1) Larry Bird: Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. Larry Bird was such a player. For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through 1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all areas of play--as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and perhaps above all, as a clutch performer. Bird was so self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents' bench before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced three-pointers with his eyes closed.

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1998); NBA champion (1981,'84, ' 86); NBA Finals MVP (1984,'86); NBA MVP (1984,'85,'86); Nine-time All-NBA First Team (1980-88); All-NBA Second Team (1990); All-Defensive Second Team (1982,'83,'84); NBA Rookie of the Year (1980); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996); Olympic gold medalist (1992).

2) Elgin Baylor: Had Elgin Baylor been born 25 years later, his acrobatic moves would have been captured on video, his name emblazoned on sneakers, and his face plastered on cereal boxes. But he played before the days of widespread television exposure, so among the only records of his prowess that remain are the words of those who saw one of the greatest ever to play. "He was one of the most spectacular shooters the game has ever known, Baylor's longtime teammate Jerry west told HOOP magazine in 1992. I hear people talking about forwards today and I haven't seen many that can compare with him."

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1977); All-NBA First Team (1959,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69); Rookie of the Year (1959); 11-time NBA All-Star, All-Star co-MVP (1959).

3) Julius Erving: Julius Erving, the great and wonderful "Dr.J", was the dominant player of his era, an innovator who changed the way the game was played. He was a wizard with the ball, performing feats never before seen: midair spins and whirls punctuated by powerful slam dunks. Erving was one of the first players to make extemporaneous individual expression an integral part of the game, setting the style of play that would prevail in the decades to follow. A gracious, dignified, and disciplined man, Erving was the epitome of class and an ideal ambassador for the game.

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1993); NBA Champion (1983); NBA MVP (1981); All-NBA First Team (1978,80,81,82,83); All-NBA Second Team (1977,84); 11-time All Star (1977-87); All-Star MVP (1977,83); J, Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1983); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

ABA Honors: ABA Champion (1974,76); ABAMVP (1974,76); co-MVP (1975); All-Star First Team (1973,74, 75,76); All-Star second Team (1972).

4) Rick Barry: Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry is the only player ever to lead the NCAA, NBA, and ABA in scoring. His name appears near the top of every all-time offensive list. He scored more than 25,000 points in his professional career and in four different seasons averaged more than 30 points. He was named to 12 All-Star teams, four All-NBA First Teams, and five All-ABA First Teams. Barry was nearly unstoppable juggernaut, a passionate competitor with an untempered desire to win. Occasionally, his fiery competitiveness would grate on rivals and teammates, too.

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame (1987); NBA champion (1975); NBA Finals MVP (1975); All-NBA First Team (1966, 67, 74, 75, 76); All-NBA Second Team (1973); Rookie of the Year (1966); Eight-time NBA All-Star; All-Star MVP (1967); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

ABA Honors: ABA Champion (1969); All-ABA First Team (1969, 70, 71, 72); Four-time ABA All-Star.

5) James Worthy: Never was a nickname better suited to a player than James Worthy's moniker, "Big Game James". By the time he retired, Worthy owned a Most Outstanding Player Award from the 1982 NCAA Final Four and an MVP Award from the 1988 NBA Finals, he was a member of three NBA championship teams with the Los Angeles Lakers (in 1985, 1987 and 1988), and his career postseason averages of 21.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest.

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2003); NBA Champion (1985, 87, 88); NBA Finals MVP (1988); All-NBA Third Team (1990, 91); All-Rookie Team (1983); Seven-time NBA All-Star (1986-92); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

6) John Havlicek: Known for clutch performances in big games, Havlicek posted impressive numbers during his illustrious 16-year career. In 1,270 regular-season games, he scored 26,395 points and averaged 20.8 points to rank as the Celtics' all-time leading scorer and the sixth-highest scorer in NBA History. He also grabbed 8,007 rebounds, recorded 6,114 assists, and played on eight Boston championship teams. He appeared in 13 consecutive NBA All-Star games, earned 11 selections to the All-NBA First or Second Team, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team eight times.

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1984); NBA champion (1963, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 74, 76); NBA Finals MVP (1974); All-NBA First Team (1971,  72, 73, 74); All-NBA Second Team (1964; 66, 68, 69, 70, 75, 76); Five-time All-Defensive First Team (1972-76); Three-time All-Defensive Second Team (1969-71); 13-time All-Star (1966-78); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

7) Charles Barkley: There are four players in NBA history that have compiled 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. But when the conversation turns to the exploits of Barkley, many think first of the entertaining, sometimes outrageous commontary on basketball and life he provided. However, as a player, he was the grewates anomaly in hoops history. Listed at 6' 6", but probably closer to 6' 4", he played power forward as well as anyone, often dominating players half a foot taller.

Honors: NBA MVP (1993); All-NBA Frist Team (1988, 89, 90, 91, 93); All-NBA Second Team (1986, 87, 92, 94, 95); All-NBA Third Team (1996); 11-time All-Star; All-Star MVP (1991); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996); Olympic gold medalist (1992 and 96).

8) Dominique Wilkins: One of the NBA's true marquee players for more than a decade, Dominique Wilkins earned the nickname "Human Highlight Film" with a plethora of spectacular individual plays dating back to his college years at Georgia. A member of the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1983, the high-flying 6' 8" forward has been named to seven All-NBA teams and nine consecutive All-Star squads and is a two-time winner of the NBA Slam-Dunk Championship. In 1986, he won the NBA scoring title with an average of 30.3 points per game.

Honors: All-NBA Rookie Team (1983); All-NBA First team (1986); All-NBA Second Team (1987, 88, 91, 93); All-NBA Third Team (1989 and 94); Nine-time NBA All-Star (1986-94).

9) Bernard King: One of the most explosive scorers of his era, Bernard had a fascinating career. Major knee reconstruction cost him two years at the peak of his abilities. When he returned to the court despite great odds against a comeback, he had to adjust his style of play to accomodate his diminished physical abilities. He proved many skeptics wrong when he became an All-Star. He poured in more than 19,000 points in a career spent with the New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and the Washington Bullets.

Honors: All-NBA First team (1984-85); All-NBA Second Team (1982); All-NBA Third Team (1991); NBA Comeback Player of the Year (1981); All-Rookie Team (1978); Four-time All-Star (1982, 84, 85, 91).

10) Billy Cunningham: Billy Cunningham played fiercely, coached intensely, and won frequently. He made it to the Naismith Memorial Basketbell Hall of Fame with a career that reads like a how-to book for legends. As a player and then a coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, he was part of two NBA championship teams. Among his numerous career achievements, he was named to the 1966 NBA All-Rookie Team and three All-NBA First Teams. In 1996, he was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Honors: Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1986); NBA champion (1967); All-NBA First Team (1969-71); All-NBA Second Team (1972); Four-Time All-Star; One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996), ABA Honors: MVP (1973); All-Star First Team (1973).