Who is your all-time NBA starting five?
It is a hot debate, as it often goes by which player was supposedly the best to ever play his respective position. Perhaps there is no one objectively correct answer, but it seems someone always feels offended by each such list.
Stephen Curry, who himself is starting to make an argument he may belong on such a list, recently gave his all-time starting five. He was gracious enough to say he wouldn’t be in the lineup, and he was also gracious enough, in the eyes of Los Angeles Lakers fans, to pick three team legends: Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.
However, LeBron James was conspicuously absent (h/t Lakers Daily).
Stephen Curry's all-time starting 5:
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Kobe Bryant
PF: Tim Duncan
C: Shaquille O’Nealpic.twitter.com/3ZLeMPZ1wy— ³⁰ (@StephMuse_) July 23, 2023
Johnson and Michael Jordan are on just about every such list, and O’Neal and Bryant will also often make the cut, as does James. But although James is, in the minds of many, one of the three greatest players ever, there are those who would rather have Bryant or Boston Celtics great Larry Bird as their small forward.
James’ career isn’t exactly done yet, so perhaps when it is, he will have a stronger argument when it comes to these debates.
