Dan Issel is one of the best basketball players of the 1970s who seems to be forgotten by casual NBA fans. Issel is the greatest scorer in the history of the Kentucky Wildcats (2,138 points), leaving the historic program after four years. He had a great professional career as well, spending five seasons in the ABA and winning a championship with the Kentucky Colonels. He’d make his way over to the NBA in 1976 and spent nine seasons with the Denver Nuggets.
Issel averaged 20.4 points and 7.9 rebounds over his NBA career, still being regarded as one of the best scorers of his era. He’s stayed around the game since his retirement in 1985, having two stints as the Nuggets’ head coach. As a result, he’s an expert on basketball from the 1970s all the way to the 2000s.
On a recent appearance on FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back,’ Issel revealed his all-time starting five, naming five players from his era of basketball while neglecting modern NBA stars such as LeBron James. Issel named Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as his five
“I’ll start with Kareem. Somebody told me that in the regular season and playoffs, Kareem and I faced each other 62 times. That probably means there were 62 times I was on the wrong end of the score. I’ll put Kareem on that team, and MJ (Michael Jordan).”
“A surprise selection might be that I’d put Julius Erving on that team. I had a chance to see Julius when he first came to the ABA, and he was incredible. He did things I’ve never seen before on a basketball court. He’s the only guy I have ever seen dunk on Artis Gilmore.”
“I’d put Magic on that team, and I’d put Larry Bird on that team.”
Magic Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists over his 13-year NBA career, still being regarded as the greatest point guard in NBA history, winning five NBA Championships, three NBA MVPs, and three Finals MVPs. While Stephen Curry has challenged his throne in recent years, it’s unsurprising to see Issel go with Magic over Curry, given his picks are all contemporaries he played against.
Issel’s final NBA season was Michael Jordan’s first, but it seems Jordan’s 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 15 assists in their final clash were enough to win over Issel. Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals over his career and is regarded as the greatest player in the history of the sport, winning six NBA Championships with two separate three-peats, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year trophy, and a whopping 10 scoring titles.
Julius Erving, or Dr. J, averaged 22.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists over his 11-year NBA career. Issel played Erving multiple times over their shared stints in the ABA and the NBA. Players like Jordan were calling Erving the greatest of all time when he was entering the NBA, which highlights how highly-rated Erving was as a player.
Modern fans wouldn’t entertain picking Erving over someone like LeBron, who’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists over his career, but that was the pick Issel made.
Larry Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists over his career, entering his prime while Issel was on the decline. Bird is a three-time NBA MVP, three-time Champion, and two-time Finals MVP. He’s regarded as one of the best scorers of his generation, being the first true forward to show how dangerous three-pointers could be.
Finally, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would be the perfect center for this squad. He averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks over his career, winning six NBA Championships, six MVPs, and retiring as the all-time leading scorer before LeBron broke his record in 2023.
Issel’s five is an incredible mixture of athleticism, scoring, and defense. Magic would be the perfect playmaker for this unit, with Erving and Jordan serving as elite slashers and mid-range scorers. Bird would be better used as a three-point threat in this five than another mid-range scorer, while it’s hard to pick a better center than Kareem.
There could be all-time fives featuring more modern players that could give this unit a run for their money, but it’s safe to say Issel’s all-time five is one of the best teams possible in NBA history.
