If I could pick any two players in NBA history to build a team around....

[Math2]

You really think they would be able to get somebody would be as good as those two? It wouldn't even make sense in a financial standpoint unless they play for the NY Knicks in a league where salary cap doesn't exist. Give Jordan and Duncan a bunch of role players and it is an automatic dynasty because those two are dominant themselves and could make anybody else better.

when jordan gets beat ONCE in practice by a lesser team, whether because of slacking or something else, he'll destroy the player next time, and destroy his moral...

[swi7ch]

Jordan and Hakeem

[Math2]

Jordan and Hakeem

Coulda happened too, if the Ralph Sampson-for 2nd pick in 1984 and Drexler trade had happened...

[ThaSwagg3r]

when jordan gets beat ONCE in practice by a lesser team, whether because of slacking or something else, he'll destroy the player next time, and destroy his moral...

Too bad it doesn't destroy his team's ability to win championships. I couldn't careless as long as they win, after all that is the main objective of the game.

[BlackJoker23]

dwight and lebron. both better than yao and wade

[magnax1]

Russell and Jordan. Easily. You could put any assortment of scrubs around those two and they'd be a top 3 record in any year of the league.

[with malice]

Jordan/Kareem.

[jlauber]

Too bad Chamberlain didn't get 10 seasons playing alongside a prime Magic.

[catch24]

Russell/Jordan. That's a no brainier for me.

[with malice]

Too bad Chamberlain didn't get 10 seasons playing alongside a prime Magic.

Except Chamberlain didn't play nice with other people...

[ThaSwagg3r]

Too bad Chamberlain didn't get 10 seasons playing alongside a prime Magic.

Too bad Chamberlain never understood team concept aside from two seasons and his production and play always dipped come post-season.

[jlauber]

Except Chamberlain didn't play nice with other people...

Hmmm...give me some examples. Did he limit Jerry West when he was paired up with him. How about Hal Greer? Did Greer have better seasons without Chamberlain? And how many titles did those two win without Wilt?

The FACT was, Wilt played with putrid rosters in his first six seasons. And Arizin was the only player that ever averaged over 20 ppg withOUT Wilt of those players that were paired up with Chamberlain in those six seasons (other than a washed up Willie Naulls, who played WORSE with Russell...and rookie Thurmond, who was playing part-time and out of position with Wilt.) So it was not like Wilt was holding them back. In fact, players like Gola and Meschery had their best seasons WITH Wilt.

And it was not like Wilt was just throwing up meaningless stats on losing teams, either. The man played 14 seasons, and had twelve winning seasons (and in his two losing seasons, he absolutely dominated the league in one season...and nearly carried a 40-40 team over the 62-18 Celtics in the seventh game of the '65 playoffs in the other.) He also went to TWELVE Conference Finals, and Six Finals. Along the way he led his team to the best record in the league four times; won 60+ games four times; and anchored two of the greatest title teams in history.

He also did whatever his COACHES asked. In addition, how many other great centers led the NBA in ASSISTS (or came in THIRD in another season)?

I think Magic would have been the PERFECT teammate for Chamberlain.

[jlauber]

Too bad Chamberlain never understood team concept aside from two seasons and his production and play always dipped come post-season.

His production sure dropped. In his first six post-seasons, and in his scoring prime, he averaged 33 ppg, 27 rpg, and shot .510 from the field (in leagues that averaged about .430 shooting in that span.) In his first eight post-seasons, he averaged 29 ppg, 27 rpg, 5 apg, and shot .520 (in leagues that averaged about .435 in that span.)

Oh, and BTW, his opposig centers, MANY of them HOFers, shot FAR WORSE against Wilt than they did in their regular seasons, AND, he outrebounded ALL of them.

[jlauber]

Russell/Jordan. That's a no brainier for me.

Pretty hard to argue with this one.

[bagelred]

Jordan and Shaq