Best of the best: A look at every NBA team's all-time starting 5

As part of the upcoming NBA 2K18 video game, all-time rosters comprised of the greatest players from the league's 30 franchises will be made available.

All eras will be accounted for, with only the best of the best making the cut.

Here's a look at which players deserve to comprise each starting lineup, based on a set of criteria that includes individual accomplishments, statistics, and overall value/significance to their respective team's history.

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Atlanta Hawks

"The Human Highlight Film" in Wilkins gives a lineup that would have been otherwise fairly yawn-inducing a much needed injection of pizzazz. Atlanta hasn't always deployed the most exciting brand of basketball, yet, for the most part, it gets the job done.

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Boston Celtics

Millennials will need to jump in their hot tub time machines to truly appreciate four-fifths of this iconic band of Boston studs. There's enough jewelry and hardware here to put other entire franchises to shame. With so many Hall of Famers to pick from, it's almost criminal to try and narrow down a lineup to only five guys, as if to suggest the others aren't worthy.

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Brooklyn Nets

Kidd and Erving are the major locks, and both Williams and Lopez have the counting stats in their favor despite otherwise forgettable tenures. Carter will be remembered first and foremost as a Raptor, but played just 29 fewer games for the Nets, plus the franchise's wing depth drops off dramatically after Dr. J.

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Charlotte Hornets

Original Hornets favorites are eligible for the squad, so Curry, Johnson, and 'Zo are in over the likes of Bobcats prisoners players Emeka Okafor and Stephen Jackson. Wallace averaged 16-8-2 with strong defense over parts of seven seasons, joining Walker as the only ties to the Bobcats quagmire.

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Chicago Bulls

You could surround His Airness with any four players, and still end up with quite the formidable lineup. Those six titles don't happen without Pippen and the rainbow-haired Rodman (second half of three-peat) in tow, though. Rose will forever be the Windy City's hometown boy, and that MVP win of his was no accident.

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Cleveland Cavaliers

Contrary to popular belief, the Cavaliers actually trotted out players before the LeBron phenomenon got underway. The King is a team unto himself, so hopefully Irving can swallow his pride just a little bit longer and continue being the Robin to LeBron's Batman for the sake of this group.

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Dallas Mavericks

The pre-Dirk days weren't overflowing with NBA icons; only three Mavs players have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame - and Alex English, Adrian Dantley, and Rodman played just 167 games in Dallas overall. Still, the other four from the 1980-2000 stretch could score with the best of them.

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Denver Nuggets

English was one of the great scorers of the 1980s, making nine straight All-Star games; he's still just one of 24 players to crack 25,000 points in a career. Dikembe Mutombo was a tough snub, but played just five seasons in Denver, coming up short against Issel's stature as the franchise's first star.

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Detroit Pistons

We could be talking about Hill in the same breath as Jordan and LeBron had injuries not gotten the better of him. With three Bad Boys and Big Ben, this Pistons quintet would send you to the ground in a heap and not be the least bit remorseful.

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Golden State Warriors

Curry has done more than his fair share to warrant inclusion, Mullin and Barry are prime-time scorers, and The Stilt is one of the greatest to ever play the game. The hardest call is between Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Green, who ultimately gets the nod.

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Houston Rockets

Houston, we're going to be a (welcome) problem down low with Hakeem "The Dream," who brought a level of finesse and sophistication to his position that no one has replicated since. It's hard to forget McGrady dropping 13 points in 35 seconds once, and Harden's transition to point guard in 2016-17 got rave reviews.

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Indiana Pacers

The Pacers don't have the deepest pool to draw from, but pairing the elite shooting of Miller and the two-way ability of PG13 at least ensures solid wing production. Daniels was an ABA star from a bygone era; the spacing alongside O'Neal might be cramped, but at least the team will be strong on the boards.

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Los Angeles Clippers

"Lob City" didn't have to die after all. The airways will be clear for Paul and Griffin to continue their aerial act, and really, isn't that combination what ultimately made the Clippers relevant after decades of being an afterthought?

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Los Angeles Lakers

Magic and Kareem? The Black Mamba and the Big Aristotle? Lakers fans are drooling all over themselves thinking of combining those two dynamic duos into one unstoppable, perhaps unbeatable, killing machine. Oh, and there's still the 27.4 career points per game from Baylor to top it all off.

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Memphis Grizzlies

Having never made it past the Western Conference finals, the Grizzlies lack the talent necessary to create a truly dangerous starting five. The Gasol brothers serve as the only two to make an All-Star team, while Pau is the lone player of the bunch to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

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Miami Heat

A Heatles reunion tour in South Beach would sell out quickly, and it only took four seasons (and four straight Finals appearances, mind you) to leave their giant footprint on the sport. With Hardaway crossing his way past defenders, and 'Zo manning the middle, the Heat will be muy caliente as always.

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Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks love flying under the radar, but when you turn back the clock, you'll see that they possessed some key figures from the '70s and '80s, making them hard to ignore. Kareem and Robertson are legends of the game, while Johnson and Moncrief were instant offense during their heyday.

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Minnesota Timberwolves

With the two Kevins holding down the frontcourt, the Timberwolves have the ability to do some serious damage inside. Marbury and Szczerbiak were both quality offensive players in their prime, while Rubio is one of the top passing point guards of the last decade.

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New Orleans Pelicans

Since we're only going back to 2002-03 when former Hornets owner George Shinn relocated his team, there's not a ton to work with here. An argument can be made that Davis is currently a top-five talent in the Association, but because he's with the underwhelming Pelicans, it's easy to forget how special he is.

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New York Knicks

This team has it all: passing, scoring, and a whole lot of grit in the paint. While there's no denying Ewing's physicality, the Knicks' all-time win shares leader could focus even more attention on the defensive end, allowing Houston and 'Melo to go to work on offense from the perimeter.

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Oklahoma City Thunder

Reunited, and it feels so good. Well, maybe not for Durant, who may have chosen to erase from memory his time taking the floor with the ball-dominant Westbrook. At least the Glove is around from the Seattle Supersonics era to keep peace and order, and even steal the ball to run the offense as he sees fit if Westbrook gets trigger-happy.

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Orlando Magic

Two Supermans. Two behemoths of the paint. Two giants ... who are both going to demand the ball. Still, good luck to the opposition in holding their ground against Howard and O'Neal, while accounting for Hardaway's dribble penetration, T-Mac's takeover ability, and Anderson's outside shooting.

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Philadelphia 76ers

No need to "Trust the Process" here. Philly will have plenty of (City of Brotherly) love for these workhorses, led by Iverson's never-say-die attitude and Barkley's rugged, enforcer-like approach to the game. Malone was just as imposing a figure around the basket as a Sixer as he was with the Rockets, as well, and that's saying something.

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Phoenix Suns

The star trio of the "7 Seconds or Less" Suns might have peaked a decade too early in the NBA, which has only doubled down on transition offense and 3-point shooting. Sir Charles would need to stay in shape to keep up the pace, but the Round Mound of Rebound slots in nicely as a small-ball four.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Terry Porter, who averaged 15-3-7 over 10 seasons, is a tough snub, but Dame and "the Glide" are locks, and Vandeweghe's peak was much higher. The frontcourt is just as packed, with Aldridge and Walton pushing favorites like Rasheed Wallace, Arvydas Sabonis, and Clifford Robinson to reserve roles.

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Sacramento Kings

Webber and Cousins are both dynamic, physical scorers who also happen to be two of the best passing big men to grace the hardcourt; any trio of competent backcourt scorers would thrive playing around them, let alone with Big O running the point.

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San Antonio Spurs

One look at this Spurs lineup will put into perspective how crucial it is to draft well. Duncan and Robinson went first overall, but as we've seen in the past, the No. 1 pick isn't always a surefire winner. Parker, Ginobili, and Leonard were gems discovered outside of the lottery. San Antonio gets the most bang for its buck like perhaps no other organization ever, and that's been key to its longevity.

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Toronto Raptors

Time heals all wounds, and the scars left by Carter's 2004 departure have healed over splendidly with the "We The North" movement spreading like wildfire in Canada. Lowry and DeRozan are the clear-cut Raptors backcourt, and no one was more popular than a motivated "Air Canada" Carter, whose contributions to the Canadian ball scene are still felt to this day.

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Utah Jazz

"Stockton to Malone" was a heck of a good time out in Salt Lake City, albeit one that couldn't get over the hump during Jordan's peak. Their mastery of the pick-and-roll was a sight to behold, and the backbone of a Jazz team that had permanent residence in the Western Conference playoff picture.

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Washington Wizards

It's fun to imagine this team working in transition; Unseld was a famously spectacular outlet passer, and with Wall's speed and Arenas' penchant for big shots, defenders would be hard-pressed to stop this (very) fast break.