The 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors have won there 73rd game of the season and broke the record set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls. This historic victory has lead to a highly contested debate about which team would win if they played head to head. Although a game between Jordan’s Bulls and Curry’s Warriors would certainly be epic, I think the better hypothetical matchup would be between the players of 1996 NBA Draft and the players of the 2003 NBA Draft. These two draft classes were the greatest in the sports history. I took the liberty of picking a 12 man roster from each of these two drafts and then also selecting a starting five. These two hypothetical teams would be incredible and a game between the two would be absurdly fun to watch. In this hypothetical game we will assume all these players are in there primes. So it is 2001 Iverson, 2009 D-Wade, 2015 Korver, you get the point.

1996 Draft Class Roster

C Marcus Camby (1X Defensive POY, 4X All-Defensive Team)

C Zydranus Igalskus (2X All Star)

C Ben Wallace* (4X All Star, 4X Defensive POY)

PF Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1X All Star)

PF Jermaine O’Neal (6X All Star, 3X All NBA Team)

SF Peja Stojaković (3X All Star, 2X 3-Point Champion)

SF Antoine Walker (3X All Star)

SG/SF Kobe Bryant (18X All Star, 9X All-Defensive Team, 1X MVP)

SG Ray Allen (10X All Star, All Time Leader in three-pointers made)

SG Allen Iverson (11X All Star, 1X MVP, 3X NBA Steals Leader, 4X NBA Scoring Champion

PG Stephon Marbury (2X All Star, 2X All NBA Team)

PG Steve Nash (8X All Star, 2X MVP, 7X All NBA Team, 5X NBA Assist Champion)

*Undrafted

Starting Five

PG-Nash

SG-Iverson

SF-Kobe

PF-Jermaine O’Neal

C-Wallace

This lineup features three future Hall of Famers in the backcourt. Kobe and Iverson were two of the best scorers in league history and the 2003 Team would have the hands full trying to slow these legends down. The front court features two talented and physical big men in Wallace in O’Neal. These two bruisers will give up nothing easy inside and crash the boards hard. Wallace was one of the meanest players in league history and his impact on a game was never questioned. Jermaine O’Neal was a low post beast who could score over almost anyone in his prime. Off the bench, the three point shooting of Stojaković, Allen, and Walker, combined with playmaking ability of Marbury would be devastating to any defense. The weakness of this team is that Kobe and Iverson are notoriously selfish with the basketball and this would inevitably lead to a ton of iso ball with these high volume shooters.

2003 Draft Class Roster

C Chris Kaman (1X All Star)

C Kendrick Perkins (1X NBA Champion)

PF Chris Bosh (11X All Star)

PF David West (2X All Star)

SF Lebron James (4X MVP, 12X All Star, 11X All NBA, 5X All Defensive Team)

SF Carmelo Anthony (9X All Star, 6X All NBA)

SF Josh Howard (1X All Star)

SG Dwayne Wade (12X All Star, 8X All NBA, 3X All Defensive Team)

SG Kyle Korver (1X All Star)

PG Mo Williams (1X All Star)

PG Kirk Hinrich

PG Jose Calderon

Starting Five

PG-James

SG-Wade

SF-Anthony

PF-Bosh

C-Kaman

Starting Lebron at the point gives this team a group of four superstars that are all capable of taking over a game. It is worth noting that James, Wade, Anthony, and Bosh have all played along side each other. James, Wade, and Bosh on the Miami Heat and all four together on the 2008 and 2012 Gold Medal Olympic teams. The chemistry of these four would certainly give this team a strong advantage. Lebron’s ability to get everyone involved gives this team a unique advantage. The weakness of this team is the bench. Korver’s three point shooting as well as David West’s post up game could allow for a potentially lethal inside out game, but it simply cannot matchup with firepower on the 1996 Team’s bench.

Prediction

This game would be filled with highlight reel dunks, passes, and threes. The athleticism of the Lebron, Wade, and the rest of the 2003 Team would be challenged by some of the greatest offensive weapons the league has ever seen in Nash, Iverson, Kobe, and Allen. The game would ultimately come down to the little things, rebounds and interior defense. This is were the 1996 Team has there greatest advantage. Kaman, Bosh, and West, of the 2003 class, are all good players, but they cannot dominate inside like Ben Wallace and Jermaine O’Neal were able to do in their primes. The 1996 Team would walk away victorious in this hypothetical matchup because of their superior big men and overall depth.