Perhaps one of the favorite pastimes of basketball fans worldwide is building different starting 5s based on players that have played in the league at some point. The GOAT debate, who the greatest players are in each position, and other questions are discussed often, but the all-time starting 5 is equally big.
Everyone has one, Stephen Curry shared his all-time starting five. Even the man on nearly everyone’s team, the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan had some picks for who would make it to his all-time starting 5. Legends throughout the history of the game have shown different incredible abilities, and imagining them playing together at the peak of their powers is as fun as it gets for a lot of hoop fans.
While it’s usually people picking their starting 5s out of every player that has ever played, sometimes people will do it in a draft style to spice it up. That’s precisely what happened between Shaquille O’Neal and Patrick Bet-David during an interview, and it led to some exciting results.
Shaquille O’Neal Chose Kobe Bryant With His First Pick While Creating His All-Time Starting 5
Shaquille O’Neal and Patrick Bet-David indulged in this fun little activity during an interview. Choosing to build their starting 5s in a draft style, Shaq went first, and his answer surprised even his interviewer.
Patrick Bet-David: “NBA draft, put your starting 5, yours against mine, you go first, who’s your first pick?”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Players now or forever? Kobe.”
PBD: “You picked Kobe first? Ahead of Jordan? Seriously?”
Shaq: “Of course. Yeah. I played with Kobe.
PBD: “Are you serious? You’d take Kobe over MJ?”
Shaq: “Write it down, take a picture, fax it.”
PBD: “Well, you take Kobe, now I got Shaq. That’s my first pick.”
Shaq: “Now I got Jordan… I got Kobe and Jordan in the backcourt.”
PBD: “If you’re going to play that game, I’ll play a different game, I got Hakeem at 4.”
Shaq: “Okay, I got LeBron at 3. You’re going down.”
PBD: “I’ll go KD at 3.”
Shaq: “At center, Imma go the late great Bill Russell, may he rest in peace.”
PBD: “Imma go with Steph Curry.”
Shaq: “And at my 4, I’m going with Karl Malone at the 4… You’re not gonna win a game.”
PBD: “I’m mixing it up, I need defense, I’m going with Dennis Rodman.”
A team that has Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James would automatically be considered the best without even considering Bill Russell at the center position. Patrick-Bet David’s team seems a lot more haphazard, although they would also be tough to beat. And it could have been worse, either of the two could have picked Allen Iverson with their first pick.
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