Few questions have elicited as fiery a debate in recent years as: Who is in your all-time starting five? It's a conversation without an objective answer, but it offers an opportunity to expand the praise beyond the typical greatest of all-time discourse.
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves is the latest to be asked who fits in his all-time starting five, and his answer may ruffle a few feathers.
Reaves, 26, is preparing for his fourth season after going undrafted in 2020. During his tenure in the Association, he's become teammates with some of the greatest players in NBA history, including Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook.
In an appearance on BustaJack Golf, Reaves answered the question about his all-time starting five—with multiple Lakers and a current teammate included.
"Steph, MJ, Kobe, Bron, Shaq. But if I'm running a team, I'm going Steph, Kobe, KD, Bron, Shaq. But all the old heads, just relax, bro, just relax. No disrespect...I can't put something that I literally have no knowledge about. At least I know about Jordan, Magic."
That starting five is likely to generate some uncomfortable looks from Lakers fans, but it's an undeniably elite starting unit.
Austin Reaves omits Magic Johnson from all-time starting five
The first starting lineup that Reaves provides appears to be based on his opinion about the greatest players in NBA history. The positions are a bit fluid, but the players included are widely regarded as the best five players of the past 30 years, sans Tim Duncan.
It makes sense that Reaves would focus on the players who he had a chance to watch or hear about from the peers closest to him—let alone those with accessible footage.
A backcourt of Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant would be undeniably elite, with unrivaled offensive skill and an elite defender at the 2-spot. Having Michael Jordan and LeBron James on the court at the same time is the ultimate cheat code, especially with Shaquille O'Neal down low.
Reaves' second unit, however, speaks to the tactical approach to the conversation, as he makes minor changes to create a more coherent unit.
Reaves has kept everything the same from his all-time team to the team he'd put together with the exception of swapping out Jordan for Kevin Durant. It might seem sacrilegious in some NBA circles, but there's a method to the madness.
With Curry and Durant, and Bryant and O'Neal, Reaves' starting lineup would have two of the most dominant duos of the 21st century.
The mention of James in both lineups is a nod to his Lakers teammate, although it's an obviously fair selection. The biggest question that fans will likely be asking is how he could choose Curry over franchise royalty in Magic Johnson.
Nonetheless, Reaves' starting five is flush with generational talent and a clear focus on players from the eras that he's been able to witness and play alongside.