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All-Time NBA Starting Lineups: Central Division

Three GOATs Make the List

· Jul 18 - 4 minutes read

The NBA’s Central Division has been the most competitive in the league’s history. All five teams have been to, at least, one NBA Finals. Four teams have gone on to win while three won more than once. As such, the league’s greatest players – including three “GOATS” (greatest of all time) spent good chunks of their careers here. This makes the division’s all-time lineup the best based on these NBA picks.

All-Time Central Division Starters

G Isiah Thomas (DET)
G Michael Jordan (CHI)
F LeBron James (CLE)
F Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (MIL)

Who is on your NBA Mt. Rushmore? pic.twitter.com/HqFrEguKt8

All-Time NBA Starting Lineups: Central Division — Michael Jordan and LeBron James interact after the presentation of the NBA 75th - Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP

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Point Guard: Isiah Thomas

You can count on one hand the point guards who led their teams to multiple NBA championships. There was Magic Johnson and Steph Curry now. In between the two is Isiah Thomas. His elite ability to score and create plays combined with his fierce competitiveness, led Detroit to two consecutive NBA championships.

Thomas and his “Bad Boy” Pistons stood out from the typical dynasties of their era. They beat the “Showtime Lakers,” took out Larry Bird’s Celtics, and shut down Michael Jordan’s Bulls. In one championship run, they did all three. The 12-time All-Star made stunning NBA news and would have been a part of the original “Dream Team” had it not been for his bitter rivalry with…

Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan

The NBA’s biggest superstar had to suffer three defeats to Thomas’s Pistons. But that galvanized Michael Jordan into becoming an indomitable legend. Jordan not only won six NBA championships and six Finals MVPs, but he also won five regular-season MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and made nine All-Defensive First Team selections. He is also just one of three players to win the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year simultaneously.

That’s just the intro for Jordan. On top of that, Jordan is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, an NCAA champion, and holds numerous records, including the highest scoring average in the regular season and the playoffs. It was once undebatable that Jordan was the NBA’s greatest player. But now, a “King” has come awfully close to his achievements.

Small Forward: LeBron James

King James could just be the 1B to Jordan’s 1A. Considered the greatest player by the younger generation of fans, LeBron James’ long list of achievements is difficult to list. He’s won four championships and four Finals MVPs. Most notably, he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record and will extend his lead to a point that may be untouchable.

If Jordan’s greatness was based on the heights he reached, James’s is on his longevity. Even today, the 38-year-old is a top-five player in the league. And he could realistically play until he’s in his 40s and further add to his accolades. In fact, his LA Lakers remain popular NBA betting picks based on the NBA title odds.

Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo

We go from the two greatest NBA players to arguably the greatest basketball player to come out of Europe. Antetokounmpo had already built a Hall of Fame resume before turning 28, around the age Jordan and James won their first titles. The “Greek Freak” already has a pair of MVPs, a DPOY award, and an NBA title and Finals MVP.

Many NBA predictions and odds also list Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks as favorites to win another title this season. He’s just one more championship away from being the best European player and just a few more from putting himself just below Jordan and James.

Center: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Before there was James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA’s most prolific player. In fact, the former all-time scoring leader was likely just a few Finals MVPs short of claiming the “GOAT” title. But on top of his staggering counting stats, Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion, six-time MVP, and 15-time All-NBA selection.

He also became the first player to win a Finals MVP with two different teams and is a legend with both Milwaukee and the Lakers. While Magic Johnson was the main man of the purple and gold, the team would not have been lucrative bets online without the talents of Abdul-Jabbar.