As NBA fans, the jersey numbers of our favorite players are engrained into our memories like a family holiday or any other jovial moment in our lives.
We grow up wanting to emulate our heroes by donning their numbers ourselves, hoping to extract any bit of magic we possibly can from the number on our backs. Two of the most iconic numbers in NBA history are 23 and 34. Some of the greatest players in the game’s history have worn these 2 numbers on their jerseys and represented them with the utmost style and grace that one can on the basketball court.
Today, we are going to take the best players that have worn these numbers and pit them against each other in a fantasy-style matchup. Each position and its respective matchup will be broken down carefully, and in the end, the better team will come out on top. Each team will have distinct advantages that could potentially lead them to victory as well. All of that will be uncovered, and then some in this epic duel between NBA legends of the past and present featuring some of the best MVP winners and champions we have ever seen. It is time to get into the matchup and break it down to the best of our ability.
This is the All-Time No. 23 Superteam vs. All-Time No. 34 superteam breakdown.
LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce
Credit: Fadeaway World
We kick things off with a matchup we watched extensively through the 2000s and 2010s. LeBron James led numerous teams to victory over Paul Pierce-led teams during this time, and Pierce also recorded a few wins as well. James will be utilizing his size, speed, and power in a matchup against Pierce. James will be able to take him into the post and have his way with him or take him completely out of the defensive picture from the perimeter with his passing and playmaking skills. James can also choose to go into attack mode against the smaller and slightly weaker Pierce.
For Pierce, he will have to do a few things to try and slow down James on the defensive end. One is to get as physical as possible with LeBron. James doesn’t like when the opposition turns it into a physical game, so Pierce has to use any possible way he can to throw LeBron off his game. On offense, Pierce will want to move without the ball as much as possible and utilize his outside shooting as well as his medium-range shooting. If Pierce attacks, it is strictly to bait LeBron into foul trouble because getting by the bigger and faster James is something that will not happen too often.
Michael Jordan vs. Charles Barkley
The next matchup is an unorthodox one, yet we saw him multiple times, including in the 1993 NBA Finals. Michael Jordan will be going up against a bigger opponent in Charles Barkley, which gives both players advantages on offense. For Jordan, his speed and his efficiency will be his best weapons. Jordan will dominate from the mid-range like he always does, and Barkley will struggle to stop him from attacking the basket. On defense, Jordan will just have to keep Barkley in front of him as much as possible with no real threat of outside shooting.
Barkley is going to want to take this matchup to the paint as much as possible. The lanes will be clogged, considering the size of the No. 34 superteam, but they can open things up for Barkley as the game goes on. Barkley has to use his size at every turn, as it is his only advantage over Jordan. With Barkley spread out to the wing, the matchup will fall right into Jordan’s hands if that is where he remains. Look for Barkley to make his way to the low post early and often if the rotations allow for it.
Jimmy Butler vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo
The matchup at the small forward position is one that falls heavily into the hands of the No. 34 superteam. Jimmy Butler will want to consistently get to the mid-range and attack the basket as much as possible as a career 32.2% 3-point shooter. The length of Giannis is what will give Butler trouble creating for himself for the most part, but if he can be in constant motion off the ball, he will be just fine. Butler’s talent speaks for itself, but he has a tall task ahead of him in Giannis.
For Giannis in this matchup, the recipe for success is simple. Get into the pain as often as possible. With a distinct size and strength advantage over Butler, Giannis will have no problems taking it to Butler repeatedly on the offensive end. Giannis’ weakness lies in his shooting, so the best bet for the No. 34 superteam would be to clear a path for Antetokounmpo in set situations. In transition, the mismatch grows even larger with Giannis’ ability to run the floor and finish. Things look bleak for Team No. 23 with these 2 against each other.
Draymond Green vs. Hakeem Olajuwon
Credit: Fadeaway World
As much as LeBron James will serve as the primary playmaker for the No. 23 superteam, Draymond Green will step into that role just the same. Green is not an offensive threat to score the ball, especially up against one of the best defenders in basketball history. What he will try to do is move his game to the perimeter and take Olajuwon out of his element from there. Green will be a valuable defender, but it will not amount to much when you consider the distinct size and skill advantages Hakeem holds over Green.
As far as Olajuwon goes, he can take advantage of this mismatch in any way he wants to. In the low post, Hakeem will embarrass Green with his impeccable footwork and wide array of post moves that stifled defenders for most of his career. Olajuwon can step out from the post as well and knock down short to medium jumpers if need be. However, Green will most likely try to front Olajuwon and not allow him to establish a position. This will backfire if Hakeem gets possession of the ball as an elite finisher around the rim. The advantage goes to the No. 34 superteam once again.
Anthony Davis vs. Shaquille O’Neal
The final matchup in this fantasy series between the No. 23 superteam and the No. 34 superteam sees Anthony Davis face off against one of the most dominant big men in NBA history. Davis will be relied upon by the No. 23 superteam for his interior defense and rim protection. As the biggest player on the team, Davis, unfortunately, draws the matchup with an even bigger and stronger Shaq. Davis will have to utilize his ability to shoot the ball in 2-point range at least in order to get favorable possessions against O’Neal. The most important part of his offense will be the ability to read the defense and flip sides of the court as often as possible to get the ball to his shot creators.
For Shaq, the recipe is simple to dominate his matchup against Davis. The paint is where Shaq won every matchup in his career and where he will win his matchup against Davis. As great of a defender as Davis is, Shaq’s strength and finishing around the hoop will prove to be far too much for him to control. If Shaq can establish his physical presence early, this will wear down Davis to the point he is submissive to Shaq’s offensive possessions or exits the game injured and exhausted.
No. 23 Superteam Advantages
Each team will have a couple of advantages they will try to utilize to win this series. For the No. 23 superteam, their first advantage will be the pace of play. With a much smaller and more versatile lineup, the No. 23 superteam will want to run fast and run often to gain an advantage over the No. 34 superteam. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler will lead the way with this as well as Draymond who will be looked at as a facilitator on the run. The only way to combat size is with speed, and the No. 23 superteam has plenty of it.
The next advantage for the No. 23 superteam will be their shooting. No, I am not talking about just shooting from beyond the arc because that is not the only aspect of shooting the ball, contrary to popular belief by fans who just started watching in the 2010s. For the No. 23 superteam, their shooting will be from medium and mid-range, where they have some of the best creators in that area. Michael Jordan is the King of the mid-range, so that is where he will operate. The same can be said for Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, and James. Their games will be to attack and create from those areas in order to give the No. 23 superteam a chance.
Team No. 34 Advantages
The advantages for the No. 34 superteam are glaring and what will most likely let them cruise to an easy victory. The first of these advantages, as obvious as it is, is size. The No. 34 superteam is loaded with size from top to bottom. Paul Pierce and Charles Barkley make up the backcourt of the team, and those are 2 guys who played forward for most of their careers. This team is so big Giannis has to play the small forward position to make it work. Size can be an issue with endurance and stamina, but with these 5, nothing will be an issue.
The second most obvious advantage for the No. 34 superteam will be on the defensive side of the ball. This isn’t to say that there are good defenders on the No. 23 superteam, but with Hakeem Olajuwon and Giannis their presence is going to make it a nightmare at the rim for the No. 23 superteam. Olajuwon and Giannis can hold down the paint, while Shaq will need to serve as help for Team No. 34 when LeBron and Jordan inevitably make their way into the paint. Rim protection and paint presence are key for the No. 34 superteam, and they have plenty of it.
Who Would Win This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?
The matchup in Game 1 of this undoubtedly epic series kicks off in a battle of two duos. For the No. 23 superteam, the duo of Jordan and LeBron go into full attack mode and account for well over half of the team’s offense, as well as being their 2 best defenders. For the No. 34 superteam, their duo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal dominate the paint in a big way. The first game of this series goes to the No. 34 superteam behind a combined 75 points and 34 rebounds from Hakeem and Shaq, with Hakeem adding 7 blocks as well.
In Game 2, the first half belonged to Michael Jordan as the superstar dropped 24 first-half points on 8-12 shooting from the floor to build a lead for the No. 23 superteam heading into halftime. In the second half, Giannis Antetokounmpo began to insert his name into the conversation in the series with a few spectacular defensive plays to begin the half, which led to big-time breakaway finishes. The rest of the No. 34 superteam tried to feed off the spark Giannis led them with for the rest of the second half, but the duo of James and Jordan was too much as James led the way with 41 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds. The No. 23 superteam wins Game 2 to even up the series, 121-113.
Game 3 was more of the same from LeBron and MJ to begin the contest, but more importantly, Anthony Davis began to get involved on both sides of the ball. Davis led the No. 23 superteam on both offense and defense in the first half with 24 points and 3 blocks. The momentum the No. 23 superteam built up would not last too long as Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaq stepped up big once again. The No. 34 superteam held their opponents to just 49 second-half points behind Olajuwon’s defense, and they ran away with a 2-1 series lead behind 38 points and 17 rebounds from Shaq. The No. 34 superteam wins 119-108.
In Game 4, Michael Jordan elevated his game to a point we have only seen less than 10 times before in his career. Jordan was on a mission to bring the No. 23 superteam to an even series once again and began the first half with a display of both defensive and offensive highlights for the ages and finished the half with 32 points on 63.0% shooting from the floor. The momentum continued in the second half, with Jordan embarrassing Barkley and Pierce in every which way. Jordan would go on to record 67 points on 59.0% shooting to lead a blowout of the No. 34 superteam, 139-114.
With the series tied at 2 games apiece, both teams were looking for the x-factor to step up and help them get out to a slight advantage in the series. Draymond Green would step up and be that guy for the No. 23 superteam. His defensive efforts on Olajuwon and Shaq set the tone for the decisive Game 5 and allowed the No. 23 superteam’s stars to shine. Michael Jordan finished the game with 45 points while James added 30, and the No. 23 superteam takes a 3-2 series lead.
Game 6 would be a back-and-forth battle between two superstars for each team. Michael Jordan once again led the way for the No. 23 superteam on both ends of the court. He got some help from LeBron and Jimmy Butler on the defensive end, pestering the No. 34’s bigs into a few silly turnovers. Hakeem and Shaq did their best to keep the game close, but in the end, nobody could stop the duo of LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Of course, Jordan led the way in Game 6 with 39 points and 9 assists, while James contributed 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. The No. 23 superteam wins the series 4 games to 2.
Final Result: No. 23 All-Time Superteam vs. No. 34 All-Time Superteam 4-2
Series MVP: Michael Jordan
Source: fadeawayworld
