NBA: All-time starting 5 of the 1990's
The 80s was known as the start of the golden era of basketball and rightly so, but the 90s was the decade in which the sport's popularity sky-rocketed to being one of the biggest sports worldwide. This was mainly due to the prominence of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Together they won six out of the ten titles in the decade and many argue that they could have ended up with as many as nine if Jordan didn't retire twice in five years.
Other than the Bulls, the 90s saw three teams that won championships. The Detroit Pistons (1990), Houston Rockets (1994,1995) and San Antonio Spurs (1999) were all able to reach the promised land during this decade.
This decade also saw the NBA break new ground in financial terms as well. Michael Jordan became the first basketball player to have his own signature shoes and soon players like Charles Barkley and Grant Hill followed as well.
The new breed of players introduced to the league in this decade was also incredible. Players such as Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki are just the start of the incredible list to make their debuts in the 90s.
So, with all factors considered, let's take a look at the starting five of the decade
Point Guard - John Stockton (Utah Jazz)
When the question of perfect point guard is asked, the first person that comes to mind is John Stockton. Unlike almost every other great point guard, Stockton made the game look so easy. No fancy dribbling or flashy passes. Just the simple bounce pass along with the perfect execution of the Pick-and-Roll.
Stockton was named an All-Star eight times in the 90s and was an All-NBA first team twice. He led the league in assists for an incredible nine years in a row between 1988 and 1996. Stockton also led the league once in the decade.
He broke the record for the most assists in a single season in 1990 with an incredible total of 1,164. He finished his career by leading the all-time list in both steals and assists with 3,265 (steals) and 15,806 (assists).
The only accolade the eluded Stockton was the NBA title. He reached the Conference Finals thrice but lost. When he did manage to get beyond the Western Conference, he was matched up against the greatest player of all-time. He played in two Finals and lost both to the Chicago Bulls in 1997 and 1998.