In particular, based on what we do know, I’d love to watch the way Russell always seemed to get the better of a guy who, by all accounts, was just more talented. I know there were other players involved on both teams, and many old timers will tell you that history exaggerates the athletic differences between the two, but it still fascinates me that Chamberlain never had more success from a team standpoint, given how much he could dominate a game.

For a writer, that would have been a once-in-a-lifetime reporting opportunity. How often would you get to track down fans to ask, “So, where exactly did Jermaine punch you?” It’s also crazy to think about what would happen if you used the time machine in reverse and brought a Malice-style fan brawl to 2017. There would be dozens of Facebook Live videos, tweets and snapchats from fans to comb through for supporting details, countless GIFs and vines of violent interactions looping endlessly, and hundreds of day-after reaction columns to reinforce and amplify the chaos. Hopefully there’s no Malice 2.

Not only was Johnson the MVP in the 1980 NBA Finals; he was transcendent.

That said, Tinfoil Hat Bryan would first take Doc Brown’s DeLorean to the green room of the 1985 draft lottery. The world needs to know once and for all whether David Stern (or an accomplice) really did freeze the New York Knicks’ envelope or bang it against the lottery drum to rig it in their favor.

Again, not entirely sure this is controversial at this point, though it probably is for anyone over 30 or so. But I think there’s little question LeBron’s true peak was greater than anything we’ve seen from any other individual in this league, and I think the modern game gives LeBron another tiny leg up on Jordan. In particular, the emphasis on switching defense and the removal of illegal defense, which allows teams to use forms of zone and overload defense (something I think James is more equipped to handle offensively than Jordan would have been, by a small margin), makes a real difference. But to be clear, even if we standardize rules and eras, I’m saying I don’t think there’s ever been a better basketball player at his peak than LeBron James.

Yes, a proactive superstar could easily go too far in wielding power, and the most functional organizations should have strong links throughout the chain of command from owner to GM to coach to player. But as James has proven by going from Cleveland to Miami and back, the superstar makes the franchise in the modern NBA, not the other way around. Generational players will always be judged on titles, and their eagerness to win via any means necessary should be viewed as a strength rather than as a flaw.

Harden moving into the role of point guard has elevated the Houston Rockets into the third seed in the Western Conference, giving them legitimate championship aspirations while Harden individually flourishes as the primary ball-handler. He’s nearly averaging a triple-double himself with 28.9 points per game to go along with 11.4 assists and 8.2 rebounds, and his usage rate of 34.3 is nearly 10 percent less than Westbrook’s.

That said, it isn’t Okafor’s fault the Sixers had two incumbent centers on their roster when they drafted him third overall in 2015. It’s difficult to build around a slow-footed big man in today’s NBA, but in the right situation, I could see Okafor turning into the Oklahoma City Thunder version of Enes Kanter. The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly hot after him—and you can’t ask for a much better frontcourt partner than Anthony Davis—but the Dallas Mavericks also stand out as a locale where he could potentially thrive.

Yeah, I’m bringing along Dikembe Mutombo, prime Dwight Howard and current Rudy Gobert. Before you assume this would just be an eventually boring swat fest, know that I’ve thought this through: It wouldn’t just be a straight-up one-on-one liftoff, because with time to prepare and jump, and with no other opponent on the court, the rim protectors probably win these battles too often to make it any fun.

Instead, there are a few different little advantages given to the dunkers to make it a bit more entertaining. In one format, the rim protector has to keep his back turned under the basket until the dunker crosses a certain line, to keep him somewhat in the dark about the direction of the dunk. In another, the two have to race to the basket from set spots on opposite sides of the court (we could adjust these to get the perfect timing). With a little fine-tuning, you could get some pretty awesome battles at the rim. Obviously the league never lets this happen in reality, but this is my fantasy and that’s where it takes us.

My dream field, then, would be 24-year-old versions of James, Michael Jordan, Julius Erving and Vince Carter, setting up stylistic and performative contrasts across 30 or 40 years of basketball history. There might be better “specialist” dunkers than those four names mentioned, but this group’s combined star power, self-confidence and Hall of Fame credentials would take the contest to new heights in watchability.

I am envisioning the patented LeBron full-extension, one-handed, tomahawk slam from the free-throw line going up against the sheer explosion of Carter, who proved that man could fly by soaring over 7’2″ Frederic Weis in the Olympics against the French National Team. Vertical explosion has trademarked his career. Add in a healthy dose of the insanity and earth-shattering ferocity that is Shawn Kemp’s dunks, and you have a dunk contest for the ages—if the hoop can withstand the beating these three athletes would inflict over and over again.

Overall, I see Vince Carter calling the contest once again as he floats his way into the title of world’s best dunker.

Carter, who won the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest with some of the most iconic jams in contest history, would be required to bring Frederic Weis along with him just so he could recreate his murder-dunk from the 2000 Olympics. And LaVine, who won the past two Dunk Contests courtesy of his freakish, unparalleled athleticism, proved last year against Aaron Gordon that he won’t shy away from one-upmanship when facing off against other electric dunkers. This trio, my friends, would redefine “lit.”

I do have to say, though: Russell Westbrook has pulled out the Shammgod a couple times this year, and he’s one of the only guys I’ve seen do it recently in a way I find acceptable. Not sure if he’s done it enough to call it signature (correct me if I’m wrong, OKC fans, but I’ve only seen it a couple times this year, and I don’t recall it in previous years), but if he makes it more frequent, that would be my answer.

It is a combination of a floater and what looks like a put-back layup. He uses it off offensive rebounds and, at times, even as an alternative to slamming home dunks off alley-oops. Jokic has become so quick with this move that it does not allow defenders to contest, which is important when Andre Miller probably has more athletic ability. This shot has become a staple of Jokic’s offensive arsenal and has been unguardable in his young career.

LeBron James once called Dirk’s fadeaway the second-most unstoppable shot in league history, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s famed sky hook. I’ll take the King’s word for it.

Defensively, Bradley can toggle between GSW’s guards—he’s been considered one of the best individual Stephen Curry defenders in the league for a couple years now. Crowder is the even larger benefit, in that he gives the Cavs another guy besides LeBron who can both check Draymond Green (and therefore switch onto Curry in the Curry-Green pick-and-roll) and hinder Kevin Durant. Love has definitely done a better job defensively against the Dubs in recent matchups than most would expect, but this would be a huge step up. Even Johnson might still have the legs to make a dent in some backup minutes behind Tristan Thompson.

Offensively, it’s tough to see more than a nominal drop-off from Love. His post-ups have been really inefficient this year, and the Cavs’ offense could survive pretty easily by redistributing those four possessions per game elsewhere. Bradley and Crowder are both excellent three-point shooters to position around LeBron and Kyrie Irving, and Johnson could do damage against certain GSW bench units. The deal never happens in real life and both teams probably hate it, but I’d love to see the Cavs with a bit more of an optimal lineup for the Finals.

I continue to be skeptical of Atlanta’s long-term ceiling and commitment to building a championship contender, given the last year of roster shuffling, and think Millsap deserves better as he prepares to sign the last big-dollar deal of his career. Toronto has the necessary trade chips—young prospects, flexible contracts, extra draft picks—to piece together a quality package before the deadline. I’d be equally happy if Boston’s Danny Ainge stepped forward and added Millsap for his own team’s playoff push.

With recent speculation that Eric Bledsoe might be had for the right price, it seems the Pelicans could potentially add the bruising point guard. A package of E’Twaun Moore, Tyreke Evans and New Orleans’ 2017 first-round pick should get the job done. Adding Bledsoe to the starting lineup gives Davis a point guard who is a threat in the pick-and-roll and can alleviate the scoring burden from the big man’s shoulders. The Suns, meanwhile, get a solid role player in Moore, an expiring contract in Evans and what should be a lottery pick in the 2017 NBA draft. Also, Bledsoe and Davis in transition would be a terrifying sight for the rest of the league.

Toronto, meanwhile, still has a glaring hole at power forward and doesn’t have the salary-cap flexibility to find a long-term answer this summer. If the Raptors are ever going to emerge as legitimate challengers to LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers, they need to bring in Ibaka. Giving up Ross hurts, but Norman Powell’s emergence should soften the blow, while the late-first-round pick isn’t a huge concession for Toronto. Make it happen, Masai.