The game of basketball was created by Dr. James Naismith in early December 1891. Naismith, a physical education teacher at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, was trying to keep his P.E. class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters. Thus, the game of basketball was created. The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded on June 6, 1946 in New York City. It has grown to become one of the most popular sports in the world. NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player. LeBron James might very well become the NBA's first $200M man in a few days. This comes of course, after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship after several unprecedented performances from James and company. The league has certainly seen its fair share of "legends," James being a big one. Rather recently, the conversation about the "greatest basketball player of all time" has seen a giant surge. Arguments have been made for multiple players. I decided to stray away from that argument, though, and tackle another hot topic: the most dominant NBA all-time starting five. Creating this lineup was not easy, by any means. It's difficult to compare players from different eras, but I did my best to keep that in perspective. Here goes.

Disclaimer: We're not talking about just putting down the best players from every position here. However, if you think that would work, go for it. I'm talking about the best possible team that could be created. A team that would go 82-0.

1. Point Guard: John Stockton

Honors: 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-Defense selection, Hall of Fame

Championships: None

Career Stats: 13.1 PPG, 10.5 APG, 2.2 SPG, .384 3P%

Expert Opinion: "Surely the most underappreciated great player in NBA history because he was quietly dependable rather than flashy and never broke through on the biggest stage. The true driving force of his partnership with Karl Malone." --Kevin Pelton

Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankPGs/ran...

Reasoning: There's a big difference between a "point guard" and a "scoring guard." When I think of a point guard, I think of someone who plays on both ends of the floor with pride, makes getting his teammates involved his first priority, looks to score if open and who can control the tempo at all times. Not to mention, the point guard should be the undisputed leader of the team. John Stockton, in my eyes, epitomizes the term "point guard." Sure, Magic Johnson is much more versatile and is a bigger scoring threat, but you cannot teach the sheer toughness and poise that John Stockton possessed and played with each and every night. Stockton was willing to do all of the dirty work to help his team win. Stockton led a team of virtual nobodies (except for Malone) to two straight NBA Finals appearances, an extremely impressive feat. Karl Malone, mentioned above, was one of the best power forwards the game has ever seen. He could score in a variety of ways and was known for his signature dunks. However, he recognized that Stockton was the leader of the team, and followed suit. Without reservation, Stockton and Malone made up the deadliest pick & roll duo that the NBA has ever seen. On a team like this, you need someone who is not looking to score. Stockton would work the ball to Jordan and James possession after possession, and then go and defend like hell on the other end.

2. Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan

Honors: Five-time MVP (1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98), six-time Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-D selection, 10-time NBA scoring champion, Defensive Player of the Year (1987-88), Rookie of the Year (1984-85), Hall of Fame

Championships: 6 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998)

Career Stats: 30.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, .497 FG%

Expert Opinion: "The best combination of brains, guile, athleticism and competitiveness in NBA history. He could do everything, and no one's done it better at any position." --Rob Peterson

Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankSGs/ran...

Reasoning: Do I really need to do any explaining here? The numbers speak for themselves...G.O.A.T.

3. Small Forward: LeBron James

Honors: Four-time MVP (2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13), three-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, six-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (2003-04), NBA scoring champion (2007-08)

Championships: 3 (2012, 2013, 2016)

Career Stats: 27.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 6.9 APG, .496 FG% (as of Jan. 2016)

Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankSFs/ran...

Expert Opinion: "No weaknesses. Runs the offense as a point forward while still dropping nearly 30 points per game. The game's most powerful and effective force for a decade."--Chris Broussard

Reasoning: The best athlete we have ever seen. Can score at will. What he lacks in jumpshooting he makes up for in exceptional passing ability. Excellent defender, rebounder, the list goes on. Jordan is taking the last shot, but James will lead us to the promised land. Matchup nightmare in any era. Need I say more?

4. Power Forward: Dennis Rodman

Honors: Two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, eight-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame

Championships: 5 (1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998)

Career Stats: 7.3 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG .521 FG%

Expert Opinion: "Forget the sideshows and hair styles. No one who has ever played this sport wanted to rebound the basketball more." --Marc Stein

Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankPFs/ran...

Reasoning: I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with this selection. Let me explain my rationale, though. You cannot just throw a bunch of all-stars on a team and expect them to win championships. Look at the OKC Thunder, for example. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are top-five players in the league, and their supporting cast is pretty darn good as well. What have they accomplished? Just one Finals appearance and a lot of disappointing post-season performances. Most notably, this past season, in which they blew a 3-1 lead in the WCF. Back to "The Worm," though. Dennis was a defensive menace (pun intended) and was as tough as they come. He enjoyed playing defense and rebounding the ball. For this team to work, we'd certainly need a player with that mindset. James, Jordan and O'Neal are going to be taking nearly all of the shots, and we need guys that will buy in. I don't think there's a better option than Rodman. He does not need the ball in his hands to be effective.

5. Center: Shaquille O'Neal

Honors: MVP (1999-2000), three-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA selection, three-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (1992-1993)

Championships: 4 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)

Career Stats: 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.3 BPG, .582 FG%

Expert Opinion: "Surprisingly nimble and athletic, he is the biggest, most powerful force the game has ever known. He won four titles and some think he still underachieved; that's how good he was." --Chris Broussard

Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankCs/rank...

Reasoning: Shaq might very well be the most dominant player the game has ever seen. Plain and simple. Just ask Chris Dudley (look up video if you don't already know). Also, you don't see an individual of his stature running the floor and competing the way he did. He rebounded the ball extremely well and was a good defender. He had very good touch around the rim and finished nearly everything. Just imagine an O'Neal/Stockton pick & roll. Yikes.

At the end of the day, these selections were ultimately based on my personal opinions. I honestly think that, barring any injuries, this team would go 82-0 in any era. I strongly believe that each player would be able to use their talents to their full potential (equal opportunities).

Feel free to create your own lineup. Maybe we can get a game of NBA2K going to test the theories out. Let the games begin. Literally.