By CURTIS J. PHILLIPS - - - Fort McMurray Alberta, Canada

What do U.S. of A. Presidents' Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan have in common with Bill Gates, Fidel Castro and Bart Simpson?

They're rich political fools?

Nope. They are all left-handed individuals.

Other famous alumni hailing from the left include late night talk show hosts Jay Leno and David Letterman, along with silent film stars Charlie Chaplin and W.C. Fields.

The sport of basketball also boasts some notable players featuring the right stuff with NBA legends Willis Reed and Bob Lanier and current hoop sensations Damon Stoudamire and Toni Kukoc.

But for the true leaders of left-handed legacy or lore, look no further than an A Train, The Admiral, Kangaroo Kid and a guy named Tiny.

Heading our First Team lineup for Lefty Legends are guards Nate Archibald and Lenny Wilkens.

Archibald, with the nickname Tiny, was in the mold of a Bob Cousy or John Stockton by showing that a small man could take control of the game.

At 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds soaking wet, Archibald played 14 seasons in the NBA scoring 16,481 points and dishing out 6,476 assists before retiring in 1984.

He also took home a NBA Championship ring for his efforts on the 1980-81 Boston Celtics. There was also another fellow named Bird on the team.

Archibald's individual career high came in 1972-73 when he became the first and only man to date, to lead the circuit in points 34.0 ppg and assists 11.4 apg the same season.

"Hampered by size but never spirit, he (Archibald) became, in my mind, the best NBA guard to ever play the game," said Don Haskins, Archibald's coach at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Nate "the Skate" (you had to be good to have two nicknames) entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.

Joining Tiny in the backcourt is Lenny Wilkens.

Wilkens is not only the winningest coach in NBA history; he was a great player.

Tell that to Shaquille O'Neal, who asked Wilkens when he was coaching the 1994 All-Star Game; "Did you ever play in this league?"

At 6-foot-1, Wilkens suited up for 15 NBA seasons averaging more than 16 ppg in 11 seasons while also dishing out 7,211 assists.

Heading to the front line, in the pivot is the all-time Celtic great Bill Russell.

Lefties are known for bumping elbows with their partners at the dinner table.

Russell was no different, for when the menu read Wilt Chamberlain; he would start bumping elbows and heads on the boards.

It was his matches against the late great Wilt "the Stilt", that brought his status to mythical proportions.

A 12-time All Star and league MVP four times, it's not in his individual stats that you will find glory but in the rings - 11 in total - he wears on his fingers.

An Olympic title (1956) and two NCAA titles also laid the path to the Hall of Fame in 1974.

With all of the hoop accolades, Russell's favorite quote should have been" I May Be Left-Handed But I'm Always Right".

At forwards are Billy Cunnigham and moving over from his usual centre spot David Robinson.

Having the hops, hence the Kangaroo Kid tag, Cunningham was a star in both the NBA and ABA.

He was also a member of the 1967 NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers', which featured Chamberlain in the paint.

A three time NBA All Star and ABA MVP (1973), Cunnigham's playing career ended early, 32 years of age, due to injuries.

Elected into the Hall of Fame (1985) he also coached the Dr. J. led 76ers to the NBA title in 1983

The Admiral has now come aboard to join this select crew.

David Robinson has all of the individual titles; Rookie of the Year (1990) Defensive Player of the Year (1992) and League MVP (1995).

In 1996, along with Archibald, Cunnigham, Russell and Wilkens, he was named to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of All-Time.

Robinson is also the only male basketball player in U.S. history to appear in three different Olympic Games (1992 and 1996 gold and a 1988 bronze).

This season, his 13th in San Antonio Spurs uniform, he could join an elite club by hitting 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.

Robinson's individual high came on April 24, 1994, when he poured in incredible 71 points against the LA Clippers.

Heading up the second team and moving from his usual forward slot to the backcourt is Chris Mullin.

A true blue gunner, the former St. John's College product and College Player of the Year (1984-85), earned Olympic gold in 1984 and then again in 1992 as part of The Dream Team.

While playing with Golden State he was a wild shooting Warrior averaging 25 ppg during a five-year stretch starting in 1988.

During this same stint he shot over 50 per cent from the field and 80 per cent from the line.

He wears No. 17 in honor of his boyhood hero, Celtics legend John Havlicek

Bringing up the rock for Mullin to shoot is 6-foot-1 Gail "Stumpy" Goodrich (19,181 points, NBA champ 1972 Lakers, NCAA champ UCLA 1964 and 1965).

Hall of Fame coach John Wooden once said of his UCLA protégée "Gail Goodrich is the greatest all-around basketball player I have ever coached."

Pretty high praise considering the Wizard of Westwood had coached Kareem Adbul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Sidney Wicks.

Second team big man status goes to 7-foot-2 Artis Gilmore.

The A Train, (24,041 points and 16,3000 rebounds for combined ABA-NBA career) never won a NBA title, although he won an ABA title with the Kentucky Colonels (1975).

He was an ABA All Star at 22 years of age and an NBA All-Star at 36.

His .599 career field goal percentage is still the NBA best.

Hall of Fame member (1990) Dave Cowens, who was also voted into the Top 50 of all-time list, shifts over from centre to forward.

At 6-foot-9 he was the poster boy of hustle while assisting the Celtics to two titles (1974 and 1976).

Two-time NBA scoring king Adrian Dantley (23,177 career points) rounds out the team.

Mascot for the team is Larry Bird for he was an ambidextrous shooter.

Other lefty legends from other sports include: Baseball - Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr.; Football - Boomer Esiason, Ken Stabler and Steve Young

Approximately 10% of the world's population are left-handed.