We’re currently in the midst of the NBA’s 80th season, and a whole host of incredible players have stepped onto the courts over the years. That makes creating a list of the five greatest players of all time a difficult task, but it was the one that content creator Deric Eze gave to Blake Griffin.
“[Michael Jordan], LeBron [James], Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar],” Griffin said. “I have Tim Duncan in my top five… Give me [Shaquille O’Neal].”
That’s an interesting top five. One would immediately point out that Griffin, one of the greatest Los Angeles Clippers of all time, left out arguably the two most iconic players in Los Angeles Lakers history: Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. You’d find Johnson and Bryant in a lot of top fives, but it’s not as if any of the names mentioned here are out of place. Let’s take a look at each of them.
Michael Jordan tends to be the first name that gets brought up in these lists, and for good reason. Jordan won six titles, six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, one DPOY, and 10 scoring titles. He made 14 All-Star, 11 All-NBA, and nine All-Defensive teams, and is regarded by many to be the greatest of all time.
Those who don’t give Jordan that GOAT title tend to give it to LeBron James. James has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, a scoring title, and an assists title. He has made 21 All-NBA and six All-Defensive teams and has been named an All-Star for the 22nd time in 2026. James is also the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is unmatched when it comes to longevity.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also gets brought up in GOAT debates nowadays, although not very often. Abdul-Jabbar won six titles, two Finals MVPs, six MVPs, and two scoring titles. He also made 19 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, and 11 All-Defensive teams. While Abdul-Jabbar is an obvious pick, the one who came after him was not.
Tim Duncan is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time, but you rarely see him in top-five lists. Duncan does have a terrific resume, though, winning five titles, three Finals MVPs, and two MVPs. He made 15 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, and 15 All-Defensive teams. Duncan is one of the greatest defenders we have ever seen, but somehow never won DPOY.
Lastly, we get to Shaquille O’Neal, one of Duncan’s great rivals. O’Neal won four titles, three Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles. He made 15 All-Star, 14 All-NBA, and three All-Defensive teams. O’Neal led the Lakers to a three-peat from 2000 to 2002, and it remains the last time the feat was accomplished in the NBA.
Duncan is the biggest reason why the Lakers didn’t win four in a row, as his San Antonio Spurs knocked them out in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2003. He was one of the few who could hold their own against O’Neal in his prime and made quite an impression on Griffin.
In this interview, Griffin chose Duncan as the player he wished he had gotten to play with. They would have made quite the duo.
Blake was also asked here to name a player from today who reminds him of himself. He reckons he was somewhat of a mix of Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero, and that’s not a bad comp.
Griffin, whom the Clippers had selected with the first pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, may not have ended up having the kind of career many would have thought he would, but he still left his mark. He averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game over 13 seasons.
Blake Griffin made six All-Star and five All-NBA teams, but the championship eluded him. He retired in 2024 after suiting up for the Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics. Griffin was named a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, and he’ll find out if he’s making it in on April 4.
