between Thomas and Michael Jordan is just too deep. They have such disdain for each other. It’s not just a professional rivalry, I believe it goes beyond that. The team is not going to be able to function properly when there’s that type of tension in the locker room. So as much as I admire Thomas’ toughness and what he can bring to the team, I’m going to have to look elsewhere to fill this roster spot.
So for the backup point guard, we’re going back to 2017 and choosing Stephen Curry. For this season, he averaged 25.3 PPG on 46.8% shooting, 6.6 APG, and 4.5 RPG. We saw how perfectly he adjusted his game with the addition of Kevin Durant. We saw how his impact on the floor allowed the Golden State Warriors to have the most dominant season of all time. So we know that Curry has experience with fitting in with a team that is full of talent. Our starting rotation doesn’t have a player that is a strong three-point shooter. LeBron James shot over 40% from the field in 2013, but we don’t want him to be our go-to guy if we need a three. That is when Steph Curry will come and make an impact in a major way. He’s going to be able to help spread the floor and he will draw so much attention from his defender from the moment that we start our offensive possessions. He will be able to open things up for everyone else, even if he doesn’t catch fire from the outside.
And if we’re worried about Steph Curry not having enough toughness to perform in a high-intensity game, then we can simply point to his nickname “The Baby Faced Assassin” that was given to him with good reason. This is what assistant coach for the Warriors, Ron Adams, said about Curry in a 2020 article for NBC Sports, “But he is (on the court) guided by his will to succeed, his will to win. And, more than that, his will to do it his way. That’s not unlike Jordan and the other great players. Steph is playing in a different era, with different defensive rules, but the way he is wired, he would have adjusted to any time period. His drive is very similar to all the great players that have played the game.” There is no question in my mind that Curry is not afraid of the moment and will not shy away from playing his game. He might have had an off-game in game 7 of the 2016 Finals, but he did play very well against the OKC Thunder in game 7 of their conference finals matchup. He finished the game with 36 points on 54.2% shooting, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. He also shot 7/12 from the three. We’ve seen plenty of times throughout his career where he also had a big performance in a high-pressure game.
For the backup shooting guard, we are going back to 2006 and picking Kobe Bryant. When you talk about bringing a player off the bench for instant offense, this version of Kobe Bryant is on another level. This season we have the game where he scored 55 points in the second half against the Raptors when he had the legendary 81 point game. We have the game where he scored 30 points in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks when he scored 62 points in 3 quarters. We also have the time when he scored 40 points in the second half against the Clippers that resulted in a 50-point game. There were seven total times that season where he scored over 20 points in one quarter. Just like the 1992 version of Michael Jordan, Kobe has every offensive weapon in his arsenal, and there was no one in the league that could stop him. He averaged for the season 35.4 PPG on 45% shooting, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 1.8 SPG.
For those who are worried that Kobe would take this opportunity to exert his dominance and sabotage the game by trying to prove that he’s greater than Michael Jordan or LeBron James, well let me ease your mind by reminding you how he conducted when he was playing for the “Redeem Team” in the 2008 Olympics. The coach for the USA Team, Mike Krzyzewski, said this in a 2016 interview, “People confuse the fact that he wants to be who’s scoring (…) but Kobe will do whatever you ask him to do to win. Whether it be play defense, rebound, pass, he just wants to win. (…) I think he’s extremely coachable. You tell him what you need and he’ll do it. (…) A lot of times he’ll come to you and say, I’m ready to do this before you even say it because he’s so darn smart. Really, he’s brilliant.” And then on the “Road to Redemption” documentary that NBA TV did, he also mentioned that Kobe showed selflessness when he offered to focus more on defense and guard the best player on the opposing team every time. He was on his best behavior for the two Olympics teams that he was on in 2008 and 2012, and he showed that he can impact a game in a variety of ways other than scoring.
For the backup small forward, we are going back to 1986 and picking Larry Bird. For this season he averaged 25.8 PPG on 49.6% shooting, 9.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, and 2 SPG. He was the MVP for this season and was the leader of arguably the greatest team in history. This was the season where people were hinting that they were witnessing the greatest player who has ever lived after he won this third championship in six years and his third consecutive MVP award. Everyone was in awe of him, and it was for his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. We need someone who can complement some of the superior scorers that we have on the team, and just focus on the little things that can mean the difference in winning. And that includes on both ends of the floor.
He’s someone that’s going to force turnovers by picking off passes while Jordan and Kobe guard the other team’s best player. He’s almost a guarantee to pull down at least 10 rebounds in the game to eliminate any second chance opportunities. He’s someone that’s going to keep the ball moving on offense. He’s going to punish the smaller defenders on the block. And he’ll make the defense pay if they dare leave him open for a wide-open three-pointer. I have a feeling that we would insert him for a variety of lineups that we can use, which can include a small-ball lineup where he can play any position from 1 to 4. By the end of this game, the aliens might come to fear him more than anyone else on this team other than Jordan.
For the backup power forward, we are going back to 2004 and picking Kevin Garnett. We want the “bang his head against the basket as he shouts curse words at himself” KG. This choice was easy, as he completely fits the criteria that we’re looking for in the players. For this season he averaged 24.2 PPG on 49.9% shooting, 13.9 RPG, 5 APG, 2.2 BPG, and 1.5 SPG. This was the season where KG convinced many experts to be on his side of the Duncan vs Garnett debate. If you weren’t around during this time, basically people were saying that if you put Garnett in the Spurs for his whole career he would be the one winning all the championships. That argument died out the following years, but his numbers for the 2004 season look a little better than Duncan’s 2003 season. By the way, that was both of their peak seasons. You have a strong case if you are one of those that argue that you would take peak Garnett over peak Duncan.
The prime example of Garnett showing up big in a high-pressure game came in game 7 against the Sacramento Kings in the semifinals. He posted an impressive stat line of 32 points on 52.2% shooting, 21 rebounds, 5 blocks, 4 steals, and 2 assists. The performance was all-time great, but what impresses me the most is the mentality that he had going into the game. The day before the game, Garnett said that he was ready for war. Some people took offense to that, but he stood by his comment. This is what he said to reporters according to the Washington Post, “I felt like I had to be an example to everybody. I didn’t want to drive home and wonder if I could have done more. My analogy was inappropriate, but it described how I felt. I had to let it all hang out. Sometimes you have to be passive, but tonight was not that time.”
If he was comparing a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves season on the line as war, imagine how he would prepare for a game with the future of humanity on the line. His head just might explode before the game, and that’s what we want. He is going to be all over the floor, and he’s going to light a fire on this team that will get everybody going. We won’t need him to score many points, but to focus on doing all the dirty work. It’s a role that he was born to play.
For the backup center, we are going back to 1972 and picking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. When you are the owner of the “surest two points in history” title, then you have to be on this team. He had 5 total games that season of scoring over 50 points. He was a huge problem for defenses that season. We also have to take into consideration that we have to replace Shaq in crunch time of the fourth quarter because they will surely use the “hack of Shaq” tactic. He has proven to deliver in the clutch and he’s also an underrated rim protector. To prove this, check out what the former player for the Baltimore Bullets, Kevin Loughery, said about Kareem’s defense according to Sports Illustrated in 1971, “You’ve got to give Lew all the credit. He may only block one shot here or there, but guys have to change their shots because of him. He’s the greatest defensive player I’ve seen since Bill Russell.”
He averaged for that season 34.8 PPG on 57.4% shooting, 16.6 RPG, and 4.6 APG. Those impressive numbers helped him win the MVP. We’re not used to seeing the “athletic” Kareem, but he’s known as the greatest center in history for a reason. And it was because of what he accomplished in that 70’s decade. He will certainly play a big role in this game.
For the last two picks for the roster, we want players that can play multiple positions. Ideally from point guard to power forward. That way they can play any role on the court and present matchup problems for the defense. So we are going to travel back to 2017 and select Kevin Durant. For this season he averaged 25.1 PPG on 53.7% shooting, 8.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.6 BPG, and 1.1 SPG. We mentioned under his player profile that no matter what kind of teammates he’s surrounded with, he was going to play his game within the flow of the offense and help his team reach a level of offense of historic proportions. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing with Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden, or Kyrie Irving. He’s guaranteed to get you at least 25 points on 50% shooting from the field. Do you need him to be a spot-up shooter? He can do that. Do you need him to bail you out if you’re bent on stopping Michael Jordan or every other legendary scorer we have on this team? Then he can do that as well. He is a matchup nightmare that can open things up for everybody else on the floor, and he will also be a key component for our small-ball lineup that would be implemented when we want to blow up the scoreboard.
Last but not least, we are going back to 1994 and selecting Scottie Pippen. He is mainly here for defensive purposes. When the aliens make a run, we are plugging Pippen in there to stop it quickly. We can put him in there along with MJ and LeBron, or MJ and Kobe, and play a murderous press defense on them. There is no way that they would allow the aliens to even get close to passing half-court. You can also plug him in to run the point, and he can help get the offense going. His size and extraordinary play-making ability is the reason why I decided to go with him instead of a player like Kawhi Leonard. For that season he averaged 22 PPG on 49.1% shooting, 8.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, and 2.9 SPG.
This is what the bench looks like: PG) 2017 Stephen Curry SG) 2006 Kobe Bryant SF) 1986 Larry Bird PF) 2004 Kevin Garnett C) 1972 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The last two spots are 2017 Kevin Durant and 1994 Scottie Pippen.
The coach that we are selecting to lead this group is Gregg Popovich. We saw how he helped the 2007 Spurs become one of the greatest defensive teams of the modern era, and we saw how the 2014 Spurs were the blueprint of the modern NBA with their perfectly executed offense. He was successful in the “slow it down and feed the big man” era of the 2000s and he was successful in today’s game. He’s a basketball genius and a proven champion. He’s the perfect leader for this group of basketball greats. We’ll allow him to pick the coaching staff that he needs.
This hypothetical scenario is more than just a game. It’s more than a game that will impact a player’s legacy. It’s more than just winning a title for a city or an organization. This game is for their lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of the world. Think of it as game 7 of the Finals. Those games are usually ugly and very physical. I believe we picked a group of guys that will play at a high level on both ends of the floor under such heavy pressure. This proves that the measure of greatness is more than just the individual talent of the player. It’s how you respond under big moments of a game, and if you were able to do enough to lead your team to victory. I believe the world is in safe hands with these proven greats.
(*) Bill Simmons had a similar discussion in his Book of Basketball, but he used the examples of wine bottles. What a nerd!
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