With the NBA offseason trudging along, there might not be a better time for those invested in the association to discuss the legacies of players and how they stack up in the all-time rankings. In an appearance on The Big Podcast with Shaquille O'Neal, Hall of Fame guard and 2001 NBA MVP Allen Iverson gave his all-time starting five — with fans giving their seal of approval for The Answer's opinion.
Iverson said that his all-time starting five will be comprised of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James — two of the greatest players who have defined this current generation of basketball. Joining Curry and James in that starting lineup of Iverson's is Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan — the two best shooting guards of all-time. And then anchoring the paint on both ends of the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers legend's all-time five is O'Neal himself.
It's difficult to argue the merits of the players Allen Iverson included in his five. All five of them are very deserving of such acclaim; that starting lineup has 23 championships and 14 MVPs combined among them, and they combine greatness on the hardwood with considerable cultural impact — factors that would mean the world to the 76ers legend.
It is a bit odd that Iverson did not include himself in his all-time starting five; fans will definitely excuse it if he chose to put himself in — this is a sign of his belief in his body of work. During his prime, Iverson was a fearless paint-attacker despite his diminutive size (relative to NBA standards) and he propped up a 76ers team that did not have too many offensive weapons around him. He led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001 with one heroic, MVP-esque performance after another. But Iverson can also recognize greatness when he sees it, much to the delight of fans on X.
“finally someone makes a proper list 😭,” X user @BlazerLegndSefo wrote.
“AI never gets it wrong 🔥🔥,” added @Knicksin41.
“Holy s**t AI knows ball,” furthered @TheAssassinGoat.
Examining Allen Iverson's all-time starting five even further
There is no question that the players Allen Iverson included in his all-time five are deserving of inclusion. But is there anyone more deserving of inclusion than those he mentioned?
At this point, LeBron James and Michael Jordan are locks. James' career longevity is unparalleled, and at his peak, he was an unstoppable freight train who wasn't only the best floor-raiser in the league, but the best ceiling-raiser as well. Meanwhile, Jordan dominated the NBA for a decade, winning three consecutive championships two separate times while being a force of nature on and off the court.
The other positions are more up for debate, although again, it is worth mentioning that Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal are very much worthy of inclusion.
Some would argue that Magic Johnson has to be above Curry on the all-time point guard list, and with Jordan already on the team, some believe that another forward, perhaps Kevin Durant, Larry Bird, or Tim Duncan, fits better. Meanwhile, there have been plenty of elite centers in NBA history — with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain all worthy of challenging O'Neal for that spot.
But in these discussions, rarely anyone could go wrong with any choice. For Allen Iverson, he built for himself an incredible team that will withstand the test of time.
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