Hall of Famer Allen Iverson took part in the ’82-0 or die’ challenge recently, where you have to create the strongest possible starting five based on the teams you get. Iverson played against Wadurr, and while the two came up with some powerful lineups, neither chose LeBron James.
Allen Iverson’s Starting Lineup:
PG: Penny Hardaway (Orlando Magic)
SG: Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
SF: Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
PF: Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers)
C: Patrick Ewing (New York Knicks)
Iverson could have gone with James for either the Miami Heat or the Los Angeles Lakers, but decided against it. He went with Dwyane Wade and Magic Johnson instead. They’re not bad selections at all, of course, as is the case with the rest of his lineup.
Iverson went with Penny Hardaway as his point guard from the Orlando Magic, and there wasn’t much competition here. Hardaway averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in his career.
Hardaway finished third in MVP voting in his third season in the NBA, but injuries ensured he never fulfilled his potential. He finished his career with four All-Star and three All-NBA selections.
Wade is the shooting guard, and he is widely regarded as the greatest player in franchise history for the Heat. He averaged 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in his career.
Wade has three titles, one Finals MVP, and a scoring title on his resume. He also made 13 All-Star, eight All-NBA, and three All-Defensive teams.
Iverson unsurprisingly picked his idol, Michael Jordan, when he had to choose a Chicago Bulls player. Jordan finished his career with averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.
Jordan won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, a DPOY, and 10 scoring titles during his time in the NBA. He made 14 All-Star, 11 All-NBA, and nine All-Defensive teams.
Johnson, widely regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, is surprisingly the power forward here. He did famously lead the Lakers to victory while playing at center in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, so perhaps this could work.
Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 11.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in his career. He won five titles, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, and five assists titles. Johnson also made 12 All-Star and 10 All-NBA teams.
Iverson chose Patrick Ewing from the New York Knicks, and that was another solid selection. Ewing averaged 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game in his career.
Jordan would end up playing a big role in ensuring Ewing didn’t win a title or any major honors during his career. He at least made 11 All-Star, seven All-NBA, and three All-Defensive teams.
All in all, this was a pretty good team. Would it go 82-0? Probably not, but then again, it’s almost impossible to do that.
As for Wadurr, he came up with a lineup of Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Jermaine O’Neal, and Shaquille O’Neal. You could make a case that this is a better team than Iverson’s.
