There are two reasons I have found that most NBA fans wear particular jerseys.
The first and most obvious reason is to represent their teams and favorite players performing for them. The other is simply that they like the colors, and it matches certain outfits they like to wear. For me, an avid throwback jersey collector, it represents so much more. It represents the history of the game and the reason I sit before you today, writing about the game I love. Two of the most iconic jersey colors throughout history have been gold and black, with some of the game’s greatest players donning these colors at one point in their careers.
In our seven-game matchup series, we will pit the game’s greatest players that have either worn gold or black against each other. The two teams are made up of NBA legends who made these colors what they are today and represented them well throughout their careers. These two teams will feature MVPs, champions, and NBA legends who were considered unstoppable, especially in the NBA Finals. In the end, we will break down the advantages of each team and decide which ones outweigh the others as a series unfolds between them.
All-Time Gold Team: Stephen Curry, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal
All-Time Black Team: Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan
This is the All-Time Gold Team vs. the All-Time Black Team in a seven-game series.
Stephen Curry vs. Allen Iverson
Credit: Fadeaway World
The matchup between Stephen Curry and Allen Iverson is one that we have covered extensively in the past. Where Curry excels most is in his work off the ball and moving around screens. In this case, that is exactly what he will do with Iverson, trying to wear him down and get open shots at his discretion. As far as defense goes, Curry will have an incredibly tough time with any matchup that he is given against the Black Team, so his best bet is to try and cover Iverson to the best of his ability.
For Iverson, the game plan against Curry is simple and something he did his entire career. Iverson will want to bring the fight to Curry, which means attacking the lane as often as possible. When Iverson does this, he will either blow right by Curry or find an open, cutting teammate for a score. On defense, Iverson must know that the off-ball screens are coming, so fighting through them is a must to keep curry contained from deep. This matchup is one that puts fans in the seats as these two scorers will undoubtedly slug it out against one another.
Magic Johnson vs. Michael Jordan
Credit: Fadeaway World
There was a point in NBA history when we witnessed Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan go head-to-head on the biggest stage during the 1991 NBA Finals. In this case, Magic will not need to be a scorer in any sense of the word and could easily just be there to be a playmaker and push the pace down the court, opening up several opportunities for the Gold Team. Magic will want to get out of fast breaks because, in set offenses, Jordan will have his number.
As for Jordan, there aren’t many players in NBA history who could contain him on offense. He will get to his spots no matter who is across from him, and Magic Johnson being there is no different. Jordan will want to get to the rim as often as possible and should have no issues getting around Magic on the perimeter. He should also have no issues once he gets to the paint and rises up for his beautiful mid-range jumper. The only issue that the six-time Finals MVP should have against Johnson is the difference in height which Jordan can overcome with patience and quick bursts of speed.
Kobe Bryant vs. Scottie Pippen
Credit: Fadeaway World
This is the first matchup where I feel that one team has a major advantage. As great of a defender as Pippen is, I do not believe that he has a great chance against Kobe Bryant. On the perimeter, Pippen may make it tougher for Bryant to penetrate the lanes as often as he did, but at the same time, this is Kobe Bryant we are talking about. If he is able to get Pippen in the post or the paint, there will be nothing Pippen can do to contain Kobe’s signature fadeaway or mid-range jumper.
As for Pippen, the only hope he truly has of being a factor on offense is on fast breaks and in transition. Pippen was not a great outside shooter, so Kobe will be able to hang back and disrupt passing lanes rather than worry about Pippen knocking down shots. Pippen’s defense will be his biggest contribution, and that is if he can keep Bryant at bay in any way possible. Pippen’s chemistry is a big factor with Jordan by his side, but that may not even be enough to help him with the tough task of containing Kobe Bryant.
LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant
Credit: Fadeaway World
Another matchup that we have seen on the biggest stage before is the one between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. We watched as Durant handled James with ease in the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals, but there is one major difference here that works in LeBron’s favor. LeBron has better weapons around him than at any other time in his career with the Cavaliers, allowing him to become a far more dangerous player as a scorer and playmaker. Being able to use his weapons, such as Curry, Kobe, and Shaq, works tremendously in James’ favor and will make for a far more even matchup with the ball in LeBron’s hands.
For Durant, he doesn’t need to change much from what he was doing in the Finals with Lebron across from him. Durant stands at nearly seven feet tall and handles the ball as if he were a guard. He creates shots with the utmost grace and knocks down shots from everywhere on the floor, including the mid-range, where he shoots with an all-time great efficiency. Durant is going to get his looks and baskets no matter the situation, but the pressure comes off him with all-time great scorers such as Jordan and Iverson alongside him.
Shaquille O’Neal vs. Tim Duncan
Credit: Fadeaway World
For our fifth and final matchup, we have a good, old-fashioned 2000s battle of the bigs as Shaq and Tim Duncan square off like they have many times before. For Shaq, the recipe is simple as the greatest center of the 2000s. Get the ball in the post and go to work. Feed off the fact that you have the best shooter ever and one of the greatest playmakers ever at your behest, not to mention the chemistry that Shaq and Kobe already share. Shaq will know where to be at all times when this team hits the court, the only thing that may slow him down is Tim Duncan.
Tim Duncan enjoyed success on both sides of the ball in the battles between him and Shaq, but Shaq only had Kobe then and not the weapons mentioned above. Duncan is one of the smartest players ever and will force Shaq into situations that are unfavorable for him many times on the defensive end, but not enough to stop him from being Shaq. Duncan will make it one of the highlighted matchups of the series but is at a disadvantage heading into the seven games.
All-Time Gold Team’s Advantages
Each team has its advantages in this matchup, and we get things started with the Gold Team. The first big advantage of the entire team on offense at all three levels. First, you have three guys who can get going from beyond the arc, including the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry. Kobe is a master at the mid-range shot, and he, James, and Shaq are all elite threats at the rim. The defense from the Black Team is tremendous, but even they will have their issues containing the threats from all angles from the Gold Team.
The next big advantage for the Gold Team is their playmaking. With Magic Johnson and LeBron James, they have perhaps the two greatest playmakers to ever step foot on a court. On fast breaks and in transition, the beauty of the ball movement will be pure art, with Magic leading the way and James finishing things off. James’ big threat is on his drives to the basket and ability to find open teammates wherever they will be. As far as creating for themselves and their teammates, the Gold Team reigns supreme.
All-Time Black Team’s Advantages
Make no mistake about it, the Black Team also holds some advantages over their opponent. First, one clear advantage has to be the mismatch they impose on the defensive side of the ball. Jordan and Pippen will have their hands full with their assignments, but the way they work off each other on that side of the ball will be flawless. On the interior, Tim Duncan is the key to the success of his team by the way he can handle Shaq in a series. With he and Shaq being the only true big men on the floor, Duncan’s work on the glass is imperative as well.
I know this second advantage will raise a lot of eyebrows, but as someone who witnessed the Jordan effect, the mere presence of His Airness is an advantage in itself. We all know that in his prime, Jordan was the ultimate competitor who simply would not allow his teams to lose after years of falling short. Jordan will do everything in his power as a scorer and playmaker to make sure this series at least goes the distance of seven games and make it one of the better series that NBA fans have ever seen.
Who Would Win This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?
This all-time fantastic matchup gets started off with a war in Game One. LeBron James and Shaq started off hot for the Gold Team with a beautiful inside-outside game that worked to perfection. Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant responded quickly for the Black Team netting 23 points each in the first half. Kobe Bryant would take over in the third quarter with 14 points to build a nice lead for the Gold Team. In the end, Shaq, LeBron, and Kobe carried their squad to victory, and the Golde Teal takes a 1-0 lead in the series.
Game Two would start off with Allen Iverson torching Curry for 21 first-quarter points. Curry would respond by knocking down 6 first-half three-pointers, and the Gold Team would lead after the first. Michael Jordan went nuclear in the second and third quarters, going for 27 of his 40 points in those two periods. Shaq had a much tougher time with Duncan this time out, allowing the Black Team’s perimeter players to go to work. After two games, the series is tied 1-1.
A potential series-shifting Game three featured an absolute battle between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. With Magic leading the way as the key facilitator, James worked off the ball beautifully and scored off many looks from Magic at the perimeter. Durant had zero issues creating for himself from the perimeter but particularly benefitted from the double-teams on Jordan and found many opportunities at easy looks that way. The game went back and forth, but in the end, it would be Curry who had the last laugh. He went 8-9 from three alone in the fourth quarter to lead the Gold Team to victory and take a 2-1 series lead.
Game Four would be all about the backcourt for the Black Team. Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan had their way with Magic and Curry on the perimeter, finding penetration and easy looks at the rim regularly. The Gold Team had their way with Shaq in the post once again, as well as Magic finding passing lanes from every spot he hit on the court. The late push from the Gold Team wouldn’t be enough to overcome 54 points from Jordan and 29 from Iverson as the Black Team evens things up at two games apiece.
The fifth game starts off with some fireworks as teams got heated, seeking an advantage in this highly testy series. After things calmed down, Michael Jordan went to work for the Black Team, going off for 30 first-half points. James and Kobe would respond in a big way in the second half, combining for 68 points in the game between the two of them. In the end, it was Jordan and Durant who would have the last laugh as the Black Team earned a 3-2 series advantage.
In Game Six, LeBron James came out inspired to prove himself to the world and got off to a hot start. Stephen Curry cashed in his perimeter opportunities, and Shaq once again got the best of Duncan in the paint. Iverson and Jordan did their best to keep pace, but the three-ball was raining down in this contest as Curry scored a series-high 55 points on 13-19 shooting from deep. The Gold Team would even up the series behind an inspired performance from their shooter and force a series-deciding Game Seven.
As anticipated, the decisive Game Seven would feature each team in an all out battle for ultimate bragging rights. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant got things going early for the Gold Team, and Tim Duncan finally got things working inside for the Black Team. This opened up Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant a tremendous amount as Duncan needed to be doubled at certain times to stop the bleeding. Kobe would step up and take over, with Pippen completely baffled as to how to stop him. Jordan did all he could to keep the game within his grasp, but in the end, the Gold Team just has too much firepower, and they claim the seventh and final game behind Bryant’s 49-point closeout performance.
All-Time Gold Team vs. All-Time Black Team 4-3
Series MVP: Kobe Bryant
Source: fadeawayworld
