Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves appeared on a recent episode of the Pardon My Take podcast, where he was asked an interesting question. Reaves had to assemble an all-time starting five with himself on it, and he struggled a bit as he tried to put together a lineup.
“All the older people, don’t be mad at me because I’m talking personally from what I’ve seen and watched,” Reaves said. “… Steph [Curry] at the one. God, I’ve gotta put myself in there? I can’t coach?… Steph at the one, me at the two… It’s so much easier if I didn’t have to put myself in there because I would put Kobe [Bryant] at the two.
“We’re gonna go Kobe at the three, [LeBron James] at the four, and [Shaquille O’Neal] at the five,” Reaves added.
With Reaves repeatedly mentioning how including him was making it difficult to create a lineup, he was asked to make one without him.
“I would probably go Steph, Kobe, people are going to kill me for leaving [Michael Jordan],” Reaves said. “… Steph, Kobe, Bron, maybe like Tim Duncan, Shaq. Or [Kevin Durant] and Shaq.”
Co-host Dan Katz brought up the likes of Magic Johnson, and Reaves explained he’s leaving legends like him and Michael Jordan out because he didn’t really see them play. He was born on May 29, 1998, just a couple of weeks before Jordan won his sixth and final NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls.
You can definitely understand someone picking only the players they actually saw themselves. Now, Reaves did have Jordan in his all-time starting five when he was asked to share it in 2024. Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Shaquille O’Neal were there with him. Reaves sure holds these four in high regard, as they were named here, too.
Curry has won four titles, one Finals MVP, two MVPs, and two scoring titles. The 38-year-old is unquestionably the greatest shooter of all time and has revolutionized the game of basketball. Reaves has not enjoyed guarding Curry, and it’s not a surprise he put him in here.
Bryant then slots in at shooting guard, and he won five titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles. Reaves grew up a Lakers fan and has called him his GOAT.
After Bryant comes Reaves’ former Laker teammate, James. The 41-year-old has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, one scoring title, and one assists title. James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has thrust himself into the GOAT debate today, but Jordan remains the more popular pick.
Reaves was then split on who to go with at the four. He first named Tim Duncan, who won five titles, three Finals MVPs, and two MVPs. Duncan is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time.
The other option was Kevin Durant, who has won two titles, two Finals MVPs, two MVPs, and four scoring titles. Durant is arguably the most complete scorer in NBA history.
Lastly, we get to O’Neal, who won four titles, three Finals MVPs, one MVP, and two scoring titles. He is regarded as the most dominant player in modern NBA history. There was nothing you could do to stop O’Neal when he was at his absolute best.
So, these were all pretty good picks. Durant might be the only unpopular one, but there is no denying he is one of the greatest players of all time.
Now, Reaves, of course, let off his good friend and backcourt partner, Luka Doncic, here. Doncic has all the talent in the world, but does not have a championship or an MVP to show for it. Reaves would be hoping to help change that in the coming years.
