PG: Magic Johnson. Magic made everyone he played with better throughout his whole career. (Honorable Mention: Oscar Roberston)
SG: Michael Jordan. I disagree with you. Kobe does not have a long way to go. He will simply never get there. Jordan is the best player to ever pick up a basketball, and he made people around him play better. He made Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, and Luc Longley (!) play like All-Stars. Kobe has never made a single player better than himself, and last I checked, Jordan never cried like a baby to Jerry Krause to trade him. (Honorable Mention: No need)
SF: Larry Bird. Can't believe you pick Erving over Bird. Larry was one of the most versatile and clutch players ever. He won 3 NBA Championships, 3 NBA MVPs, and 2 Finals MVP Awards. Erving was unable to win a championship until the end of his career when he was slower and couldn't jump as high. He was maybe the third best player on that team. (1982-83) Erving's another guy who falls into the category as exciting, but didn't really make any teammates better. (Honorable Mention: Elgin Baylor)
PF: Tim Duncan. I assembled this as a team, sort of like an all-time All-Star team, so i considered team chemistry when making it. Duncan would be the ultimate option here because of his unselfishness and of course, fundamental play. From the 1998-99 Championship team to the 2002-03 team, Duncan was the only player to play on both teams. Safe to say he was the driving force behind those four titles. (Honorable Mention: Kevin McHale)
C: Bill Russell. The man has 11 NBA championship rings. If the NBA gave Defensive Player of the Year awards before 1980, Russell would have won it in all 13 of his NBA seasons. Not known as a superior scorer, Russell only needed to take about 12 shots a game, and averaged 16 points and 23 rebounds for his career. I know, I know, Wilt's stats are ridiculous. But statistics withstanding, Russell won 5 MVPs and all he cared about was winning. Hard to find that anymore. (Honorable Mention: Wilt Chamberlain)
Coach (even though you didn't ask): Red Auerbach. He had a .662 career win percentage, and won 9 NBA Championships (including 8 in a row). Then he became general manager, and pulled off some of the greatest moves of all time.
1978: Drafted Larry Bird as a "junior eligible". Bird wouldn't be able to play for a year but Auerbach drafted him anyway. The rule has been amended to prevent teams from drafting 7th graders.
1980: Made the greatest trade of all-time, bar none. Auerbach got two Hall of Famers, Robert Parrish and the draft rights to Kevin McHale for Joe Barry Carroll and Rickey Brown. Any time you get two Hall of Famers in a trade, I don't care what you give up.
1986: Auerbach drafted Len Bias, who had the potential to be one of the best players of all-time. Sadly, Bias died of a cocaine overdose. Keep in mind the Celtics had just won the NBA Championship for a 16th time, and some (like myself) consider the 1985-86 Celtics team to be the best team ever. The Celtics haven't even been to the Finals since. Can't blame Auerbach.