Numerous media outlets are reporting that the Los Angeles Lakers are shopping the expiring contract of guard Sasha Vujacic around the NBA in a possible attempt to clear up cap space with the intentions of re-signing Shannon Brown.

Brown is rumored to have received a contract offer from the New York Knicks, and Lakers' general manager Mitch Kupchak has previously stated one of his main directives for the offseason was re-signing Brown.

Rumors say Kupchak has been in discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves about the possibility of acquiring Delonte West, who just came over from Cleveland, in exchange for Vujacic.

Most Laker fans seem to prefer Brown's athleticism and energy over Vujacic's inconsistency, but that may be because of coach Phil Jackson's decision to limit Vujacic's playing time.

Vujacic was once seen as an important piece to the Lakers' team, but as his shot began to fall less, and his scrappy defense became less consistent, he fell out of favor with Jackson.

Vujacic doesn't have Brown's athleticism, but he does have qualities which make him just as valuable to the Lakers, although Kupchak seems to favor Brown's potential over Vujacic.

Brown has the tools to be a superior defensive player, but he trails Vujacic in defensive fundamentals and discipline, and if Sasha could ever regain his confidence, he is a far better perimeter scorer.

At times Brown appeared to be lost on the defensive end, and this was illustrated in the Lakers' playoff series against the Phoenix Suns where Brown was constantly caught out of position.

Brown's confusion on how to defend the Suns' pick and roll often led to him double teaming in the post, while leaving the perimeter wide open for the Suns' capable perimeter scorers.

Vujacic saw more minutes in the Suns' series than he did at any time during the postseason mostly because of Brown and Farmar's inability to read screens correctly.

Vujacic, for the most part performed admirably, but his decent defense was lost in a crucial defensive mistake that could have cost the Lakers Game Six.

A flagrant foul by Vujacic at the start of the fourth quarter in Game Six fueled a Suns' run that didn't end until Kobe Bryant hit a ridiculous three-pointer over Grant Hill while falling out of bounds.

Vujacic was given a chance to redeem himself in Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals when he stepped to the free throw line late in the fourth quarter, and calmly sank two crucial shots.

That showed Vujacic's confidence in his own abilities, and under the circumstances, who would you have rather had at the free throw line at that moment, Brown or Vujacic?

But in all fairness, Vujacic has never lived up to the merits of the contract he signed a few years back, while Brown has dazzled Laker fans with an array of aerial acrobatics.

Brown doesn't shoot as well as Vujacic, but he can hit a spot-up three every now and again, and if he can ever fully adapt to the triangle offense, Brown could be a terror with his quick first step.

Vujacic's energy and the enthusiasm he brings to the defensive end of the floor would surely be missed, but Brown's bigger potential upside makes Vujacic expendable.

Brown did play a much larger role for the Lakers last season than Vujacic, and it's easy to understand the financial merits in Kupchak's decision to possibly part ways with the former fan favorite.

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Popular theory in the NBA says defense wins playoff games and rebounding wins championships, and the Los Angeles Lakers' title in 2010 serves as proof for that theory.

The Lakers may be known for their triangle offense, but the team is defined by their defense, which just happened to be the constant in an otherwise inconsistent regular season.

The Lakers were second only to the Chicago Bulls in rebounding at 44.3 per game during the regular season, and they were third in that category during the playoffs at 42.9 rebounds per game.

It's important to note that the teams ahead of the Lakers were the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, who were both first-round casualties in the postseason.

Rebounding might be the best statistic to measure a team's defense, because a high number shows the opposition is missing shots, and even when the rebounds are offensive, they limit an opponent's possessions.

Those numbers often directly relate to defensive field goal percentage, and the Lakers' 43 percent ranked third behind the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics, who were conference finalists and Finals runner-up, respectively.

Although the Lakers ranked fourth in the postseason at 101 points per game, it's clear their championship was won on the strength of a superior defense, and they have a chance to be even better this season.

It may seem like the Lakers had a pedestrian offseason, but the acquisitions of Theo Ratliff, Matt Barnes, and to a lesser extent Steve Blake, were made for defensive purposes alone.

At 6'7", Barnes gives the Lakers another tall, versatile player who is equally comfortable defending on the perimeter or post, and he has the quickness to defend point guards on occasion.

The Lakers basically have three elite perimeter defenders in Barnes, Kobe Bryant, and Ron Artest, and Barnes' presence will also allow Bryant to roam the court more and play off of his defensive instincts.

Blake will fill in for the departed Jordan Farmar, and he is no defensive genius by any means, but he's not likely to be as mistake-prone as Farmar was either.

Farmar had the athleticism and quickness to be an elite defender at the point guard position, but he lacked the discipline and made a number of mistakes due to bad positioning on the court.

Blake is not the same athlete as Farmar, but he is a heady player with a decent long-range shot, and he is more likely to make the smart play instead of the flashy one.

Ratliff joins a front line that includes Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom, and all three excel on the defensive end of the floor.

Ratliff and Bynum give the Lakers a tough, physical presence, while Odom and Gasol provide fundamental defense based on precision and timing.

Gasol may have the best defensive footwork in the NBA, and Bynum's intimidating presence as a shot-blocker and deterrent could have been the main difference for the Lakers in the Finals.

Odom has the potential to be the best defender on the Lakers roster due to his size, range of motion, and pure basketball instincts, but his Achilles' heel has always been consistency.

However, Los Angeles is accustomed to Odom's inconsistent ways and the Lakers have been able to play through those times in light of Odom's occasional brilliance.

The Lakers have the ability to score points in bunches from any point on the floor, but more importantly they have the defensive ability to limit the opposition's scores from anywhere on the court also.

People will rave about the precision and rhythm of the triangle offense, but if the Lakers are to achieve their goal of a three-peat, it will be once again be done on the defensive end of the court.

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Whenever a new force emerges in the NBA, the doubters seem to raise their voices louder than ever before.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that Miami Heat fans find themselves flooded daily by the "expert" opinions of fellow basketball supporters. 

The naysayers and critics have come out in full force, whether it be amateur sports journalists like myself, professional sports analysts, or even former NBA legends.

A news report I found particularly amusing came from LeBron James' former Cleveland teammate Wally Szczerbiak, who claimed that a pairing of LeBron and Dwyane Wade would never translate to on-court success. 

Even here on Bleacher Report the anti-Heat sentiment is overwhelming, and I've recently found myself immersed in negativity.

Hadarri Jones, a friend and fellow Featured Columnist, has been busy pumping out articles reinforcing the fact that the Lakers are the team to beat in 2010-11. If you're a Lakers fan, by the way, make sure you find your way to his page. 

This article is a response to all the doubters, who seem to have forgotten their allegiance to any one team and all joined the "Anti-Heat" squad.

While some may think this is biased, I'll be the first to admit that this is true. Would you expect anything else from a Featured Columnist, and life-long fan of the Heat? Regardless, it is still more objective than a lot of the comments I have been reading from Heat-bashing fans.

In addition, it is quite a lengthy article, and I haven't been able to provide responses to all the questions that doubters have raised. This piece will focus solely on the challengers that the Heat will face in the Eastern Conference. 

It is my belief that the Heat will have no problem reaching the Finals next season, and will dispose of any challenge that is present in the East come playoff time. 

The biggest question mark regarding the Heat's lineup has been the weak link at the center position. How will the Heat contain the likes of Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum? As this article will focus on the East, let's leave Bynum and the Lakers out of the discussion for today. 

In response to Dwight and the Orlando Magic, does it really matter? Too many questions have been asked about how the Heat will defend one or two impact players from other teams, instead of how other teams will stop LeBron and Wade. 

Seriously though, does anyone have the answer to that question? Which of the Magic's players are going to stop LeBron and Wade? Is it going to be Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis or Quentin Richardson? Don't forget notorious defensive liability J.J. Redick! 

In fact let's be realistic and use the term "contain" instead of "stop", because clearly nobody has a chance at stopping the Heat's dynamic duo of perimeter superstars.

Secondly, any fan who thinks Dwight will be able to carry the Magic over the Heat is nuts. Recent history has shown that Dwight lacks the offensive finesse, post-game and mid-range jumper to be a truly dominant offensive player. 

The guy has never averaged more than 20.7 PPG in the playoffs and 20.7 PPG in the regular season, ridiculous when you consider that the league is seriously depleted at his position. He's a ridiculous rebounder and defensive anchor, but unless he's seriously improved offensively this off-season, he's not averaging more than 25 PPG in any given series. 

The Heat know this, which is they have gone out of their way to acquire a list of big bodies who will each take their turn hassling Howard. Zyrundas Ilgauskas, Joel Anthony, Jamaal Magloire and Juwan Howard will be more than capable of completing that simple task.  

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying the Heat will dominate the Magic. I'm just throwing some fact into the fray of ridiculous arguments I've heard recently. In my opinion, Jameer Nelson's ability to get into the heart of the defense will be the x-factor if the Magic are to be victorious. 

Moving on, let's talk about the Boston Celtics. 

Outmatched would be the one word that encapsulates the way I feel about a Celtic-Heat showdown. The "weak-point" now moves from center to point guard, as Kendrick Perkins and Jermaine O'Neal aren't dominating any team inside. 

How will the Heat contain Rajon Rondo? I acknowledge this is slightly harder. Do we see how Mario Chalmers goes throughout the year, and decide closer to the time? What about sticking LeBron or Wade on Rondo? Surely that would work. 

Again I'll counter with this question, how do the Celtics contain LeBron and Wade? Ray Allen is too old to chase Wade around, and Paul Pierce lacks the quickness to contain Wade or LeBron. What about Tony Allen? Oh wait, he's left for Memphis. 

Without Allen slowing Wade in the second half, the Heat would have taken the first game of last season's first round playoff series. Hell that could have changed the outcome of the entire series, and the Celtics may not have even made it out to the Finals in the end. 

That said, the Celts do play great team defense. If that and Rondo is enough to beat the Heat remains to be seen, although all logic points to a negative answer. 

Now that we've exposed the Heat's two biggest threats in the East, who is left? 

The Atlanta Hawks have no chance, so let's not even go there. Charlotte Bobcats? We'll see if they even make the playoffs. An intriguing team is the Milwaukee Bucks, who have a legitimate post-presence in Andrew Bogut and some talented wings. They likely lack the perimeter defense to make significant noise though. 

For the moment I'll call the Chicago Bulls the dark-horse to legitimately contest with the Heat. I'm a big advocate of Derrick Rose as the future point guard of the league, but I think the Bulls are too lacking on the wings on both offense and defense. 

If you've managed to get through this entire article I commend and thank-you for your attention and time. If you've just skimmed the page and are picking up reading here, let me clear things up and leave you with a bold prediction.

My intention is not to preach mindless garbage about how the Heat are the best thing since sliced bread. It is merely to provide some counter-arguments to the questions raised by Heat doubters. You may as well know both sides of the story if you're going to indulge in Heat-bashing. 

Haters can raise whatever doubts what they want, but this is history in the making. Whether the Heat will win the championship in 2010-11, or more specifically beat the Lakers, is a debate for another day. The Heat will however, have no problem disposing of any and every opponent in the East that stands between them and the NBA Finals. 

You can take that to the bank. 

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It has come to this. Bustabucket celebrity and noted shakedown enthusiast Sheed has gone underground, and nobody seems to know why.

Perhaps his reclusiveness is the inevitable result of overexposure. We see it with actors all the time, being too famous for too long is hard on one’s mental health.

Is Sheed enduring a self-imposed exile on some tiny Tahitian atoll, desperately clinging to whatever shred of sanity his mind can capture?

Or is he, as T-Mac’s (the famous bustabucket commentor, not the obscure basketball player) journey implied , locked away in a cabin in northern ? Is Cdub with him?

As of now we have only unsubstantiated rumors picked up from encrypted international e-mail chatter and anonymous internet message boards.

The following is what we know.

April 29, 2010: Sheed’s last post - " Game 6 Preview: Blazers v. Suns "

This entry wasn’t written by the same Sheed that we had come to love; the enthusiastic young man (?) with undeniable flair and unending charisma. This was a passionless vampire robot copy & pasting clichés from the How Sportswriter’s Suck trifold informational pamphlet.

“Do or die time” and “buckle down and win one at home” both make cameos, as does “terrible offensive game plan and bad defense,” which must be played out because it has been used to describe every single game ever coached by Nate McMillan. Sheed didn't even have the heart to call this a shakedown.

Maybe Game 6 finally broke Sheed. It was an inglorious end to a frustrating season of injuries and power struggles. If this entry is evidence that Sheed’s enthusiasm was on life support, Game 6 could have pulled the plug.

July 11, 2010: Sheed deletes twitter account

Over 1,000 Sheedophiles cut off without warning. In a search for answers some call out my name , but I too am in the dark. I too am floating in empty space. The night grows colder, my blogs less coherent.

J uly 13, 2010: Sheed comments, or does he?

A comment is left by an individual named “Sheed,” three days after the post has been written and two days after anyone else has bothered to read it. Is it the Sheed? If so, why surface in a place guaranteed to be ignored? The mystery deepens.

July 25, 2010: Reported Sheed sighting

Commenting legend Scotty B uses awful Chris Paul entry as platform to announce a Sheed sighting at a wedding. No further details are provided, making triangulation of Sheed’s possible hideout locations impossible.

July 27, 2010: Mysterious E-Mail

I receive an e-mail from an anonymous sender with an agenda. The subject line reads “Scotty B” and the contents consist of only a YouTube video, which I’ve embedded below. Clearly, someone is running a smear campaign aimed at discrediting Scotty B. Is it Sheed himself?

Whoever the culprit it’s clear that their plan backfired. All this video does is make me want to hang out with Scotty B. That guy owns the dance floor and is by all accounts awesome.

Considering the recent spike in Sheedtivity I believe that he is close. When and if he surfaces again, we must be ready. Send me any tips regarding his whereabouts or plans. Or drop them in the comments, if you dare.

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We’ve all speculated about it as kids reading comic books or watching cartoons. What would happen if we combined Spider-Man’s hyper-agility with Wolverine’s indestructibility? Merged Magneto’s metal mastery with Professor X’s telepathy? Or gave Green Lantern’s ring to Superman? That would be a force unlike the world has ever seen.

Enter the Miami Heat. This is the collection of superpowers we all dreamed of, but never imagined possible. This is the stuff of fantasy and science fiction. The Heat are the billion dollar, gene-spliced, mutant bionic team.

They are so good, at least on paper, that they should almost be illegal. And if it were up to Mark Cuban, they would be.

Perhaps no team has ever been constructed quite like the Heat, with two of the game’s three best players consciously joining forces while still in their prime. Even the Boston Celtics trio, who became champions in their first year together, were already in the twilights of their careers.

However, there is a team of the past that bears a resemblance to the Heat.

In 1982, Moses Malone of the Houston Rockets and Julius Erving of the Philadelphia 76ers were two of the top three players in the world. Both were on the All-NBA first team. Erving was the dominant player of his era at his position, and Malone was the most powerful force inside.

Both had led their teams to the Finals before, and lost. Both were desperate to win.

In the summer of that year, Moses Malone was acquired by the 76ers to form, with Julius Erving, one of the most potent one-two combinations the league had ever seen. That team went on to win 65 games in the regular season, then romped through the playoffs, going 12-1 en route to a championship.

The team they faced in the Finals? The Los Angeles Lakers. That Lakers team, however, was depleted by injury. The 76ers would go on to sweep the Lakers in the Finals.

That Sixers team is considered one of the best teams in NBA history. Can we compare them to the current Miami Heat team? Not yet, not even close – the Heat have yet to play a game, and the playoffs are still but an oasis on the horizon.

In talent, however, this Heat team parallels that great Sixers team. Like Erving and Malone, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are two of the three best players in the league—not to mention Chris Bosh, one of the league’s top power forwards.

However, it isn’t just talent that defines greatness. The whole of that Sixers team was even greater than the sum of their parts, and oh what a sum it was. The Sixers were equal parts glamour and grit, and their superstars complemented each other perfectly.

Julius Erving, aka Dr. J, dazzled with his high-flying, silky smooth act, while Malone was a force of nature in the paint, overpowering lesser men. They formed a relentless, two-pronged attack that most teams were simply unable to defend.

If the Heat are to find that kind of success, their stars must find a similar synergy of superpowers. Unlike the Sixers, the Heat lack a true dominant big man, the sort of post scorer, rebounder, and defender that has been the centerpiece of most championship teams.

Though Bosh is very talented, he is not a franchise big man; he is no Shaq, Kareem, Duncan, or Chamberlain. He isn’t even a Moses Malone. He just lacks the physical strength and size to consistently impose his will in the paint.

The Heat thus would seem to have a gaping hole in the middle, by comparison to past championship teams.

The Heat’s greatest weakness, however, may also be its greatest strength. The NBA is a different league now than it was in Kareem’s day, or even Shaq’s. There are very few superstar centers left in the NBA, and even fewer of them are dominant scorers.

Dwight Howard, for all his power, is not a top-tier scorer and Yao Ming is plagued by injury. Duncan is still great, but on the downslope of his career, and Shaq is a shadow of his former self. That leaves Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, and Chris Bosh, all of whom are finesse players, belying their titles as "power forwards".

Let’s face it, the NBA of our day is a finesse league.The increasing enforcement of hand-checking rules over the last few years, and the softening of “illegal defense” rules, has made powerful scoring centers somewhat obsolete. It has become easier than ever for perimeter players to get to the rim, and offenses have become heavily guard-oriented. There is a reason the three best players in the league are all perimeter players. Team USA’s roster is exhibit B—the vast majority of that team’s talent is at the guard and forward spots.

How does this help the Heat? The league is now a guard’s league, a driver’s and a shooter’s league—in other words, it is now the Heat’s league. To win now, having top tier perimeter players is even more important than having premier big men.

The only team that has precisely that, other than the Heat, are the defending champs themselves, the Lakers. The Lakers may have the kryptonite to Miami’s Supermen, and that kryptonite is named Kobe Bryant.

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At the 1997 NBA All-Star weekend, the league introduced its 50 greatest players in commemoration of its 50th anniversary. The selection process had actually been completed several months earlier by media personnel, former players and coaches, and former and current general managers and team owners.

As its web site boasts at NBA.com , the list – at the time of its release – consisted of “one hundred and seven NBA championship rings. More than 400 hundred NBA All-Star Game selections. Nearly one million points scored.”

Some of its members reach back to the late 1940s such as George Mikan and Dolph Schayes. Others were more recent retirees such as Larry Bird and Isaiah Thomas. The list also included active players at that time such as Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing. Even Shaquille O’Neal, though only playing in his fifth NBA season, found a place amongst the 50 greatest.

The list rightfully spans both the foundation, innovation and modernization of the game.

No true guidelines exist for its compilation. For one, the names were presented sans-position, which allows only the best on the list. Secondly, statistics dominate the selections but can differ greatly from player-to-player.

32,172 points separate the list’s top and bottom scorers (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,327; Bill Walton 6,215).

44 MVP awards appear, but 33 of those awards have gone to just 9 of the players (Jabbar 6, Jordan 5, Russell 5, Chamberlain 4, Magic Johnson 3, Bird 3, Moses Malone 3, Karl Malone 2, Bob Pettit 2).

Of the over 100 NBA championships on the list, 9 of those players never won (Gervin, Ewing, Thurmond, Maravich, Baylor, Barkley, Karl Malone, Bing, Stockton).

The reasons various, the accolades vast, the selection venerable.

Thirteen NBA seasons have now passed since the 50 greatest were chosen. Two more NBA seasons will complete the NBA’s 65th year, so why not start thinking about adding 15 players to expand the greatest list to 65 – one for each year of the NBA’s existence.

Now, this is not a novel idea and has been done at the 60th anniversary by TNT. Their ten additions can be viewed at Hoopedia . That list, however, is not an official addendum to the NBA’s.

This has also been previously discussed right here on Bleacher Report .

I would like to discuss adding fifteen players to the already 50 greatest list. Such discussions can and will be biased, especially for those, like me, that may be limited in which players they have been able to actually see play. Regardless, the point here is to discuss and not necessarily determine a "correct" addendum.

My fifteen additions would be as follows (in no particular order):

Bob McAdoo - Hall of Famer. 2X NBA champion. Won an MVP in 1975 with Buffalo with whom he also won Rookie of the Year in 1973. An innovator at the post position because of his ability to shoot from the outside consistently (at 6′9″ tall). Though his total points and rebounds put him near the middle of the list of 50 greatest, remains the last player to average 30 points and 15 rebounds in a season.

Kobe Bryant – 5X NBA champion, three of those as the team’s No. 2 guy and the last two as the No. 1. Won a regular season MVP and last two Finals MVPs. Scoring champion twice who averaged just over 35 ppg in 2005-2006. Has over 25,000 career points, which would put him at eleventh on the 50 greatest list.

LeBron James – Over 15,000 career points in just seven NBA seasons. Back-to-back MVPs in that time. Averages 27.8 ppg, 7 assists and 7 rebounds (his playoff averages in each category are better). Teams have never missed the playoffs. 34 career triple-doubles with 6 of those coming in the playoffs (had a triple-double in first career playoff game).

Tim Duncan – 4X NBA champion, 3X Finals MVP, 2X MVP. Only other plays to win multiple MVPs in regular season and Finals are Jabbar, Bird, Jordan, Magic. Great passer (3.2 apg) for a big man and good defender (2.3 bpg). Easily a double-double for career (21.1 ppg, 11.6 rpg).

Allen Iverson – In less than 1,000 career games: 24,368 points (26.7 ppg), 5,624 assists (6.2 apg), and over 2 steals per game. Won MVP award in 2000-2001. Helped modernize the game today by creating an east-to-west style of play that opened the floor and encouraged ball-handling and penetration like never before. Uncanny ability to score around the basket despite often being smallest player on floor (6'0").

Tom Heinsohn – Hall of Famer. 8X NBA champion with Bill Russell’s Celtics. All-NBA second team for four straight seasons (1960-1964). Career averages of 18.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg in nine seasons.

Maurice Stokes – Hall of Famer. Career averages: 16.4 ppg, 17.3 rpg, 5.3 apg (as a F/C, mind you). Played in only three NBA seasons (two with the Rochester Royals), yet his total rebounds would actually be better than six other players on the 50 greatest list. Scored over 1,000 points in each of his seasons (202 career games, only eclipsed 70 games in a season once when he played in all 72). Led the league in rebounds per game in 1955-1956 as a rookie and won rookie of the year. Finished fifth in MVP voting twice. Finished third in assists the following two seasons. Made all-star team and second team all-NBA each season he played.

Kevin Garnett - 2004 MVP. Finished in top 5 in MVP voting six times, finishing as the runner-up twice (to Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 and Tim Duncan in 2003). NBA champion with the Celtics in 2008. 19.8 career ppg and 10.8 rpg. Great passer for a post player at 6′11″ with 4.2 apg in career. His 4,719 career assists would make him seventeenth on the 50 greatest list. Nearly a career 50% shooter, which is remarkable when taking into account that he takes a lot of mid-range shots and likes to face up to the basket.

Dominique Wilkins - Hall of Famer. Over 26,500 career points. Put up a lot of shots but was a relentless scoring threat. Averaged over 30 ppg twice (one scoring title) and 29 ppg three times with a career average of 24.8 (could be higher if he hadn’t returned to the league at 37 and 39). Chosen for nine consecutive all-star game appearances. Played during an era of Eastern Conference dynasties (Celtics, Pistons, Bulls) on an average team. Eliminated every year by either the Bulls, Celtics or Pistons except for Bucks in 1983-1984 and 1988-1989.

Dennis Johnson – Hall of Famer. 3X NBA champion (twice with Boston and once with Seattle). Won Finals MVP in 1978-1979 season with the Sonics. All-NBA first team in 1980-1981, second team in 1979-1980. 6X first team All-Defensive, 3X second team All-Defensive. Perhaps one of the greatest perimeter defenders of all time.

Artis Gilmore – Career averages: 18.8 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 2.3 apg (combined 5 ABA seasons, 12 NBA seasons). His 16,330 career rebounds would be fourth on the 50 greatest list, behind only Chamberlain, Russell and Jabbar. Led NBA in field goal percentage for four straight seasons (shot 67% in 1980-1981 season). Shot nearly 60% for his career in the NBA which remains first all-time.

Alex English – Hall of Famer. 25,613 career points. Career 50% shooter with over 21,000 field goal attempts (makes him eighth all time in attempts). Only players to shoot over 50% with more attempts are Chamberlain, Jabbar and Karl Malone.

Adrian Dantley – Hall of Famer. Over 23,000 career points in less than 1,000 games. Finished in top three of scoring title five times (scoring champ in 1980-1981, 1983-1984). Averaged 30 points or more in four straight seasons. Sixteenth in NBA history for field goal percentage at 54%.

Gary Payton – Fifth all-time in steals (2,243) and seventh in assists (8,966). 9X first team All-Defensive; 1995-1996 defensive player of the year. Finished in top-10 for MVP voting for eight straight seasons. Won 2006 NBA championship with Miami Heat. *Note: I would place Alvin Robertson in Payton’s place, but I just can’t based on his recent troubles with the law. The guy could flat out play though. Maybe one of the best all-around players ever in the NBA. His playoff numbers are excellent even though his teams never advanced. Against San Antonio in the first round in 1988, he averaged 23.3 ppg, 9.3 apg, 4.7 rpg and 4 spg.

Steve Nash – Back-to-back MVP in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 (top-10 finisher five times). Ranks eighth all-time in assists with 8,397. Excellent free throw shooter with career 90% average. Thirteenth all-time in 3-point field goals made. Hard time putting him on this list because he is a defensive liability on and off-the-ball, but only eleven other players have won multiple MVPs.

Yes, there are some glaring omissions that I know some will be adamant about including. So let's hear it whether you want to agree, refute, or just add your fifteen players you deem worthy of such enshrinement.

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It's all been said and done, and LeBron James is going to play for the Miami Heat. Except people have been saying things for way to long about his decision. Here's my take:

It wasn't a bad decision.

A lot of people who don't like LeBron's decision are unhappy because of "The Decision." That's understandable. That was pretty stupid on James' part. But the decision itself may not have been so stupid for a number of reasons.

First of all, this completely takes LeBron out of the contest with MJ. We all know that. It affects his "legacy." However, maybe what LeBron wanted was a different legacy.

It's a bit much to be named the greatest player of all time. LeBron was doing all of the things to get him to that point in his career. However, if he didn't want that title, all the experts were saying it day in and day out on SportsCenter, if leaves, he won't be the greatest of all time.

LeBron, in the end, packed up and left Cleveland.

LeBron chose to be part of a team where he's a contributor, not even the main focus. That really says something about what he wants his legacy to be. If he wanted to be like Mike, and still leave Cleveland, he should've gone to Chicago or NYC, where his teammates would've been better than those in Cleveland, and he'd have a better chance than before to be an NBA champion.

Instead, LeBron chose to be a part of what he is hoping to be the greatest team of all time.

At no point through this whole process has LeBron said anything about his legacy as an individual great player. He's talked about being a team player, and the choice he made makes him the ultimate team guy. He's not oblivious to the fact that he won't be "the man" in Miami, he had weeks to think about that.

LeBron is becoming a part of what will hopefully go down in history as one of the first real Championship teams. Not players, teams. Take a title, any title, and you can put a player on that title. The Lakers titles, Magic. The Celtics, Bird. The Bulls, Jordan. The Spurs, Duncan. The Lakers later, Kobe. It's all been about the leading role in the past.

Now we're starting to see the first team where it's a complete toss up.

This is feeling a bit like the Boston-3 party in that, when the Heat win their championship, the team will be remembered as what won the title, not one player and his backups. Even great teams like the 90s Bulls were Jordan and his backups, despite how amazing of players Pippen and Rodman were.

This brings me to the other point I want to make. If LeBron wanted to compare with Kobe and MJ, wouldn't he need other players? Yes. Did he have them? Not really.

When MJ got his rings, he had Scottie Pippen right next to his side, who was one of the greatest players of the time. He couldn't have won 6 without Pippen.

Between Shaq and Pau, Kobe's Lakers struggled a lot. They weren't even in the playoffs for several years. At least LeBron, with very little assistance, brought his team to the #1 seed in the East. Twice.

Really, can you compare the rest of Kobe and Michael's teams with LeBron's? No. They were easily better. Pau Gasol's help alone beats out Mo Williams and Antwan Jamison. Then throw in Andrew Bynum, and Ron Artest. Mo Williams is good, but he was very good because he played next to LeBron.

Want to be a good judge of how much LeBron helped the Cavs? Just watch the team's win total next year. That'll help you calculate how much of the 61 wins the other Cavaliers chipped in. 

So while you'd think that LeBron shouldn't be compared to MJ and Kobe because of his own skills, just remember that his supporting cast wasn't exactly the A-list.

That's probably part of the reason he's abandoned that goal in Cleveland. Everyone would love to hoist up an "MVP" trophy right after the championship one, but if you can't find the right people to share it with, it's time to go. And that's why the NBA has free agency.

LeBron does have the right to go. Cleveland fans have some right to be angry that he "abandoned" them, but think of it this way. If LeBron had a better crew, he would've stayed. Who provided his team? Cleveland.

If you're given a kingdom, and declared the king, it's a great feeling. But when everything else provided isn't very good, it's time to go. Especially from a place where if you take a way one letter, you're saying "Leave-land."

And yet, people continue to burn his jerseys, and criticize his decisions. While some of what he did deserves all of that, I'm still waiting for someone to point out the good things he did. He's given up his kingdom. He's become part of a team. He's made himself a contributor on a team. That's not selfishness. That selflessness.

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