All-Time Black Superteam vs. All-Time White Superteam: Who Would Win A 7-Game Series?

We have created an all-time superteam whose players have donned a white jersey in their career as well as a team that has worn a black jersey in their career. The all-time black superteam that we have created is the only team that could possibly rival the white superteam. The black team consists of Allen Iverson, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Tim Duncan. Between these 5 players, they have won 14 championships, 8 MVPs, and 10 Finals MVP awards. Just as is the case with the white team, the black team also has some of the most elite players to ever play at their specific positions. They too provide a unique blend of two-way basketball that is sure to make this matchup a knockdown, drag-out slugfest. What team could possibly stand up to them in a 7-game series? I am glad you asked.

The all-time white superteam that we have created is the only team that could possibly rival the black superteam. For the “white’’ team, we have Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Kawhi Leonard, Karl Malone, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Between these 5 players, they have won 13 championships, 11 MVPs, and 10 Finals MVP awards. They bring the perfect blend of scoring and defense that will prove to be tough to beat. Every player on the white squad is an all-time great at their position who plays at an elite level on both ends of the court. Can the all-time black team hang with the all-time white team?

Let’s break down this matchup of all-time greats in the battle of the all-time black superteam vs. the all-time white superteam.

Allen Iverson vs. Stephen Curry

The Stephen Curry-Allen Iverson matchup is as good as it gets. Curry simply cannot handle the defensive assignment in isolation. Iverson’s handles and shiftiness are far too much for him to keep up with. Iverson is one of the elite guards in history when it comes to a side-to-side movement followed by a burst to the basket. The problem for him arises once he gets to the paint and sees Duncan or Durant on the help defense. That shouldn’t slow down Iverson from getting to the rim as his entire era was filled with elite bigs and he did just fine. Iverson’s greatest weapon in a matchup with Stephen Curry is his speed and handle which could lead to easy opportunities for the black team either from Iverson or someone he finds open when help arrives.

With Stephen Curry, you know that you are getting the greatest shooter to ever live and elite off-ball movement. Curry’s range allows for him to pull Iverson even further from the basket and possibly draw a double-team from LeBron or Dwayne Wade. If you leave Curry 1-on-1 with Iverson, he can pretty easily create his own shot off of the dribble or off of screens like we have seen so many times before. All Curry needs is an inch of space to get his shot off. If you double him, then you run into the issue of leaving one of the other 4 guys open. This would probably lead to easy buckets for the white team. Curry presents a matchup nightmare anyway you slice it.

Dwyane Wade vs. Allen Iverson

The Michael Jordan vs. Dwyane matchup features 2 of the great two-way shooting guards in NBA history. Wade put his body on the line every single time he went to the basket with a few elite moves to get to that point. He could utilize the pick and roll to explode to the basket and finish in any number of ways. When one-on-one with a big, his Euro step was incredibly dangerous and nearly unguardable. Rather than shy away from contact, Wade would force himself into it knowing he could finish through the physicality. The Wade-Jordan matchup will feature 2 fearless and physical shooting guards who excel at what they do best.

On the other hand, you have the greatest player of all time in Michael Jordan. Wade could possibly hold his own on the defensive end against Jordan but it is not likely. Jordan will look to isolate Wade in order to create his own shots. This especially is true when it comes to getting in the paint. Jordan will look to back Wade down and rise up for his mid-range shots that are nearly automatic. Jordan should also have no problem getting to the basket and like always, have zero fear when confronted with the presence of Duncan or Durant coming to help. In order to stop the G.O.A.T, there will ultimately have to be double-teams thrown his way which doesn’t bode well for Team Black.

LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard

Well, if it isn’t a matchup that we have actually seen before. This rematch from the 2014 NBA Finals should be one for the ages. Where LeBron will take advantage in this matchup will be with his playmaking. While Kawhi will do everything he can to disrupt LeBron’s flow, James can cancel that out if he simply switches ideologies from scoring to facilitating his teammates. Team black has plenty of other guys who can score like Durant, Iverson, and Duncan. LeBron can maximize the production of the offense by pushing the pace off of rebounds and turnovers or by keeping the ball moving in half-court sets. With one of the greatest IQs in the history of the game, LeBron knows how and when to make the smartest play. That should be No. 1 on his priority list when facing off with Kawhi Leonard.

The way that Kawhi can take advantage against LeBron is the same way he won Finals MVP, his defense. On the surface, you will see that LeBron is still going to be able to stuff the stat sheet. What can’t be measured by stats is the disruption Kawhi can cause. Kawhi can force LeBron into tough shots or cut him off so he has to pass the ball when he would normally drive or shoot. What this does is effectively disrupt the entire offense’s rhythm as it will ultimately run through James. On offense, Kawhi just has to hit the shots the defense gives to him and be there to back up Jordan, Curry, and Giannis.

Kevin Durant vs. Karl Malone

The matchup of Karl Malone is one of strength and skill versus finesse and skill. As for Durant, he holds a distinct advantage over Malone. Durant’s height and length mixed with his shooting ability spell nightmares on defense for Karl Malone. As one of the best scorers to ever play the game, Durant should have no issue using his height at all three levels to rack up points but mainly from the mid-range and three. The more they can try and force Malone out of the paint to guard Durant, the more the offense will open up for team black. With a more free-flowing offense and LeBron James as the primary playmaker, Durant should find more than ample enough opportunities to knock down shots.

The matchup of Karl Malone is one of strength and skill versus finesse and skill. On offense, Karl Malone holds a distinct advantage in the post with his power and the way he uses his body to maneuver around defenders in the post. Durant will have a difficult time trying to defend Malone if he can force the game into the post so help from Duncan or LeBron is warranted eventually. Malone also relies on a short mid to medium-range jumper off of a pick and roll. This should work perfectly with a guard like Curry who is so dangerous on the perimeter. With the screen and switch, Malone should find this open more than a few times over the course of a 7-game series.

Tim Duncan vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo

The final matchup of these two teams is between two of the great two-way big men to ever play the game. First, you have Tim Duncan. He is a 5x NBA champion, 2x MVP, and a 3x Finals MVP. Duncan does hold a few things over the head of Giannis as well. Duncan will try and work his game into the post on offense. Duncan can take Giannis completely out of the game on defense if he establishes himself in the paint. Taking him one-on-one is certainly an advantage for Duncan and if you send the double team, he will have no problem finding the open man as he has done so much in his career. Ducan also presents matchup issues on defense. He will almost certainly keep Giannis out of the paint and try to force mid to medium-range jumpers from him. He will also likely be more successful than not at doing it. 

Then, you have Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is a 2x MVP, 1x Defensive Player of the Year, and 1x Finals MVP. Where Giannis can take advantage of this matchup is in the open floor and if he can work his way to the perimeter to start his progressions on offense. If Curry and Jordan can push the pace off of rebounds or turnovers and the way Giannis runs the floor, it could be a nightmare for Team Black. I do also believe that Giannis could take Duncan off of the dribble from the perimeter. With his mix of size, strength, and burst, Giannis could make that a real issue for Team Black. This matchup itself is worth the price of admission.

Team Black Advantages

Each Team in this matchup holds a couple of things over the other as advantages going into this matchup. The first for Team Black will be on the playmaking front. First, you have LeBron James who is arguably the best playmaker of all time. When you have James running your offense, you better believe that there is a possible path to victory. With guys like Wade, Duncan, Iverson, and Durant alongside him, there will be plenty of great looks coming their way. Also, with Duncan and Durant at the 4 and 5 spots, other opportunities will arise from their ability to make plays for themselves and others.

I also believe that Team Black holds a slight defensive edge over Team White. This isn’t to say that Jordan, Kawhi, and Giannis aren’t a great defensive Big 3. Those 3 are arguably the best 3 defenders at their position. However, LeBron James in his prime was on a whole different level of both on and off-ball defense. Tim Duncan was the same way in the interior with his innate ability to alter and block shots. Wade is also up there when it comes to defensive shooting guards, having recorded the most blocked shots at the position. Either way, it is going to be a battle to the end in a 7-game series.

Team White Advantages

For Team White, the first advantage they hold is in transition offense. The three-headed monster of Curry, Jordan, and Giannis is absolutely lethal in fast-break situations. If Jordan gets the ball on the outlet pass and pushes the pace, he has 3 options with the ball that will prove to be near-fatal for Team Black. He can take himself and get to the rim relatively easily, he can push and give to Giannis who is sure to be streaking to the rim, or he can work to get Curry an open transition 3-pointer. The same can be said if it is Giannis or Curry leading the break as well.

The other advantage that Team White holds over Team Black will be the inside-out game that can be run between Malone and Giannis with Curry and Jordan. The biggest obstacle to climb here would be Duncan on the interior guarding Giannis. This can be offset by working the ball around and in and out with Malone. Curry moving off of the ball with screens from Kawhi or Jordan will be especially dangerous. The same holds true with Jordan. Not necessarily for his three-point shot, but how he can create off of the dribble working with an open lane. 

Who Wins This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?

In Game 1, there was nothing anybody could do to stop the tandem of Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan. Curry began the game on a tear, knocking down 5 of his first 6 three-point attempts. The defense ultimately began to cheat toward Curry a bit, opening the lane for Jordan to work his magic. He began to annihilate the mid-range like he always did. Curry would end up with 28 points and 7 assists but it would be MJ leading the way with 35 points. LeBron James and Tim Duncan battled to keep Team Black in it with 25 points apiece but they fell short, 122-111.

Game 2 was much more of a back-and-forth battle between these 2 teams. Iverson began to figure it out as he stole the show in the first quarter with 12 points to open the game. Durant also found his rhythm with his jumper and sank 5 threes in the first half. Giannis provides some punch for Team White, forcing fast breaks with his defense and finishing on the other end. The downfall for Team White would be Curry’s rough shooting night going just 3-13 from three. Iverson and Durant would lead the way for Team Black with 26 and 24 points respectively for a 119-109 victory for Team Black.

Unwilling to be denied a series lead, Jordan takes over from the start in Game 3. There was nothing anyone on Team Black could do to stop him from getting to the rim and knocking down his shots as he would erupt for 53 points over 3 and a half quarters. Dwayne Wade would battle on offense to keep the game within reach by halftime, going for 29 points of his own over the course of the game. LeBron would add 30 for Team Black but MJ proved to be too much as Team White takes a 2-1 series lead with a 111-105 victory.

Game 4 will forever go down in history as the “LeBron Game”. James had enough and was unwilling to concede a 3-1 series lead to his opponent. He played more aggressively than he had in the first 3 games, attacking the rim and dishing to his teammates. He crashed the boards like a man possessed as well. Not even Kawhi Leonard could slow down what James was doing. LeBron would finish with 48 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists to force the series even at 2-2.

With an advantage in the series on the line, the two teams would lock into an absolute dogfight. Giannis and Duncan continued to battle in the paint on each and every possession. Kawhi locked into his defense with LeBron and stymied the flow of the offense on most possessions. Jordan and Wade engaged in a battle of the mid-range on each side of the ball with each of them struggling to find their way. It would be Curry and Iverson locked in a scoring battle to decide the game. Iverson continued to force his way to the basket while Curry caught fire from deep. A crucial turnover from Iverson late paved the way for back-to-back triples from Curry to seal the game. He would finish with 41 points on 11-17 from three. A 3-2 series lead went to Team White.

Game 6 would be the game that Duncan and Durant found their chemistry. With a bit more movement off of the ball, Durant began to find his stroke from three. He did a great job of drawing the defense on the drive for easy handoffs to Duncan and hitting on cuts to an open LeBron or Wade. Both teams battled for three and a half quarters before Duncan went on a tear to end the game with 3 straight buckets and stops on Giannis on defense. Team Black evens the series at 3 games to 3, 113-107.

Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. That is the exact storyline for Game 7 as we will see the duel of the two greatest players to ever play the game. LeBron put everything on the line as he made play after play, bulldozing his way to the basket and making the right passes to open teammates. Michael Jordan traded buckets with Team White as Curry and Giannis continued to struggle from the floor. The game would be tied late as we approach 35 seconds to play. Team Black brings the ball up with Iverson handing it off to LeBron. LeBron makes his move to the rim with 25 seconds left and drives to the rims. Giannis contest the shot and the ball rolls in and around the rim falling into Karl Malone’s waiting arms. Team White calls their final timeout. This sets the stage for one final shot from Team White. Curry catches the inbounds from Giannis who immediately streaks to the basket. Curry fakes the lob, throwing off the defense and freeing up space for Michael Jordan. Jordan receives the pass, takes one dribble, pump fakes around up, and moves around LeBron for a jumper as the buzzer sounds and it’s good! Team White wins the series 4 games to 3.

Final Result: All-Time Black Superteam vs. All-Time White Superteam 3-4

MVP: Michael Jordan

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