Debating legacies and being asked to name the greatest players ever is inherently a subjective topic that’ll guarantee long and emotional conversations in the aftermath.
No matter who is listed, there will always be some pushback as the opinionated topics don’t have any definitive answers.
In a video with NBA 2K, Oklahoma City Thunder franchise guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tackled this issue when he was asked to name his all-time starting lineup.
The 25-year-old listed off his starting five in the short clip:
- Allen Iverson
- Kobe Bryant
- Michael Jordan
- Kevin Durant
- Shaquille O’Neal
This is a pretty unique take by Gilgeous-Alexander. The most notable absence is LeBron James, who is currently on the Los Angeles Lakers. The only active player in Gilgeous-Alexander’s five is Durant, who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Thunder.
The least surprising inclusion in Gilgeous-Alexander’s all-time starting five is Bryant, who he famously said is like MJ but “on steroids.” Considering his age, Gilgeous-Alexander likely grew up watching Bryant’s prime with the Lakers.
An SGA & AI backcourt would be 🔥🔥
See who else Shai had in his all-time starting 5️⃣ pic.twitter.com/zgnXVYsDd2
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) October 14, 2023