NBA 2K19: All Time & Classic Teams List, Starting Lineups and Player Ratings

Source: NBA 2K19

There are an excessive amount of all-time teams for you to choose from and we're here to provide you with a list of every available team, and their starting lineups, roster and player ratings. Players should be aware that each NBA has an "all-time" team that players can use, but there are also select teams for various seasons in the history of the NBA that are useable. Here are my top all-time teams to play with:

04-05 Phoenix Suns

As a lifelong Suns fan, I love playing with this squad as it allows me to reminisce on the good 'ol days. For any that do not know, the Suns were actually a good team in the previous decade. Led by MVP Steve Nash and high-flying Amar'e Stoudemire, this team was all offense and fast breaks. Unfortunately, they were never able to make it to the NBA Finals despite consistently being amongst the top teams in the regular season.

97-98 Utah Jazz

This Jazz squad is fun due to some of the historical greats on the roster. Karl "The Mailman" Malone is second all-time in career points. John Stockton is the all-time leader in career assists and steals. Jeff Hornacek is a familiar face as a recent head coach of the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks. While this squad lost in the finals to the Michael Jordan-led bulls, they are still the greatest squad to ever come through Salt Lake City.

11-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

This team shows how great advanced scouting, prior to the draft, can land you incredible talent. The Thunder drafted Westbrook, Harden and Durant (all in separate years) and almost won a title. After losing in the finals to the Miami Heat, each player went on to win MVP awards in separate seasons and on separate teams. It's fun to get 3 of the top players in the current league on one team, albeit before their prime years.

03-04 Detroit Pistons

This Pistons squad is fun to play with as arguably one of the best teams during the early 2000s. They made it to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals and won the 2004 NBA title. They hoped for more success but settled for just one title.

86-87 Los Angeles Lakers

Talk about well-rounded...this Lakers squad is essentially the equivalent of the modern day Golden State Warriors. With all-time greats in Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the squad won titles in '85, '87 and '88. If you want to play on EZ mode, roll with this team.

Here's the rest of the all-time teams you can use:

64-65 Boston Celtics

Behind Hall of Famer Bill Russell and the great coach Red Auerbach, this Celtics squad finished with a 62-18 record to finish first in the Eastern Conference. They ended up winning the title with a 4-1 series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

64-65 Los Angeles Lakers

Many readers may not know this but todays' NBA logo is actually a silhouette of Jerry West, the leader of this Lakers squad. This season, they finished with a 49-31 record to finish first in the Western Conference. As mentioned above, they would lose in the Finals to the Celtics.

70-71 Milwaukee Bucks

The combo of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (in his season season) and Oscar "The Big O" Robertson brought a championship to Milwaukee for the only time in its franchise history. Behind a record of 66-16, this squad would go on to sweep the Bullets in the Finals.

70-71 Los Angeles Lakers

This Lakers squad is all too similar to some of the more recent Lakers squads we've seen, one filled with all-stars in the later years of their careers. With Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor all wrapping up their careers soon after this season, the Lakers put together a 48-34 record and lost in the Conference finals to the eventual NBA champion Bucks.

71-72 New York Knicks

Behind the efforts of the All-NBA star, Walt Frazier, this Knicks team finished with a season record of 48-34. They were only 3rd in the eastern conference, but somehow managed to find their way to the NBA finals. Unfortunately, they would lose the series 1-4 to the Lakers.

76-77 Philadelphia 76ers

This season marked the first year following a merger of the NBA and the ABA, one in which Julius "Dr. J" Erving came to the 76ers. They went on to finish with a 50-32 record and 1st place finish out east. Unfortunately, they lost in the Finals to the Trail Blazers, 2-4.

84-85 Milwaukee Bucks

This was one of the more well-rounded squads in Bucks history and they would finish the regular season with a 59-23 record, good for second place in the east. In the playoffs, they would be eliminated in the conference semifinals after being swept by Philadelphia.

85-86 Chicago Bulls

This Bulls squad is a pretty unique one as it made the playoffs with one of the worst records for a playoff team all-time at 30-52. Much of this had to do with the fact that Michael Jordan, in just his second NBA season, had to miss 64 games due to a broken foot. While they would get swept by the Celtics, Jordan set the record for points in a playoff game at 63.

85-86 Boston Celtics

Widely considered one of the greatest of all-time, this Lakers team finished with a regular season record of 67-15 and won the NBA Finals over the Rockets with a 4-2 finish. With Hall of Fame players Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, this lineup was hard to beat.

85-86 Atlanta Hawks

What a time to be an NBA fan. The eastern conference was loaded with three of the all-time teams on this list. The Hawks posted a 50-32 regular season record and lost in the eastern conference semifinals. The roster featured Dominique "the Human Highlight Reel" Wilkins, Doc Rivers (now coaching the Los Angeles Clippers) and Spud Webb (5'7" slam dunk contest winner).

88-89 Detroit Pistons

This well-rounded Pistons teams finished first in the east with a 63-19 regular season record. Behind the efforts of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, they would go on to win a championship by sweeping the Lakers in the Finals.

88-89 Chicago Bulls

As you go down this list, you'll start to notice several Bulls teams with an even better Michael Jordan each time. This Bulls team wasn't all that special in terms of record (47-35), but their eastern conference losing finish seems to be around the time when the lightbulb seemed to turn on for Jordan. It wouldn't be long before his rise to the GOAT would begin.

89-90 Cleveland Cavaliers

Wait a minute...you mean to tell me the Cavaliers had a decent team without LeBron James on the roster? Hate to say it, but this squad was not half bad. They finished with a 42-40 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs, but NBA fans get to experience some cool history here. Larry Nance was on this Cavs squad, his son now plays for the Cavs. Steve Kerr, current head coach of the Golden State Warriors, was also a member of the team before his championship runs with the Bulls.

90-91 Chicago Bulls

And here comes the reign of terror led by his airness, Michael Jordan. This team finished 1st in the east with a 61-21 record and won in the Finals, 4-1, in the first of three straight NBA titles.

90-91 Los Angeles Lakers

This season was an interesting one for the Lakers. Magic Johnson was no longer at his peak and Kareem had retired, but this group somehow managed to make it to an NBA Finals (only to lose to the Bulls 1-4). With a regular season record of 58-24, this year would mark the end of Magic's true basketball career due to contracting HIV.

90-91 Portland Trail Blazers

This Trail Blazers team posted a league best 63-19 record. While expectations were high, they would be eliminated by the Lakers in the western conference finals. Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and Kevin Duckworth were members of the NBA All-Star game that season.

90-91 Golden State Warriors

This Warriors team didnt have it quite as easy as the modern Warriors. They finished with a 44-38 record and lost in the western conference semifinals to the Lakers. The big 3 on this team were Chris Mullin, Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway, which would be nicknamed "Run TMC".  

92-93 Chicago Bulls

This Bulls squad got to enjoy Michael Jordan in peak form. Finishing 57-25 in the regular season, the Bulls would be faced with the extremely difficult task of 3-peating. They would go on to beat my Phoenix Suns in the Finals, with a series record of 4-2.

92-93 Charlotte Hornets

This Hornets team was special due to the success they saw as an expansion team. The starting lineup is fun to play with due to the greatness of Alonzo Mourning, the youth and potential of Larry Johnson, the shortest ever size of Muggsy Bogues and Dell Curry (father of Stephen Curry). They finished 44-38 and lost to the Knicks in the conference semifinals.  

93-94 Houston Rockets

Behind MVP Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon, this team went on to win an NBA title over the Knicks in a thrilling 7-game series. With a season record of 58-24, the Rockets would finish 2nd in the western conference.

93-94 Denver Nuggets

The only reason this Nuggets team made the all-time list of teams for NBA 2K19 is so players could play with Dikembe Mutombo in his younger years. In all seriousness, this team finished with a 42-40 record and lost in the conference semifinals. The team had potential after acquiring All-Star guard Alvin Robertson via trade, but Robertson missed the season due to a back injury. 

94-95 New York Knicks

There was a time when the Knicks were pretty special, even though modern fans may not believe it. Led by Patrick Ewing, this team finished second in the east behind a 55-27 record. They would go on to lose in the conference semis to the Pacers.

94-95 Orlando Magic

Nothing says 90s basketball quite like Shaq and Penny in Magic jerseys. This team was pretty loaded and won the eastern conference regular season title with a 57-25 record. After knocking off the Bulls following Michael Jordan's return from baseball, the Magic would eventually make it to the Finals. Unfortunately, they would be swept by the Rockets. 

95-96 Chicago Bulls

Now that Michael was back from baseball, it was back to business and no more messing around. This was the start of the Bulls second 3-peat with the new addition of Dennis Rodman. They dominated the regular season with a 72-10 record, one that would not be broken until the 2015-16 Warriors bested it. They beat the Seattle SuperSonics 4-2 in the Finals.    

95-96 Seattle Supersonics

Prior to moving to Oklahoma City, the franchise known as the Thunder was formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Kemp and Payton made for a potent combo and led the western conference with a 64-18 record. Unfortunately, it was not enough to take on the Chicago Bulls as they fell in the Finals.

96-97 Miami Heat

This Heat team found success during head coach Pat Riley's first run with the franchise. They finished second in the east with a record of 61-21, but would lose in the conference finals to the Bulls.

97-98 Chicago Bulls

Here we have Michael again, but on a slight overall decline. He would lead his bulls to a 62-20 regular season record and the last of his 6 titles by defeating the Utah Jazz 4-2.

97-98 Los Angeles Lakers

Right as Michael and the Bulls exit center stage, the Lakers are ready to start their ascent. Kobe Bryant was in his second season and Shaq was dominating the paint. They finished third out west behind 4 All-Stars and a 61-21 record. They lost in the western conference finals to the Jazz, but were ready to start a new reign of terror in the near future.

97-98 San Antonio Spurs

Any true Suns fan can relate to me on this, but I absolutely hate the Spurs. It pains me to see one of their best squads, but I find joy in the fact that it was a wasted season after losing to the Jazz in the western conference semifinals.

98-99 New York Knicks

The Knicks beefed up their roster by adding Sprewell and Camby prior to starting this lockout-shortened season. The team barely squeezed in to the playoffs with a 27-23 record that landed them an 8th seed. They made it all the way to the Finals, but lost 1-4 against the Spurs. 

99-00 Toronto Raptors

While Muggsy Bogues was past his prime and Tracy McGrady was still developing for this season, the combination of the two with Vince Carter was extremely exciting to watch. Their regular season record of 45-37 and first round playoff exit was nothing to write home about, but at least they looked good on paper.

99-00 Portland Trail Blazers

This was one of the best Blazers lineups in franchise history. Some might recognize Arvydas Sabonis as the father of current player Domantas Sabonis. This team finished with a 59-23 record and lost in the western conference finals.

00-01 Philadelphia 76ers

Some have called Allen Iverson the greatest "pound-for-pound" player of all time and you get to abuse his talents on this roster. During this MVP season, Iverson led his team to a first place east finish of 56-26. They would lose to the Lakers in the Finals, 1-4.

00-01 Los Angeles Lakers

We find ourselves in the middle of the Lakers 3-peat and the middle of the Shaq-Kobe feud for best player on the team. As you can tell by their ratings, it was awfully close. They finished with a 56-26 record and would beat the 76ers in the Finals, 4-1. 

01-02 Sacramento Kings

This may well be the best Kings team in franchise history. A team that finished first out west with a 61-21 record, they had their dreams cut short with a western conference finals loss to the Lakers.

01-02 New Jersey Nets

Jason Kidd in his prime - great times. This team would get swept in the Finals by the Shaq-Kobe Lakers, but led the east with a 52-30 record.

02-03 Dallas Mavericks

This great Dallas squad featured Dirk and a pre-MVP Steve Nash, both with bleached-blonde hair. A record of 60-22 was good enough for a 3rd place finish in the west, but they lost the western conference finals to the Spurs.

03-04 Los Angeles Lakers

In Shaq's final season with the Lakers, the LA franchise tried to load up on veteran stars in hopes of giving Gary Payton and Karl Malone one last shot at winning a title. It almost worked as their 56-26 record carried them to the Finals, only to lose 1-4 to the Pistons.

03-04 Minnesota Timberwolves

This was KG at his prime, prior to his days in Boston. He was capable of posting double-doubles like a machine and carried the load for this team to a record of 58-24. They finished first in the west, but lost in the western conference finals to the Lakers.

04-05 San Antonio Spurs

Tim Duncan at his best and Parker and Ginobili in their younger years. After posting a regular season record of 59-23, this squad went on to win the Finals in a seven-game series vs the Pistons.

05-06 Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis had high hopes for this squad that finished with a 49-33 record, but lost in the first round of the playoffs. After failing to succeed with this lineup, Memphis decided to trade away Pau Gasol a few seasons later for a package of players including his younger brother Marc.

05-06 Miami Heat

This Heat team came out a little slow to start the season, but finished with a 52-30 record after a coaching change. Wade in his youth, Shaq and Payton at the end of their careers - they would go on to win a title over the Mavericks finishing 4-2. 

06-07 Cleveland Cavaliers

After just a few years in Cleveland, LeBron was able to lead this team to the NBA Finals. With a 50-32 record, they finished second in the east. They were eventually swept by the Spurs in the Finals. 

06-07 Golden State Warriors

This Warriors squad was actually not a very good regular season team, finishing with a 42-40 record and barely squeezing in to the playoffs in the 8th spot. The reason this team makes the list is due to the fact that they shocked the world by upsetting the number 1 seeded Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the playoffs, becoming only the third team to ever pull that off. They would be knocked out the very next round against the Jazz. 

07-08 Boston Celtics<span class="rangySelectionBoundary" style="line-height: 0"><img src="https://realsport101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/07-08-Boston-Celtics-NBA-2K19.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib wp-image-311297" data-id="311297"></span>

This is the Celtics squad the brought the franchise back to their winning ways after a couple of decades failing to win titles. After acquiring KG and Allen in the offseason, the team suddenly had a chance after struggling for so long. They would go on to finish with a 66-16 record, win the east and win the NBA Championship over their rivals the Lakers.