Who would you build a franchise around, all-time?

[slightly biased bias fan]

You may perceive this as bias, but I would pick Bill Russell.

I still do not think people understand how special Russell was at the game of basketball.

You can put anyone next to Russell and he will not detract from their game, if anything he will adapt to their game to make them better. If you compare him to Michael Jordan, Jordan was extremely fortunate to have a perfect partner in Scottie Pippen. Jordan only began winning when Pippen arrived. The Celtics only started winning when Russell arrived and stopped winning when he retired.

Prime Russell would comfortably guard 1-5 at an elite level.

Russell was an elite outlet passer, and if you have been watching the Indiana Pacers go toe-to-toe with a vastly more talented roster you can see how valuable a fast paced offensive system is in todays NBA.

For all the attention on individual skills, people forget that basketball is a team game. Russell mastered the art of playing team basketball.