Lish told me to...

So here it is, my selections for my All-NBA Team (per the parameters set forth by Lish himself, 2-3 Hall of Famers, at least one current player). A team that could play well together, on the court and off (unlike the 12 players, 12 cabs 2007-2008 NY Knickerbockers), as well as a team that could pretty much walk on to any court anywhere and never get beat.

At the point, John Stockton

"There absolutely, positively, will never be another John Stockton - ever." - Karl Malone

The all-time assists (15,806) and steals (3,265) leader, Stockon not only had great seasons, but amazing seasons, year-in and year-out. He is the model of consistency that typifies the PG position, playing in all 82 games for 17 of his 19 years. Not only did he distribute the rock with extreme efficiency, he shot an astounding .515 from the field for his career, good for a big-man... great for a guard. He led his team to the playoffs every year he was in the league, guiding them to two Western Conference Championships, only to be derailed by the Jordan Bulls and Jordan's infamous push-off.

Awards and recognitions: All-NBA First Team twice, All-NBA Second Team 6 times, All-NBA Third Team 3 times. All-NBA Defensive Team (Second Team) 5 Times. 10-Time NBA All-Star. Olympic Gold Medalist in '92 and '96.

At Shooting Guard, Reggie Miller

"He's the kind of guy, when you play against him, you want to smack him. But when you play with him, you have his back." - Patrick Ewing

While he pales in comparison to his sister Cheryl, Reggie can shoot the 3. On my team I need someone whose lone responsibility is to curl off screens and force defenders to guard out to 24-25 ft. No one has ever done this better than Reggie Miller. At the time of his retirement he was the NBA's all-time leader in 3-Point FG's made. While never reaching the pinnacle of an NBA Championship (not his fault, the next best player on the team was Rik Smits... come on... Rik Smits???), Miller was certainly clutch in big games, proving season after season that the 4th Quarter was indeed, Miller Time.

Awards and Recognitions: 5-Time NBA All-Star, 1994 World Championship Gold Medalist, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist.

On the wing, Tayshaun Prince

Not for use by children 3 and under, for they could poke their eye out with his pointy knees, elbows, and more elbows. At first glance, you might think the poor man needs a cheeseburger... however, he is one of the hardest working young players in the NBA today. He is an absolute lockdown defender on the ball, capable of guarding any position 2-4 (1 or 5 in a pinch) and is a great help defender off-the-ball. He is so good, he can even embarass other players on my team (evidenced by his unreal block of Reggie Miller in the 2004 Playoffs). As Lish pointed out, he doesn't need the ball in his hands to succeed, and already plays on the most selfless team in the Association, so transitioning to a team where the other players need more touches than he does wouldn't hurt his ego one bit.

Awards and Recognitions: NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice.

Power Forward, Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk, the reigning league MVP, has been by far the most successful European player in NBA history. After trail-blazers such as Drazen Petrovic and the aforementioned Rik Smits, Nowitzki arrived in the wave of European players that has produced great players such as Peja Stojakovic and Hedo Turkoglu. Nowitzki, in a scant 9 seasons, has already become the Dallas Mavericks all-time leading scorer. His defense leaves something to be desired, but he has shown steady improvement throughout his career. In addition to all that, I think Dirk is the one player who would improve the pick-and-roll that Stockton and Malone perfected in Utah. Dirk (arguably) has a better jumper than Karl and is just as adept at driving to the basket. Dirk also offers longer range than nearly all power forwards in league history, leaving his center room to operate without fears of a double-team.

Awards and Recognition: NBA MVP - 2007, All-NBA First Team thrice, All-NBA Second Team twice, All-NBA Third Team twice. NBA 3-Point Shootout Champion - 2006.

Holding down the post, (H)Akeem Olajuwon

"You don't solve Hakeem" - David Robinson

"He's got about 5 moves, then 4 countermoves. That gives him about 20 moves." - Shaquille O'Neal

The Dream, an athletic big man from Nigeria was the first player to capture the MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year, and the Finals MVP all in the same season ('93-'94). He led those '93-'94 Rockets, as well as the following year's squad, to Back-to-Back NBA Championships, giving my team the champion's mentality that it needs. Of course, Michael Jordan playing baseball didn't hurt those Rockets teams... but that is a story for another day. His defense in the middle allows for a weaker defensive player at the 4 (Nowitzki) and his athleticism doesn't slow down a team, as many centers do. He is also one of only 4 (and the most recent) players to ever record a quadruple-double.

Awards and Recognitions: NBA MVP - 1994. Finals MVP twice. Defensive Player of the Year twice. All-NBA First Team 6 times, All-NBA Second Team thrice, All-NBA Third Team thrice. All-NBA Defensive Team 5 times. 12-Time NBA All-Star. Olympic Gold Medalist 1996.

Coming off the Bench, Dennis Rodman

Thought of as a key contributor to 5 NBA Championship teams, Dennis Rodman spent about half of his career coming off the bench, so I figure that qualifies him for being a "6th" man.

A hard-worker, tenacious defender, and instinctive rebounder who never quite lost his love for the short-shorts (so he and Stockton would get along just fine), Rodman is the perfect addition to any team, coming off the bench to add energy and can substitute for either forward position or at center. He is not a selfish player and rarely takes offensive initiative, unless it comes from a rebound putback. When he does shoot, it's high%, Rodman posted a career FG% of .521.

Awards and Recognitions: All-NBA Third Team, twice. NBA All-Star, twice. NBA Defensive Player of the Year, twice. All-NBA Defensive Team, 8 Times. Led League in Rebounds 7 Times.