The 2015-16 NBA season was, honestly, a fever dream. We saw a 73-win team, Kobe Bryant’s sixty-point farewell, and a 3-1 Finals comeback that still keeps Warriors fans up at night. But if you want to understand the tectonic shift in how basketball is actually played, you have to look at the NBA All First Team 2016.
It was a weird, transitional moment.
Think about it. We had the greatest shooting season in human history happening at the exact same time the "traditional" big man was making one last, desperate stand for relevancy. The voters basically picked five guys who represented the absolute pinnacle of their respective archetypes before the league turned into a three-point shooting gallery for every single position.
The Unanimous Choice and the End of the "Old" NBA
Stephen Curry. Obviously.
He was the first-ever unanimous MVP that year, so his spot on the NBA All First Team 2016 was never in doubt. He didn't just play basketball; he broke the physics engine of the game. 402 threes. That number still feels fake. I remember watching him pull up from the logo against OKC and just knowing it was going in. It changed everything. But while Steph was the lightning bolt, the rest of the First Team was a fascinating mix of "what’s next" and "what was."
Joining him in the backcourt was Russell Westbrook.
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This was Peak Russ. Before the triple-double became a statistical fatigue for the average fan, Westbrook was a terrifying blur of athleticism. He averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 assists, and 7.8 rebounds. He and Steph were the yin and yang of the point guard position—one would kill you with a flick of the wrist from 35 feet, the other would try to jump through your chest and tear the rim off the backboard.
LeBron’s Standard and the Kawhi Ascent
Then you have the forwards. LeBron James was, well, LeBron. It’s easy to forget that by 2016, people were already trying to "age" him out. They were wrong. He was coasting in the regular season—if you can call 25/7/6 coasting—and saving his soul-crushing defensive plays for the postseason.
But the other forward spot? That belonged to Kawhi Leonard.
This was the year Kawhi officially stopped being just a "system player" or a defensive specialist. He won Defensive Player of the Year, sure, but he also shot 44% from three. He was the prototype for the modern two-way wing that every GM has been trying to draft ever since. Seeing him alongside LeBron on that First Team felt like a passing of the torch that LeBron simply refused to hand over.
The DeAndre Jordan Conundrum
Now, here is where it gets spicy. DeAndre Jordan was the center for the NBA All First Team 2016.
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Wait. What?
Looking back, it feels like a glitch in the Matrix. This was a season where DeMarcus Cousins was putting up 27 and 11. Anthony Davis was a monster. But the Clippers won 53 games, and DJ was the anchor of everything they did defensively. He averaged 12.7 points and 13.8 rebounds. He led the league in field goal percentage because every single one of his shots was a dunk assisted by Chris Paul.
Honestly, DJ making the First Team was the final gasp of the "rebound and dunk" center era.
It caused a lot of friction at the time. Voters were stuck between valuing "winning impact" and raw statistical dominance. If you look at the All-NBA Second Team that year, you had Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard. It’s wild to think that DeAndre Jordan technically had a "better" season according to the honors than KD did, but that’s the beauty and the frustration of how these awards worked back then.
The Guys Who Got Snubbed (Sorta)
You can't talk about the 2016 honors without mentioning Kevin Durant. He was incredible. He averaged 28 points on ridiculous efficiency, but because Kawhi was the defensive king and LeBron was LeBron, KD got bumped to the Second Team. It’s one of the strongest Second Teams ever assembled.
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- Kevin Durant (Should have been First Team? Probably.)
- Damian Lillard
- Chris Paul
- Draymond Green
- DeMarcus Cousins
Imagine that lineup. Draymond was arguably the most important player on a 73-win team and he couldn't crack the top five. That tells you everything you need to know about the talent density in 2016. The league was moving toward positionless basketball, but the All-NBA ballot still forced voters to pick two guards, two forwards, and one center. If the "Positionless" rules we have today existed back then, there is zero chance DeAndre Jordan makes that cut over Kevin Durant.
Why the 2016 Selection Still Matters
We look back at this specific year because it represents the "Pivot Point."
After 2016, the "Center" position changed forever. You couldn't just be a rim protector who shot free throws like a shot-putter. You had to be Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid—you had to have skill. The NBA All First Team 2016 was the last time a limited, specialist big man reached the absolute top of the mountain.
It also solidified the "Point Guard Era." Having Steph and Russ on the First Team with Dame and CP3 on the Second Team showed that the league belonged to the small guys. The pace was exploding. The space was opening up. The 2016 season was the blueprint for the high-octane, triple-point-heavy game we see every Tuesday night on TNT now.
Actionable Takeaways for Basketball History Buffs
If you’re looking to settle an argument or just want to understand the era better, here is how you should actually view the 2016 accolades:
- Weight Winning Over Stats: When looking at why DJ made it over Boogie Cousins, remember that voters in 2016 were obsessed with "Defensive Rating" and "Team Wins." If you aren't winning, you aren't First Team.
- Analyze the Efficiency Gap: Go back and look at Steph's 50/40/90 season compared to the rest of the league. It wasn't just that he was better; it was that he was playing a completely different sport.
- Study the "Two-Way" Shift: 2016 was the year Kawhi Leonard proved you could be a #1 option while also being the best defender in the world. It set the standard for the modern "3-and-D Plus" superstar.
- Contextualize the "Snubs": Don't just look at the list. Look at the games played. Durant missed some time, which opened the door for Kawhi. Availability has always been the "hidden" stat in All-NBA voting.
The 2016 season wasn't just about the records or the rings. It was the moment the old guard of the NBA finally stepped aside for the era of the long-range sniper and the versatile wing. If you ever find yourself debating the greatest seasons in history, start with the 2016 First Team. It’s the perfect time capsule of a league in the middle of a beautiful, chaotic identity crisis.