12 Best Athletes in Football, Baseball and Basketball

Let's play the what if game. What if you could take any 12 great athletes from the entire history of football, baseball and basketball and make a team that could be a winner in the NFL, NBA and major league baseball?

Who would you pick?

Here's the rules: Pick only 12 professional athletes from MLB, NFL or NBA history. They do not have to have played in more than one sport like Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders, but that might help your team. However, you do need to assign them to positions they have the physical ability to play successfully. For example, you will need enough linemen for your football team but you'll also need some agile guys to handle point guard in basketball and shortstop in baseball. Guys may have to play out of position in their own sport to make it work.

Who would you select to have the best overall teams in all 3 sports?

Here is my all-time, multi-sport team:

FOOTBALL SQUAD

QB Sandy Koufax: great arm and tough under pressure
RB Jackie Robinson: a football star at UCLA
RB Rickey Henderson: speed and grace
WR Michael Jordan and Deion Sanders
C Ivan Rodriguez
LG Lee Smith 6'6", 225 pound baseball closer
RG Dave DeBusschere, 6'6", 220 pound basketball forward
LT Patrick Ewing 7'0" 240 pounds
RT Bo Jackson: out of position, but we need to him on the line
TE Magic Johnson: there is no position he can't play
K/P Barry Bonds: a little cream and clear on his left knee and he's good to go

BASKETBALL STARTERS

PG Magic Johnson
SG Sandy Koufax: 6'2", 210 pounds, played Freshman basketball at U. Of Cincinnati and averaged 9.7 points per game.
PF Dave DeBusschere
SF Michael Jordan
C Patrick Ewing

SP Sandy Koufax
C Ivan Rodriguez
1B Patrick Ewing
2B Magic Johnson
SS Jackie Robinson: Played shortstop at UCLA and for Negro League Kansas City Monarchs
3B Michael Jordan: Played minor league baseball
LF Barry Bonds
CF Deion Sanders: football star who did play some baseball, though not well.
RF Rickey Henderson
DH Bo Jackson: football player who could hit the ball a mile when healthy enough to play baseball

CL Lee Smith
RP Dave DeBusschere: NBA star who compiled 2.90 ERA in two years with Chicago White Sox

I figure that team can hold its own better than any other combinations of athletes from the three sports. Some others I considered:

Baseball players Bob Gibson Dick Groat, and Frank Howard were excellent basketball players and Howard could have also handled football. Danny Ainge played in the NBA and MLB. Brian Jordan played baseball and football. Gifted athletes Julius Erving, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle probably could have accomplished great things in any sports. Also, superstar NBA big men Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul Jabbar could probably be substituted for Patrick Ewing. Additionally, I doubt any NFL lineman would want to tangle with Moses Malone or Dennis Rodman on an angry night and I'll bet they could slug the ball pretty well too.

Feel free to comment with your ideas on your all-time multi-sport team.