Being a basketball fan is truly exciting right now. The game is transitioning smoothly from one era to the next. LeBron James has had an incredible two-decade career, and it’s time for King James to relinquish the crown. The luster of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors’ decade-long success is beginning to fade.

The NBA is currently undergoing a rebranding, and it’s happening at an ideal time. TNT Sports’ 35-year television partnership with the NBA will conclude after the 2025 season. The league will begin its new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Amazon Prime starting in the 2025-26 season. Additionally, John Tesh’s iconic “Roundball Rock” theme music is making a return, introducing a new generation of basketball fans to its catchy tune. There couldn’t be a better way to kick off this rebranding than with some fresh headliners.

The 2025 NBA Finals features two burgeoning superstars in Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the newly crowned 2025 NBA MVP, and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Shai and Tyrese are not superstar-level yet, but they are at the doorstep. They are spearheading this new wave of contemporary talent and ushering in the yet-to-be defined era.

“We’re witnessing the changing of the guard,” said former L.A. Clippers guard Lou Williams on the “Run It Back” podcast on FanDuel TV. “We are seeing the LeBrons and Kobes of our time. These young superstars are starting to make their mark on the game and define where it’s headed in the future. SGA is going to be one of those special players.”

Lou Will had a unique perspective on Shai’s development, having been his teammate during SGA’s rookie season with the Clippers. “This is my rook,” said Williams, who recognized Shai’s maturity from Day 1. He observed how Shai dedicated himself to improving at just 20 and is now seeing him emerge as one of the best players in the league at 26.

“[Shai] was always a responsible player who carried himself like a mature professional,” Williams noted. “He had big aspirations and was clear about his endgame. He knew his abilities.”

Lou Will’s praise for Shai’s work ethic underscores SGA’s character. The Clippers had a strong feeling that SGA could become an All-Star caliber player, but an NBA MVP? “Not in my wildest dreams,” Lou Will admitted. “I’m sure Shai had [MVP] on his vision board.”

SGA embodies the qualities of a throwback player who understands the importance of consistency and patience in achieving the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

The same holds true for Haliburton. The 25-year-old Pacers guard possesses an unorthodox shooting style but plays like a classic point guard with modern capabilities. He can dominate a game without scoring, pushing the pace like an ’80s playmaker while boasting an astonishing 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. For context, a 3:1 ratio is considered well above average, while 4:1 is excellent. Haliburton is operating on an entirely different level in terms of minimizing turnovers.

Few players can match Haliburton’s killer mentality. He has made headlines by leading two historic comebacks with game-winning shots that thwarted the playoff hopes of the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He also delivered a memorable choke sign celebration at Madison Square Garden after making a dagger shot that seemingly floated five feet in the air before swishing through the net. That shot and choke sign celebration will linger in the memories of Knicks fans for a long time.

The Pacers achieved remarkable comebacks, erasing a seven-point lead in 34.7 seconds to eliminate the Bucks in five games, then erasing another seven-point deficit in 46.7 seconds to take a 2-0 lead against the Cavaliers. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, they came back from a nine-point deficit in 52.5 seconds in Game 1, with Haliburton sinking critical shots during each comeback.

SGA and Haliburton — alongside Anthony Edwards (23), Jalen Brunson (28), Cade Cunningham (23) and Luka Doncic (26) — are entering their prime years. Five of the six made the 2025 All-NBA teams (Luka didn’t qualify because of games missed), and they represent the present and future of the Association. They represent the major shift in the NBA as we head into a new era.

HISTORY LESSON: BREAKING DOWN DIFFERENT ERAS IN THE NBA

How did we arrive at this point? Let’s pop the VHS tape into the VCR and press rewind. The first 75 years of the NBA can be divided into six distinct eras.

In the league’s formative years of the 1950s and 1960s, eight basketball pioneers — Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell — established the groundwork for greatness. Bill Russell and his Boston Celtics didn’t just participate; they dominated the era, clinching 11 championships in 13 seasons. This is an astonishing achievement that is unlikely to ever be matched.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Rick Barry, George “Iceman” Gervin, and Julius Erving carried the torch through the colorful and turbulent era in the 1970s. This was a challenging time marked by the competition between the ABA and NBA, resulting in dwindling audiences.

The arrival of Magic Johnson in L.A. and Larry Bird in Boston revitalized basketball during the 1980s, often regarded as the league’s golden era. It was a period of glitz and grit. Showtime vs. Celtic Pride. East Cost vs. West Coast. This period also saw the emergence of the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons, along with three-time MVP Moses Malone’s move from Houston to Philadelphia. Moses teamed up with Julius “Dr. J” Erving in the 1982-83 season and co-authored one of the most dominant playoff runs, sweeping Magic’s Lakers in the ’83 Finals and capping off a 12-1 postseason record. Moses’ audacious move may be the first variant of a superstar player joining another superstar player to form a super team.

The Air Jordan era took flight in the 1990s. After grabbing the baton from Magic and Bird, Michael Jordan ruled the ’90s, winning six championships in eight years and denying peers Sir Charles Barkley, Karl “The Mailman” Malone, and Patrick Ewing from winning rings. Jordan’s Bulls was a perfect 6-0 in the NBA Finals and pulled off the three-peat twice.

Hakeem Olajuwon benefited from Jordan’s brief two-year retirement, leading the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. David “The Admiral” Robinson teamed up with Tim “Big Fundamental” Duncan in San Antonio, winning titles in 1999 and 2003.

The immediate post-Jordan era was dominated by five players: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Duncan. Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan combined to win 13 NBA titles, four regular season MVPs, and eight Finals MVPs from 1999 to 2010. For a decade, the road to the NBA Finals went through Kobe, Shaq, and Duncan. It was the dueling dynasties era. Shaq and Kobe led the Lakers to a three-peat — one of only five three-peats in NBA history. Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers did it. Russell’s Celtics did it. Jordan’s Bulls did it twice. And Shaq and Kobe were the last to do it in 2002.

Nowitzki bridged the gap between the Kobe Bryant era and the LeBron James era. Nowitzki ended Kobe’s reign as the world’s best player when Dirk’s Dallas Mavericks squad knocked off Kobe’s Lakers in the 2011 playoffs. In the same playoff run, Nowitzki pumped the brakes on LeBron’s title run when his Mavs defeated LeBron’s Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

LeBron’s appearance in the 2011 Finals started a run of eight consecutive trips. He put together a super team in Miami, winning two titles in 2012 and 2013, but lost to the Mavs in 2011 and Duncan’s Spurs in 2014. After a four-year run in South Beach, LeBron returned to Cleveland to fulfill his promise of bringing a championship to his hometown team. He delivered on the promise by winning a title in 2016, ending Cleveland’s 52-year professional title drought.

Dirk and KG revolutionized the game, ushering in a new era of big men. The Big Ticket made it possible for high schoolers to skip college and turn pro at 19. Nowitzki opened the door for European bigs who preferred to face the basket instead of having their back to it. Nowitzki and Garnett were instrumental in the game’s evolution, as more and more teams shifted away from traditional power forwards and opted for stretch-4s.

LeBron took the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals but could muster just one victory in four matchups against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. Curry led the Warriors to four championships in eight seasons — two of those championship banners were aided by the addition of Kevin Durant.

The Dubs Dynasty opened the portal to the “small ball” era and advanced metrics. Analytics experts preferred shooting 3s over 2s — it’s either a layup or dunk or a 3-ball — and the midrange shot was viewed as somewhat of a dinosaur idea. The modern NBA puts a premium on pace and space.

The Pacers and Thunder are extensions of the pace-and-space approach, with some added features. Much like today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world, the game continues to evolve. Sure, the traditional back-to-the-basket center may be extinct, but centers are more valuable than ever. Small ball is becoming out of style like skinny jeans. Big-boy basketball is back — with pace and space.

Spurs 7-foot-6 center/forward/guard Victor Wembanyama is the type of player every team craves. Wemby is a big man with a handle who can shoot threes while being an anchor on defense. There’s only one Wemby, but teams will scour the Earth to find a similar player.

OKC found a Wemby-type unicorn in Chet Holmgren. Holmgren may not be as tall as Wemby but he can do all the things Wemby does. Holmgren has a decent handle for a 7-1 player, which allows him to get to his hot spots. Holmgren is also one of the best shot blockers in the NBA, which allows OKC defenders like Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso to press up and stay attached because they know Chet has their back.

The Thunder and Pacers both subscribe to the pace-and-space philosophy, but what allows them to consistently play at hyper-speed is depth. Indiana and OKC throw a wave of bodies at teams, saving their starters from having to play heavy minutes.

Today’s NBA is littered with 3&D wing players and big combo guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Cade Cunningham. What’s also becoming in vogue is skilled big men. Teams are looking for the next Nikola Jokic, a 5-man who can be the hub of an offense. We are deep in the era of positionless basketball where forwards can play center and centers can play guard.

Because the ball is in the hands of principal scorers, the traditional point guard is being phased out. What used to be the primary job of the point guard is now being distributed to other positions.
Haliburton might be one of the last of the Mohicans in terms of pure point guards, much like the gas-guzzling SUVs with V6 engines. It’s becoming harder and harder to find them. Suppressing point guards and centers isn’t healthy for the game. We need more of them, not less.

Shai, Cade, and Luka, on the other hand, are the archetypes of today’s point guard. They are big, heliocentric guards (6-6 and 6-7) built to play downhill, able to attack a compromised defense while coming off ball screens. They can score or draw fouls in the paint or draw multiple defenders and kick it out for open threes. It’s essentially an extension of what LeBron or James Harden have been doing for the past decade.

What separates SGA from Luka and Cade is his ability to do damage in the midrange area. The midrange (or the high post) is the area on the court that’s 4 to 5 feet below the 3-point line or roughly 15 to 20 feet away from the basket. It stretches from one side of the free throw line elbow to the next. Attack the mid-range is a core part of SGA’s game, and he’s proficient at it. During his 2024-25 MVP season when he averaged a league-leading 32.7 points per game, Shai made 57% of his mid-range attempts. The average NBA team’s midrange field goal percentage is around 42%.

There’s a fictitious narrative in basketball in terms of the mid-range shot. Many pundits and players jumped on the 3-point shot bandwagon and shoved the middie to the side of the road. But the middie never really went away. It is still the weapon of choice in the postseason, and it is still the best shot that’ll lead to a title. Outside of Steph Curry’s Warriors and Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics, the mid-range or the mid-post is where championship teams earn their money.

The adage of “what’s old is new again” seems fitting here because SGA is making the old mid-range shot the new viral trend.

As much as we’d like to see our sports heroes play forever, they can’t. Every now and then they might be able to summon a flicker of their greatness, but eventually the flame will go out.

We’ve been fortunate enough to watch all-time greats like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant entertain us for years. However, Father Time is undefeated and the clock will eventually run out on LeBron (who turns 41 next season), Steph (36), and KD (36).

It’s time for a new generation of stars to entertain us. Embrace the changing of the guard and get excited. It’s going to be fantastic.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow and subscribe to his YouTube channel at @onemanfastbreak1.

Russell Westbrook is now the NBA’s triple-double king. (Getty Images)

Before Russell Westbrook came along, Oscar Robertson’s 181 career triple-doubles seemed unattainable. Even Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd both said no one will ever break The Big O’s record. But someone forgot to tell that to Westbrook.

Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook made history on May 10, 2021, when he produced the 182nd triple-double of his career in just 940 games. Robertson’s 181 triple-double record stood for 47 years, and many thought it was going to stand the test of time much like Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game. Westbrook finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, 21 assists in a 125-124 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Westbrook had an opportunity to cap his historic night with a game-winning shot, but his 3-pointer with under three seconds left grazed the rim and bounced off to the side.

The loss takes some of the zest off Westbrook’s record-setting performance, but it doesn’t take away what the 32-year-old former UCLA standout has accomplished throughout his basketball journey. He won an MVP in 2017 after posting the first triple-double season in league history since Robertson did it in 1962. Westbrook has averaged a triple-double in four of the last five years, and he will lead the league in assists for the third time. Not bad for a natural shooting guard who learned how to play point guard when he got to the NBA.

“What he’s done and how he’s done it, he didn’t just inch his way to it, he exploded the chart. And not only did he explode it, he said, ‘If you don’t think that was good let me come back and do it again the next year,’ ” two-time NBA champion and current NBA TV analyst Isiah Thomas said.

“Let’s put some respect on Westbrook,” Thomas added.

Teammates respect Russell Westbrook. You’ll never hear any of his current or former teammates say anything bad about him (expect maybe Kevin Durant, but that’s a whole different topic). Opponents respect him. Fans love him. The only people who pour water on his greatness are the basketball TV, radio, online pundits who are into advanced statistics. They don’t like the turnovers and the awful shooting. Those are legit claims. But from a pure basketball standout, Brodie brings it every single night. He has never cheated the game. He plays every game like it’s gonna be his last. You have to respect that.

“It was always a misconception of Russ on how he is as a teammate, how he is as a person, how he responds to coaches. Total opposite,” Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “He’s all about the team, he’s all about winning, he’s all about getting better. And he’s all about pulling his teammates up, trying to get the best out of everybody. That’s something that has helped me. Seeing his mentality, his approach to the game night in and night out. He’s an MVP. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”

You can argue that a player could be labeled as “selfish” for chasing scoring titles instead of NBA titles, but there is no case or argument to be made when it comes to assists. An assist is a coach’s favorite statistic. It means the ball doesn’t stick and a player’s action ultimately led to a teammate scoring a basket. When Magic and John Stockton and Steve Nash led the league in assists, they were celebrated. They were labeled unselfish, making others better. When Russ Westbrook leads the league in assists, it is seen as padding stats.

Westbrook has been relentlessly pursuing the triple-double record for the past few years now, and some in the media suggested he was padding his stats. Russ’ response to the whole “stat-padding” claim was simple. “People that’s talking or saying whatever they need to say, they should try doing it and see how hard it is,” he said. And he’s right. If grabbing 20 rebounds or dishing out 20 assists were so easy, then why don’t we see it more. LeBron James ranks second in triple-doubles among active NBA players and he’s nowhere near Westbrook.

Westbrook checks a lot of boxes. The only box that’s unchecked is a championship. He came close in 2012 when his OKC Thunder squad with James Harden and Durant reached the NBA Finals, but lost to LeBron and the Miami Heat in five games. But not having a championship ring shouldn’t take away what Westbrook has done in a career that has been doubted from the start.

“Can’t take anything away from him,” said Wizards coach Scott Brooks, who coached Westbrook in Oklahoma City for seven seasons before reuniting with him in D.C. following an offseason trade.

“He’s a winner,” Brooks said. “[He’s] making the basketball and the non-basketball world a better place. Not a lot of guys have had the impact that he’s had, both on and off the court. It’s pretty phenomenal.”

Brodie wasn’t highly recruited out of high school and when he arrived at UCLA he had to earn his way to the starting lineup. He proved the doubters wrong with two Final Four appearances and shot up the NBA draft boards following impressive workouts. He landed as the fourth overall pick in the draft by Seattle — which later moved to Oklahoma City. Westbrook, Durant, Harden turned OKC into a Western Conference powerhouse before Harden left for Houston and KD left for Golden State. Westbrook single-handedly kept the Thunder relevant for three seasons before being traded to Houston in 2019, teaming up with Harden once again. The Harden-Westbrook duo could only get the Rockets to the second round of the 2020 playoffs in the Orlando bubble.

There were whispers of Brodie being “done” after a slow start to his Wizards season. He was obviously hurt, but he didn’t complain. Once he finally got healthy, the old Westbrook returned. Washington was left for dead during the halfway point of the season and was practically slotted in the lottery before the season turned around dramatically. Now, Brodie and Beal have the Wizards competing for a spot in the play-in series.

“They came from way out of it to where they’re in the thick of this thing. It’s mind-blowing,” Sam Mitchell said.

We all love a good storyline, and watching Russell Westbrook lead a Kevin Durant-less Oklahoma City Thunder squad into the playoffs while putting up historic numbers was the best story of the 2016-17 regular season.

Westbrook pulled off the unthinkable, becoming the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. The Thunder superstar averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. The last one to accomplish that feat was the great Oscar Robertson. The Big O averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists during the 1961-62 season.

So, case closed, right. It’s Westbrook hands down? Wrong.

As great as Westbrook has been all season — and he was insanely good — it would be a mistake to give him the MVP award. That’s right. A mistake. Why? It’s all about history.

Here’s a little history lesson.

Oscar Robertson didn’t win MVP during his historic triple-double season in ’62. In fact, he finished third in the voting behind Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt, who averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds in 1962, finished second. Second! The man averaged 50 points a game and he only got nine first-place votes. Russell was named MVP in ’62 because his Boston Celtics team won 60 games and finished first in the division.

If the main argument for Westbrook for MVP is based on sheer numbers, then there is no argument. The precedent was set in 1962. Winning trumps individual records any time, any day. The most valuable player award should go to the player on the best team or winning team.

The reason why Robertson didn’t win MVP in ’62 was because his team did not win enough games. Robertson’s Cincinnati Royals squad went 43-37 in ’62. Westbrook’s 2016-17 Oklahoma City team won just 47 games and finished sixth overall in the Western Conference. Winning matters at any level, whether it is in middle school, high school, college or pro. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the past 34 NBA MVPs’ teams have been ranked in the top three of their respective conferences in wins. In that stretch, only two were ranked outside the top two: Steve Nash in 2005-06 and Michael Jordan in 1987-88. Overall, 45 of the 61 MVP winners finished the season first in the conference and only 12 of those MVPs finished the season ranked first in triple-doubles.

Westbrook had a phenomenal season, make no mistake about it. He deserves to be in the MVP conversation. If this were fantasy basketball, Westbrook is the runaway MVP. But this is not fantasy. This is real basketball, and the reality is Westbrook’s spectacular individual effort didn’t translate to enough wins.

So who should win the 2017 MVP award? Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, James Harden, and Steph Curry all are worthy candidates. Kawhi is arguably the best two-way player in the NBA and he led the San Antonio Spurs to the second-best overall record. LeBron posted better numbers this season (26-8-8) than any of his four MVP seasons. Harden was second in the league in scoring (29) and first in assists (11.4) while leading the Rockets to 55 wins. And while Curry may not have been as good as his 2015-16 version, he carried the Golden State Warriors to a league-best 67 wins despite Durant missing the last half of the season.

Sorry, Russ. The triple-doubles were nice, but they’re not good enough to win MVP.

Steve Nash has been ruled out by the L.A. Lakers this season. (GETTY IMAGES)

Steve Nash has been ruled out this season by the Los Angeles Lakers, and his basketball career is likely over.

Because of a recurring nerve damage in his back, the 40-year-old point guard may have to call it quits. Nash’s career spanned 19 seasons in the NBA. He was named MVP twice and made the All-Star game eight times. He ranks third all-time in assists (10,335) behind only John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091).

The only box unchecked on Nash’s basketball resume is a championship. He never got to play in the NBA Finals, one of only six NBA MVPs who do not have a championship ring. The other five are Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant.

Canada’s best-known basketball export will go down in history as one of the best point guards to play the game of basketball. However, to say Nash was the best to play the position would be a slap in the face to the legends who played before him.

OneManFastBreak ranks the 10 best point guards in basketball history:

10-STEVE NASH — Nash is the only two-time MVP winner not to reach The Finals. He captured his first regular season MVP in 2005, leading the Suns to the NBA’s best record, but the San Antonio Spurs bounced Nash and a loaded Suns squad that also featured Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Joe Johnson in the Western Conference finals. Then in 2006 Nash won his second MVP award but was eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks led by his buddy Dirk Nowitzki, who removed himself from the ringless fraternity in 2011. Voters made a huge mistake by giving Nash the MVP in 2006. Nash didn’t deserve to win it over Kobe Bryant, who had one of the best statistical seasons and delivered the signature moment of the year when he scored 81 points against Toronto. Nash is hoping for one last hurrah with the Lakers, but time is not on his side.

9-GARY PAYTON — The brash player known around the basketball world as “The Glove” was one of the best two-way players who’ll ever find. At 6-4, Payton is a big guard who used his size and quickness to pester opponents. Payton was the head of the snake of Seattle’s vaunted fullcourt-pressing, halfcourt-trapping defense that powered the Sonics to the 1996 NBA Finals. Payton’s career took off when head coach George Karl unleashed him in his frenetic system. Payton was also a notorious trash talker. When The Glove smelled blood in the water, he pounced like a piranha. He is the only point guard in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year. He was named to the NBA’s first-team all-defense team nine times and ranks fourth all-time in steals with 2,445. He reached the NBA Finals twice, winning it all with the Miami Heat in 2006.

8-JASON KIDD — Ever since bursting onto the scene as a high school phenom from Oakland, Calif., Jason Kidd has been a winner all of his career. He won a state title in high school, he took Cal to the Sweet 16, he took the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals and he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA title in 2011. He is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, leading Team USA in 2000 in Sydney and in 2008 in Beijing. Kidd owns a total of five gold medals in international competition and a mind-boggling 56-0 international record in Olympics, Olympic qualifying and exhibition games. He ranks second on the all-time NBA list in steals (2,684) and assists (12,091), and third in 3-point field goals made (1,988). His 107 triple-doubles ranks only behind Hall-of-Famers Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

7-TONY PARKER — Once San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich gave the keys to Parker to run his team, the Spurs busted out of their conservative shell and became more dynamic. They went from driving a Cadillac to driving a Ferrari, with Parker holding the steering wheel. Parker’s greatest contribution to the game is a shot he may not have created but he has certainly perfected: the floater. Some call it “the runner” or “the teardrop” or “the push shot.” It’s a devastating weapon against big men, and it is used today by nearly all the guards at all levels. Despite all of his accomplishments, including winning the 2007 NBA Finals MVP and owning three NBA titles, Parker is rarely mentioned when basketball experts talk about the best point guards in the NBA. But Parker is OK with that. “For me I’ve been in San Antonio for so long I don’t really pay attention to top-five point guards,” Parker said. “They always forget about me anyways. It doesn’t matter to me anymore, seriously. I just play for the city of San Antonio, for the Spurs and all our fans, Coach Pop, my teammates. That’s what keeps me going.”

6-BOB COUSY — You can’t write the history of basketball without mentioning Bob Cousy. “The Houdini of the Hardwood” was a pure basketball showman. He was the foundation of a Boston Celtics dynasty in the 1950s and ’60s. He is a six-time NBA champion and was named league MVP in 1957. He is one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history. The Cooz was way ahead of his time. In an era when guards walked the ball down the court and dumped the ball into the big men, Cousy pushed the tempo and threw behind-the-back passes. He revolutionized the point guard position. He also possessed one of the best handles. When coach Red Auerbach needed to close the game, he turned to Cousy to dribble out the clock.

5-DENNIS JOHNSON — DJ wasn’t blessed with a ton of athletic ability, but he made himself into an outstanding two-way player. During his 13-year playing career with the Seattle SuperSonics, the Phoenix Suns, and the Boston Celtics, Johnson established himself as one of the best defensive guards in the NBA. He hounded Magic Johnson into a rough series in the 1984 NBA Finals in which the Celtics won. He had quick hands and a strong base, making it hard for opposing guards to score on him. He was named to five All-Star teams and nine straight all-defensive teams. He was a member of three NBA championship squads (two in Boston and one in Seattle), and his postseason heroics earned him a reputation as a money player. He was the Finals MVP in 1979 for the Sonics, and co-authored one of the signature moments in playoff history when he finished the game-winning layup off a steal by Larry Bird in the 1987 series against the Detroit Pistons. Remember the great call by Celtics announcer Johnny Most: “And there’s a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ, lays it in!” Bird calls Dennis Johnson the best player he’s ever played with.

4-JOHN STOCKTON — If we’re strictly basing everything on statistics, then Stockton should be considered the No. 1 player on this list. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists (15,806) and steals (3,265). Both records could stand for a long, long time. Stockton played his entire pro career with the Utah Jazz. He led the Jazz to 19 playoff appearances and took them to the NBA Finals twice, losing both times to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Stockton benefitted greatly from having one of the greatest scoring power forwards in the game in Karl Malone, but that shouldn’t diminish what Stockton meant to the Jazz. He may not say a whole lot on the court, but he was a tenacious competitor who pushed the envelop on some of those nasty screens. What is it dirty? Probably. Stockton played to win, even if he had to bend the rules a bit. Gary Payton calls Stockton tougher to defend than Michael Jordan.

3-OSCAR ROBERTSON — “The Big O” is the player against whom all others labeled “all-around” are judged, and he may remain the standard forever. Statistically, one need look no further than the numbers Robertson put up in 1961-62, just his second year in the league: 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game-an average of a triple-double for an entire season. Not even Magic Johnson or Larry Bird could match those numbers. During his 14-year NBA career with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks, Robertson amassed 26,710 points. He won his only NBA title as a member of the Bucks in 1971. His average of 25.7 points per game ranks as the sixth-highest mark ever among retired players, and he averaged 30 points or more in six seasons. Robertson was the NBA’s all-time leader in assists (9,887) when he retired. He also averaged 7.5 rebounds for his career and led his team in rebounding once, a rare feat for a guard. At 6-5 and 210 pounds, The Big O was the first dominant guard. Celtics coach Red Auerbach said: “He is so great he scares me.”

2-ISIAH THOMAS — Zeke was the unquestioned leader of the “Motor City Bad Boys.” Don’t let that million-dollar smile fool ya. Thomas was a stone-cold killer who didn’t back down from a fight. He and Joe Dumars was arguably the two toughest players on a squad with a bunch of rough riders. Thomas never got the credit he richly deserved because his Pistons were not part of the glamour teams. The Pistons won two NBA titles with a grit-and-grind approach that didn’t resonate with basketball fans. They ended the Celtics and Lakers dynasties, and was the major roadblock for the Bulls. Thomas had two unforgettable playoff moments. The first was the great shootout with Bernard King in the 1984 playoffs in which Zeke scored 16 points in 94 seconds to force overtime. The second was his epic gutsy performance in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Lakers in which he scored 25 points in the third quarter despite a badly sprained ankle. It defined Thomas’ career.

1-MAGIC JOHNSON — Forget positions for a moment. Based on impact alone, Magic is arguably one of the best players to ever play the game. He changed the game. He was a power forward with major-league handles and unbelievable vision. No one in the history of basketball has ever seen a player like Magic. At 6-9 and 215 pounds, he was a matchup nightmare. He averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 11.2 assists for his career. He blew past forwards and posted up smaller guards. And you’ll never find a better passer on a 3-on-2 or 2-0n-1 fastbreak. Also, he was a tremendous leader on and off the court. When he led, players followed. He earned three NBA MVPs and led the L.A. Lakers to five championships. The signature moment of the career came in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the hated Boston Celtics. With the Lakers down by one point, Magic drove the lane and threw up a baby skyhook over two defenders to give the Lakers the lead. After the game, Larry Bird said: “Magic is just a great player.”

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Kobe Bryant reportedly breaks his nose after taking a hard foul from Dwyane Wade in the third quarter of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Fla. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Kobe Bryant reached a milestone during the 2012 NBA All-Star game in Orlando, Fla. when he passed the great Michael Jordan to become the No. 1 scorer in All-Star game history.

It happened with about five minutes left in the third quarter when Bryant took a pass from Western Conference teammate Kevin Durant near halfcourt and went in for a dunk. It was Bryant’s 264th point in 14 All-Star games, moving him ahead of Jordan who held the record with 262. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is third on the list with 251 and Oscar Robertson is fourth with 246. Bryant finished with 27 points Sunday to increase his total to 271.

But Bryant’s record-setting night was drowned with a some bad news when it was later found that Bryant had fractured his nose and complained of headaches after the game, according to the Los Angeles Times. It’s believed Bryant was injured at the 8:48 mark of the third quarter when he got hammered by Heat star Dwyane Wade while driving to the basket. After making the first of two free throws, Bryant went to the bench to receive medical treatment because blood was dripping from his nose.

Bryant is already nursing a torn ligament in his right wrist and now he has to deal with a nasal fracture, which probably requires a plastic mask (see Rip Hamilton). Knowing Kobe, he’ll ditch the plastic guard and play through the pain.

The injury is the latest in a laundry list of aches and pains for Bryant, who had knee surgery during the offseason and he also had to deal with a torn ligament in his finger two seasons ago. Despite the setbacks, the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history has pulled an Iron Man routine as he has missed just nine games in the past five seasons.