All Time NBA: 2nd Team

Last Saturday, I started breaking down my top 3 All Time NBA teams starting with the 3rd Team.

Without further adieu... let's get to the all time 2nd team.

(Note:  I just used my own personal opinion for these rankings... so go ahead and disagree, if you must)

And the All Time NBA 2nd Team leads off with:

Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics, Point Guard

In 13 seasons with the Celtics, Cousy made 10 All NBA first teams (and 2 second teams), won 1 MVP and 2 All Star Game MVP's.  Averaging 18 points and 7.5 assists a game (he led the league in assists 8 straight years), Cousy was the original driving force behind the start of the Celtics Dynasty.

Cousy was the point guard leading the attack that won 6 NBA Championships in 7 years(the last 5 in a row).  Then he retired (I'm ignoring his attempted 7 game 'comeback' in 1969 with Cincinnati).

Sure, those teams were loaded with Hall of Fame type players like Sam Jones, KC Jones, Tom Heinson, and of course Bill Russell.  But someone had to make that engine go.  Cousy was the guy who kept everyone happy distributing the ball at will, and was a wizard with the basketball in his hands.  He would definitely keep the shooters and scorers on the 2nd team happy.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Shooting Guard

One of only 4 current players who made my top 3 All Time teams, Kobe Bryant has a remarkable career over 17 seasons (so far) with the Lakers.

In his time in the Purple and Gold, Kobe has won 5 NBA Championships, 2 NBA Finals MVP's, 4 NBA All Star Game MVP's, and 1MVP award.

An 11 time All NBA First Teamer (and 9 time First Team Defense, as well), Kobe has averaged 25 points per game, leading the league in scoring twice.  He currently stands 4th all time in NBA scoring with 31, 617 points.

Despite all his accolades, awards, and championships, the thing that sets Kobe apart from other "greats" is his indomitable will.  Not saying that all players don't want to be great, but Kobe has a drive that is just unreal.  In 2009's The Art of a Beautiful Game author Chris Ballard dedicated a chapter to Kobe's will.  Highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it and loves basketball.

Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, Small Forward

Larry "Legend" played 13 seasons with the Celtics, compiling 3 NBA Championships, 3 MVPs, 2 Finals MVP's, and one All Star Game MVP.

He made 9 "All NBA" first teams, playing in 12 All Star games.  He averaged 12 points and 10 Rebounds, along with 6 assists a game for his career.

A tremendous outside shooter, as a fan of the opposition I can say with honesty that no one was more terrifying with the ball in his hands in the closing seconds of a game than Larry.  He could literally hit from anywhere on the court, regardless of whether he was well guarded or not.

Larry was unconventional player, to say the least.  In that time, there weren't many 6'9" players who were stroking 3 pointers... in addition to his shooting, Larry was a great ball handler and tremendous passer who made the opposition pay for double teaming him.

In fact, it was very difficult for me to put Larry on the 2nd team.  Up until this past season, he would have been solidly on the first team.  If there is an argument to be made with my list, I would start with this one.  It was a difficult decision, but I feel the correct one.

Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves/Boston Celtics, Power Forward

KG has played 18 seasons (so far) averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds a game, while appearing in 15 All Star games (in which he won the MVP once).

He was the NBA MVP in 2004, the defensive player of the year in 2008, and has been name NBA First Team 4 Times, and First Team All Defense 9 times.  And to be honest, he would have had more if he wasn't playing in the same era as our first teamer at his position.

One of the first players to come directly from High School to the NBA and have success, Garnett is known for his intensity on the court.  He is not averse to doing any "dirty work" that needs to be done.  A complete player, Garnett can impact the game on both ends of the court.  At 6'11, Garnett has shown abilities that few men his size could match, including a pretty reliable (until recent years) jumpshot.  A true leader in every sense of the word, KG is deserving of his spot on the 2nd team.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers, Center

Manning the middle, the "Captain" of the team, is the NBA's all time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

My goodness, where to begin with the accolades for Kareem?  He played 20 seasons in the League (14 with the Lakers), won 6 Championships, was named NBA MVP 6 times, and NBA Finals MVP twice.

Averaging 24.6 points and 11 rebounds per game, Kareem made 10 All NBA First Teams, and 7 All NBA Defense First Teams.

When lists mentioning the "greatest players of all time" are listed, Kareem seems to be the person most often left out, for some reason.  In fact, most lists I've seen have him listed as the 3rd best Center all time, behind Russell and Chamberlain.  I have him as second team because Kareem was a better all around player than Chamberlain, in my opinion.  He was a better defensive player, he won more championships, and played longer (and was still relevant late in his career).

With perhaps the most unstoppable shot in the history of the game, the "Sky Hook", Kareem could score on anyone, and hold his own on the defensive end as well.

This team would be pretty tough to stop, with Kobe's slashing ability, Bird's shooting... Cousy distributing the ball to Cap in the paint, or running the Pick and Roll or Pick and Pop with Garnett.  They could pretty much get any shot they wanted, and on the defensive end...good luck trying to run anything.  This group of 5 is possibly better defensively than the first team is.  It would certainly be a good matchup.

My next post will break down... the starting five... the top All Time NBA team.

For the Love of Bean

No, not Mr. Bean!  Although he is quite hilarious.

 (Even though Mrs. Coach, and all four versions of the little coach's disagree with me.  They are wrong.  Mr. Bean is genius.)

No, I'm talking about Kobe Bean Bryant.

Note:  I am not discussing Kobe's Sexual Assault case in Colorado.  All I'm looking at is his body of work as a player.  If you can't overlook that, I understand...but philandering athletes is hardly anything new.  And   no one knows exactly what went on in that Colorado hotel room but the two people involved.  But, I digress.

I'm sure that most people have heard that he tore his Achilles Tendon.  But did you know that AFTER he tore his Achilles tendon, he went to the bench, walked back out to the court...shot (and made) 2 free throws, and then walked off the court under his own power!  Watch for yourself.

In this, his 17th season, Kobe Bryant is finally becoming embraced by fans of other teams as he is by Laker fans.  It's about time.

You see, fans of other teams didn't get it, they hated Kobe.  In fact, until LeBron spurned Cleveland to go to Miami, Kobe was far and away the most hated player in the league.  I wish I would have collected a nickel for every time that I heard Kobe was "overrated"...  Or how "the refs bail him out"...  Or how he was a "bad teammate"... or how he was "a jerk".

When the Lakers decided to part ways with Shaquille O'Neal and keep Kobe, the critics howled.  They said it was a mistake.  When Shaq subsequently won a title with the Miami Heat, they howled even louder.  When the Kobe-led Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals... the critics reached a deafening level.  "Kobe never won anything without Shaq".  And the narrative continued to grow.

The fact the Lakers then won 2 straight titles following that, still did little to quiet Bryant's critics.  Sure he had finally won without Shaq, but he was still considered a jerk, and arrogant, and yes even overrated in some circles.

However, over the past two years, there has been a slight "change" in the tone of the story.  Fans of other teams are starting to understand.  They are beginning to see how Kobe brings it every night.  For 17 seasons now, he gives it everything he has.  He has played through multiple injuries, multiple head coaches, in different systems, and yet he still comes ready to rock every night.

Even noted Celtics fan and Laker Hater Bill Simmons has been converted.  In Simmons career he has made 2 things abundantly clear:  1.  He hates the Lakers (and) 2.  He hates Kobe Bryant.  Or at least he did.  You can go over the archives of his columns and his podcasts, but over the past 2 seasons there has been a remarkable shift in tone from the Editor of Grantland.com.

Maybe it's the fact that the other players of Kobe's time have come and gone.  Do you remember Tracy McGrady?  He was drafted a year after Kobe.  Maybe it's because other players near his age are struggling to stay healthy, with injuries hampering them every season. (see Kevin Garnett who has only played 70 games once in the past 5 years).  But Kobe continued to bring it night after night after night (playing all 58 games last 'strike shortened' year, all 82 games the year previous...and 78 games this year), right up until the point that literally couldn't.  The game before he tore his Achilles he played all 48 minutes.

How many guys in the league could even play 48 minutes of average basketball in their 17th season?  Much less to do it at the level that Kobe has.  He's taken over the point guard role at times this season.  Earlier this season it was announced that Kobe would just go ahead and guard the other team's best offensive perimeter player, if that was a quick little point guard, fine.  If it was a slashing, muscular 2 Guard, fine.  If it was a sweet shooting small forward, fine.  Didn't matter.  Put Kobe on him, he'll handle it.

Why do you think the Laker fans started the "MVP" chant when he went to the free throw line?  (and that started back when they had Shaq).  Why when the whole world was against them when they kept Kobe instead of Shaq...why were the Laker fans happy?  Seriously, did you know a Laker fan who said, "We kept the wrong guy".  Because I've never met one, and although I'm sure they exist...they probably don't brag about it.

Now we are finally hearing from the "haters" and the "fans" of other teams an admiration for how hard Kobe plays, and how he brings it every night.  So much so, that he gets the MVP chant in every arena.  (And yes, the Boston Celtics crowd is on there too)  That would have been unthinkable just 4 years ago.  Now, the respect that has been earned year after year, is finally being shown.

The thing about that is, Laker fans aren't surprised.
We already knew.

(BTW, I can't help but get one, small, itsy bitsy, shot at the Celtics on here.)

Celtics fans....Remember this?

Paul Pierce in a Wheel Chair after rolling his ankle in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

(He'd go on to return in this game, and ... play in the rest of the games in the series).

Once again for Clarity.... Paul Pierce after rolling his ankle (and then returned)

OMG, OMG, OMG....Carry Me!

Kobe Bryant after tearing his Achilles, missing the rest of the season, and having surgery the next day.

I got this.