All-Time NBA Starting Lineups by Franchise
The definitive all-time starting five for every major NBA franchise. Pick a team, recreate it in the draft, and simulate the season to see how it stacks up.
The Franchises
Los Angeles Lakers
Lakers- PG Magic Johnson
- SG Kobe Bryant
- SF LeBron James
- PF Elgin Baylor
- C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Four top-15 all-time players and the most decorated franchise in league history. The hardest cuts aren't on this list — they're on the bench.
Honorable mention: Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, James Worthy
Boston Celtics
Celtics- PG Bob Cousy
- SG John Havlicek
- SF Larry Bird
- PF Kevin Garnett
- C Bill Russell
Eleven titles' worth of fingerprints. Bird and Russell anchor the most decorated frontcourt in NBA history; Hondo gives you switchable defense at the wing.
Honorable mention: Paul Pierce, Jayson Tatum, Dave Cowens, Sam Jones
Golden State Warriors
Warriors- PG Stephen Curry
- SG Klay Thompson
- SF Rick Barry
- PF Draymond Green
- C Wilt Chamberlain
The greatest shooting backcourt ever plus the most versatile defender of the 2010s. Wilt's San Francisco years give you 50-point gravity at the rim.
Honorable mention: Kevin Durant, Nate Thurmond, Chris Mullin, Paul Arizin
Chicago Bulls
Bulls- PG Derrick Rose
- SG Michael Jordan
- SF Scottie Pippen
- PF Dennis Rodman
- C Artis Gilmore
The defining lineup of the 90s with a Rose-era engine added. Five All-Defensive selections on the floor at once.
Honorable mention: Jimmy Butler, Horace Grant, Bob Love, Jerry Sloan
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs- PG Tony Parker
- SG Manu Ginóbili
- SF Kawhi Leonard
- PF Tim Duncan
- C David Robinson
Five franchise pillars with five rings between them. Two All-NBA centers on the floor; Kawhi and Manu give you switchable defense across three positions.
Honorable mention: George Gervin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Sean Elliott, Bruce Bowen
Miami Heat
Heat- PG Dwyane Wade
- SG Ray Allen
- SF LeBron James
- PF Chris Bosh
- C Alonzo Mourning
The 2013 superteam plus the most clutch shooter of his generation. Mourning brings the rim protection Bosh's stretch game leaves open.
Honorable mention: Jimmy Butler, Tim Hardaway, Glen Rice, Bam Adebayo
Philadelphia 76ers
76ers- PG Allen Iverson
- SG Hal Greer
- SF Julius Erving
- PF Charles Barkley
- C Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt's 1967 title team is the spine, with Iverson's MVP run added in. Barkley plus Wilt is the most physically dominant frontcourt any franchise can field.
Honorable mention: Moses Malone, Joel Embiid, Bobby Jones, Maurice Cheeks
Detroit Pistons
Pistons- PG Isiah Thomas
- SG Joe Dumars
- SF Grant Hill
- PF Dennis Rodman
- C Ben Wallace
Two-way nightmare. Rodman and Wallace combine for nine Defensive Player of the Year votes; Hill gives you the only above-average creator on the wing.
Honorable mention: Bill Laimbeer, Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Bob Lanier
How we picked each franchise's five
- One player per position — no double-PG cheats.
- Peak years count more than counting stats; longevity breaks ties.
- Defense at one frontcourt spot is non-negotiable.
- Cap-flexibility doesn't matter — pick the best player, not the cheapest.
- Honorable mentions name the four hardest cuts so you can build your own variant.