Philadelphia 76ers All-Time Team vs. Los Angeles Lakers All-Time Team: Who Would Win In A 7-Game Series?

Whenever we put our matchups of the all-time rosters for NBA franchises, the matchups are extremely intriguing with matchups we would pay big money to see. The Battle of L.A. between the Clippers and Lakers comes to mind as does the Philadelphia 76ers all-time team taking on the roster from Orlando. However, perhaps none of the all-time matchups we have created have a bigger buzz around it than the potential of the all-time Philadelphia 76ers and the all-time Los Angeles Lakers.

The 76ers and Lakers are two of the oldest and most accomplished franchises in NBA history. Their rosters have been filled with legendary talent, making for one of our best matchups in this series. The Lakers and their 17 NBA championships take on the 76ers who have a long-standing history of success. In this matchup of all-time teams from historic franchises, anything is possible and we are here to break it all down.

Here is what would happen between the Philadelphia 76ers’ all-time team and the Los Angeles Lakers’ all-time team in a 7-game series.

Allen Iverson vs. Magic Johnson

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The first intriguing matchup of this 76ers vs. Lakers series is the one at point guard. The 76ers trot Allen Iverson out on the court while the Lakers counter with the GOAT of the position, Magic Johnson. Iverson will have to use his speed and quick burst off the dribble to counter the significant size difference he is giving up against Johnson. If any player is up to the task of going toe-to-toe with Magic, it is four-time scoring champion Allen Iverson.

Magic is salivating at the chance to take his game to Iverson in this series. First, Johnson’s size advantage will allow him to operate more from the post where he loves to pick apart defenses both as a scorer and playmaker, especially against smaller guards. Second, the pace at which Magic plays and getting teammates involved in transition and on fast breaks is going to make the Lakers a nearly impossible offense to slow down.

Defensively, Magic will have to keep Iverson in front of him as much as he possibly can. One slip-up and Iverson is gone in a flash, likely getting to the rim at will and chewing up the Lakers’ defensive scheme. This will be the most difficult part of Johnson’s matchup with Iverson.

Julius Erving vs. Kobe Bryant

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In the next matchup, two NBA icons face off as Julius Erving makes the move from forward to guard and Kobe Bryant gets set to do battle. Erving brings athleticism and two-way ability which Bryant has shown to struggle against throughout his career. Bryant brings a tenacious obsession to win along with a skill set that rivals the best of the best in NBA history.

Erving’s speed, length, and above-the-rim style will be something that Bryant will have to key in on for the entirety of any 7-game series. The level at which Erving is going to bring his game will not allow Bryant to put much more of his focus anywhere else on the defensive side of the ball. The minute Erving can gain an advantage is the minute the Lakers’ defense on the perimeter has the likelihood to collapse.

Bryant is just as, if not more, dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. Kobe will utilize screens, pick-and-rolls, or anything else he can to earn a sliver of space in order to remain in full-on attack mode. Getting Erving into foul trouble given his physical approach to defense is one of the ways Bryant can slow him down on the other end of the court. The other way is to impose his physical will onto Erving. Bryant was relentless in his offensive attack and I would expect him to try and get Erving into favorable positions so he can get his most efficient shots off.

Charles Barkley vs. LeBron James

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The matchup at the small forward spot provides us with the first major mismatch of the series. Charles Barkley will slide into this spot to take on LeBron James in a head-to-head meeting of all-time greats. Barkley is giving up size, speed, and strength in this matchup with James but do not view him as someone who is just going to roll over and go down without a fight.

Barkley was never one to back down from a challenge or fight and to combat James’ abilities as a player, he is going to need to channel that energy in its entirety. As for James, there are many ways he can attack Barkley to gain an advantage. Considering Barkley’s track record of elite and powerful bigs in his career, it will be James’ approach as a playmaker that gives him the largest upper hand.

James has three players around him that can score at will from different positions on the court. James will likely bring Barkley out to the perimeter where using his speed and burst, can penetrate the defense and set any of them up for success. Barkley will do all he can to deter James from getting into the lane but we all know that when James gets into his downhill attack mode, he is virtually unstoppable.

Joel Embiid vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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At first glance, the matchup between Joel Embiid and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar seems like another enormous mismatch in favor of the Lakers’ all-time team. However, aside from his egregious flailing and falling to the floor, Joel Embiid will prove to be a tough matchup for Kareem. Embiid is no slouch on either side of the ball and has the MVP, All-NBA First Team, and All-Defensive Team accolades to back that up.

The first thing Embiid will aim to do is get Kareem out of the paint so that he and his teammates can get to work. Embiid will be able to do this considering his ability to handle the ball and knock down mid-range shots as well as the occasional three. Embiid’s shot creation is something that Kareem did not have to go up against much in his career and will be an interesting point of attack for the 76ers.

On the contrary, Kareem was an elite shot-blocker and disruptor of offenses in his heyday which will most likely keep Embiid from getting anywhere close to the basket. Kareem is likely to give Embiid fits on the offensive end as well with his unguardable skyhook which he only needs to get so deep into the paint to be effective with. While these two monsters go to war with one another, they are not the main attraction on the interior but whoever wins this battle could steer the series in their team’s favor.

Wilt Chamberlain vs. Shaquille O’Neal

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Our final head-to-head matchup is one that NBA fans have long awaited to see become a reality. The two most dominant players to ever grace the hardwood set to go against one another in the ultimate test of strength, endurance, and skill. Wilt Chamberlain steps onto the court ready to face off with Shaquille O’Neal, the only player who has ever matched his dominance at the center position.

Chamberlain has a few advantages when it comes to his matchup with Shaq. First is going to be his speed and endurance throughout a game and 7-game series. Chamberlain’s ability to run the floor and never wear down for all 48 minutes in a game is unmatched by any player in NBA history and will be the same in a head-to-head with O’Neal. Combined with his scoring, defense, and rebounding abilities, Wilt is going to be able to put up some big numbers in this series.

Now, the same can be said for O’Neal in his matchup with Chamberlain. Wilt has zero experience with a player with the combination of size, speed, and skill that Shaq has, making for an elite battle between the two. O’Neal will likely use his size to gain position on Wilt, using footwork and power to get some shots off at the rim. This is a gift and a curse for O’Neal who will have to battle with Chamberlain’s incredible vertical leap and defensive instincts as well. Whoever wins the battle between these two is likely to lead their team to a win.

Philadelphia 76ers Advantages

As always is this case with these matchups between all-time NBA squads, there are advantages that both teams have that could lead them to victory. For the 76ers, the first of these advantages that stands out is their athleticism from top to bottom in their lineup. Allen Iverson and Julius Erving are a dynamically configured backcourt with a ton of athletic ability that will lead to team success. Joel Embiid and Wilt Chamberlain are the far more athletic frontcourt as well, giving them something to combat the Lakers’ size at all positions.

The other advantage that Philadelphia holds over the Lakers is going to be in the physicality department. The Lakers do have players that have no fear of getting physical, there is no doubt about that. However, from Iverson down to Chamberlain, there are no sissies taking the court for the 76ers either. As a matter of fact, if we were talking about a brawl instead of a basketball game, I may be inclined to side with Philadelphia over Los Angeles on this one.

Los Angeles Lakers Advantages

The Lakers certainly possess their fair share of advantages in this series as well. The first of these is going to be the playmaking and pace at which they push to play. Two of the greatest playmakers in NBA history, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, will lead the attack for the Lakers with three other top 10 scorers in NBA history at their disposal. LeBron James also happens to be a hybrid mythical-like being who is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer as well as an elite playmaker making this lineup dangerous on so many levels.

Of course, the Lakers’ other advantage is going to be their scoring. The Lakers’ lineup gives three of the top-four scorers in NBA history with LeBron, Kareem, and Kobe while also containing another top 10 scorer in Shaq to round it out. They can dominate the interior with Kareem and Shaq holding down the offense or turn to the perimeter where Kobe and LeBron can have their way. The only issue for Los Angeles will be playing with one basketball and deciding who takes what shots and when.

Who Would Win This Matchup In A 7-Game Series?

The matchup between the 76ers and Lakers’ all-time teams will be highly anticipated by fans from all over the world, and in Game 1 they are presented with a treat to kick things off. The battle gets started with Wilt and Shaq stealing the show. Chamberlain helps the 76ers get out to an early lead with 11 straight points to start the contest while Shaq comes back and answers with eight of his own. As the game wears on, O’Neal’s physical presence overtakes Wilt’s endurance as he scores 35 points with 15 rebounds and 3 blocks to lead the Lakers to a win and a 1-0 series lead.

Philadelphia would fight back with intensity and relentless defensive pressure to tie the series in Game 2. They would be led by the tremendous effort of Julius Erving and Allen Iverson in their backcourt to get the job done. Erving figured out how to shed Bryant towards the end of Game 1 as he torched him in Game 2 for 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals. Iverson would also aid in the victory with 30 points of his own along with 8 assists.

The series now moves to a best-of-5 series with each team picking up wins in Games 1 and 2. The series-altering Game 3 would be a back-and-forth slugfest highlighted by the matchup between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Joel Embiid. Kareem punishes Embiid with a barrage of skyhooks and incredible defensive play. Embiid battles back with a few mid-range jumpers and trips to the foul line. In the end, the difference would be Embiid’s ability to get Kareem into foul trouble and the 76ers would pull away for a five-point Game 3 win and a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 would be the game in which Kobe Bryant would finally lock in and take over. After being held in check for the first three games, Bryant clearly hit his breaking point and said give me the ball and get out of the way. Bryant would erupt for 24 first-half points thanks to LeBron James’ selflessness and Magic Johnson’s precision in getting him open looks. Kobe would torch Erving for 45 points on 62.5% shooting from the field as the Lakers also got a 22-point triple-double from Magic in the victory to tie the series at two games apiece.

A pivotal Game 5 would get started with Allen Iverson taking the lead for the 76ers. Iverson decided he was going to match the pace of Magic in this one, leading to a huge advantage given Iverson’s incredible speed and scoring ability. The Lakers would show some fight with LeBron James going into his downhill attack mode but unfortunately, their shots were not falling as Philly’s twin towers collapsed on every move. The 76ers would gain a 3-2 series lead thanks to 36 points from Iverson and 23 rebounds from Wilt Chamberlain to get the win.

With their backs against the wall, the Lakers turned to their star duo to bring things back to even. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal would turn back the clock to the early 2000s to keep the series alive for L.A. Bryant once again proved to be too skilled and too efficient for Erving, going for 32 points and 9 rebounds in the game. O’Neal did the dirty work on Chamberlain and Kareem as well with 19 rebounds and 5 blocks to go with 28 points as the Lakers tied the series up at three wins apiece heading into a Game 7.

Game 7 would be one for the history books between these two legendary squads. The Lakers started hot with a run led by Magic Johnson and LeBron James pushing the offense and feeding Bryant and Kareem. The 76ers came back with a heavy dose of Barkley, Erving, and Chamberlain to bring things even heading into the fourth quarter. In clutch situations, look no further than Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to take things home for the Lakers. Bryant finished with 40 points while James added 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists to give the Lakers the victory in Game 7 and the series 4-3.