Not every player is destined to become a superstar in the NBA. Obviously, the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant are the ones who fetch the most money for the league, but there are a plethora of other players who play a crucial role in helping a team stay competitive in the league.
Without having quality role players, it’s near about impossible for a team to have a championship in the league, regardless of the era we’re talking about. A role player can help a team in various ways, such as by giving a scoring boost off the bench or simply being a leader and maintaining the morale in the locker room.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes was a player who spent 14 seasons in the NBA but was never a star in the league. Instead, he relied on his incredible tenacity to help his teams. So much so that the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant personally recruited him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Matt Barnes Reveals His All-Time Teammates Starting Five
Considering that Barnes spent 14 seasons in the league while playing for 9 different teams, it’s obvious that he had a chance to play with several amazing players during his career.
In a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast, Barnes was asked to name a starting five of the best NBA players he had a chance to play with in the NBA. Evidently, it was a tough decision for him, and he ended up snubbing Stephen Curry, Allen Iverson, and Kevin Durant from the list.
“I didn’t really get a chance to really play in Philly, but Allen Iverson was my point guard. Steve Nash was my point guard. Steph Curry was my point guard. Chris Paul was my point guard. A healthy Baron Davis was my point guard. So we’re gonna start at the point position. The only reason why I’m taking CP over Steph is because I only played half a season with Steph. So, I’m taking CP as my point. I’m taking Kobe as my two. I’m taking Grant Hill as my three. I’m taking Chris Webber as my four and Shaq as my five.”
Barnes explained the reason behind not picking Steph and Iverson is due to the fact that he simply didn’t get enough time to play with them. In addition to that, he seemingly completely forgot about KD for a second and only remembered he played with him when reminded by Sharpe. But at the end of the day, it’s his list and we have to respect his picks.
