Hoops Habit
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Each State’s All-Time NBA Starting Five

By Ben Gibson

Jan 26, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot waves a flag before the game at Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 26, 2014; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot waves a flag before the game at Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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March 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Pac-12 Network broadcaster Bill Walton smiles during the second half in the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament between the Oregon Ducks and the Arizona Wildcats at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Wildcats defeated the Ducks 80-52. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Pac-12 Network broadcaster Bill Walton smiles during the second half in the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament between the Oregon Ducks and the Arizona Wildcats at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Wildcats defeated the Ducks 80-52. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

California

Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Paul Pierce, George Yardley, Bill Walton

Total of 36 All-Star appearances, 5 NBA/ABA championships

It is no surprise that the nation’s most populous state has one of the best all-time teams of any state.

Jason Kidd gets things started as the squad’s player-coach with 12.6 points and 8.6 assists a game. He led the league in assists three times and steals once. It is easy to forget how in control of the game he was because he only won one championship, but Basketball-Reference.com has him with the 11th highest value over replacement player in his career.

Not a bad starting point for this California team.   

Kidd bumps Gary Payton to shooting guard on our imaginary team, but something tells me the Glove could make it work. Also like Kidd, Payton snuck in a title toward the end of his career but had already put together a Hall of Fame career before then.

His 16.3 points and 6.7 assists are impressive enough, but his nickname was earned on defense where he earned nine All-NBA First Team selections.

Paul Pierce, a.k.a. The Truth, has had 10-All-Star appearances and one NBA championship in his career. The Truth is still chasing a second one with a stop in Los Angeles this season but he’s already earned himself a future Hall of Fame invite with 20.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per a game in his career.

While it is fun to mock Pierce for his theatrics and ill-timed boasts, the man is undoubtedly a Hall of Famer. 

To find a power forward for this team we had to go back to the 1950s for George Yardley with his six All-Star Game appearances. Yardley was the scoring champion in 1958 with 2,001 points. He made a All-NBA First Team and All-NBA Second Team in his short seven-year career.

His career averages of 19.2 points and 8.9 rebounds a game hold up well, and his career PER of 20.5 is good for 56th all time.

Bill Walton rounds out Team California with his short but iconic NBA career. With the Portland Trail Blazers Walton was both a NBA and Finals MVP before injuries started to pile up, but it is clear his talent was exceptional. Even after his injuries he won a second NBA title with the Boston Celtics.

He averaged a career double-double with 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, as well as 3.4 assists.

Grade: A+

Next: Colorado