The Best Before 2000

In part two of this two-part series, we look at the best ‘old guys’ in the NBA. In part one, Grayson Gold-Garvey focused on the future of basketball with the best under-25 team. Today we’ll take a look at the best of the best from before 2000 and those who are still playing at a high level even at end of the career. This list might be an easy one because there aren’t that many who are still around from pre-2000 draft classes, but those who are, they’re what makes basketball fun sometimes. Here's what I came up with.

G- Andre Miller (39) Miller is what you call a seasoned vet. In his 16^th NBA season Miller is in Minnesota, his 9^th team, and along side another veteran in Kevin Garnett, is helping tutor two of the brightest young stars in the league in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-AnthonyTowns. Miller might be one of the more underrated point guards in the history of the game; he doesn’t have the accolades like a Steve Nash or Allen Iverson, but Miller is perhaps one of the best defensive guards in the league and one of the smartest to ever play. (Career: 12.7 PPG, 6.6 PPG, and 8,478 career assists)

G- Kobe Bryant (37) Bryant announced his retirement recently so the flashbacks of Kobe Bean Bryant have be plenty. Arguably one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers Bryant is third on the NBA’s All-Time scoring list, 5 NBA titles, and has been named to the All-Star team 17 times. Kobe is the perhaps the best of the best since Michael Jordan and his retirement should make us appreciate the art of basketball. (Career: 25.2 PPG, 44% FG, 33% 3P, and 32,916 career points)

F- Paul Pierce (38) 'The Truth' as he's as known is one of those players who you love if he's on your team but you hate him if he isn't, and for his first 15 seasons that team was Boston. Pierce won his only championship in a Celtics uniform and it was hard to picture him in anything other than green and white. He isn't the most athletic in NBA history, but when he found his spot, which was from the elbow to the three-point line, Pierce was unstoppable. He was also the reason LeBron didn't get to the Finals as many times as he could have. (Career: 20.4 PPG, 37% career free-throw, and 26,010 career points) 

F- Dirk Nowitzki (37) Nowitzki recently passed Shaquille O’Neal for sixth on the all-time scoring list. Not many people would guess that Dirk is that high on the list but the 7-footer from Germany is one of the best shooters the game has ever seen. Nearly a 40% 3-point shooter for his career, Nowitzki consistently makes his mark for one of the best all-time. He captured his first NBA title in 2012 and in 15 of his 17 NBA seasons has shot better than 85% from the free throw line. When Dirk hangs it up he’ll be labeled as the best 7-foot shooter in NBA history.

(Career: 22.1 PPG, 87% career free throw, 38% career 3-point, and 26,609 career points)

 C- Tim Duncan (39) I know Duncan isn’t labeled as a center, but for the purposes of putting Dirk in this starting five he’s a center. Much like Bryant, Duncan is labeled at one of the greatest of all-time, and somehow like Nowitzki underrated. Known as ‘The Big Fundamental’, Duncan has captured 5 NBA Championships, 15-time NBA All-Star, 10-time All-NBA First Team, and is in the top 15 in blocks, rebounds and points. Don’t look now but Duncan has a chance in his 18^th season to win his sixth NBA title.

(Career: 19.3 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 26,213 career points)

The other guys: Kevin Garnett (39), and I'll put Jason Kidd and Derek Fisher on this list as they're still apart of league as coaches. 

Stephen Springer, Follow him on Twitter, @Stephen_Springs