Allen Iverson Includes LeBron & Curry In All-Time Starting 5

TheSportster

By Alex Hoegler

Published Dec 7, 2018

Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson revealed his all-time starting five lineup, which includes two active superstars.

Jul 2, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; 3's Company player Allen Iverson (3) smiles during the game against the Ghost Ballers at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

For NBA players, fans and prognosticators, few debates are as fun and intriguing as the all-time starting five lineup.

Over the last 60 years, there have been dozens of players completely change the landscape of basketball forever. These guys set the standard for what it took to be a champion in the NBA, and it was up to players of the present and future to learn how to be like them.

But even though there are nearly 200 players in the Basketball Hall of Fame, there's only room for five on a starting roster. Philadelphia 76ers legend and former MVP Allen Iverson shared his all-time starting five in an article for The Players' Tribune, and it features two current players.

Iverson placed Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, franchise icon Kobe Bryant and Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O'Neal on his dream starting five.

Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

A surprising and notable exception on that list would be Lakers legend Magic Johnson, whom many regard as the greatest point guard of all-time. Johnson was a five-time NBA Champion and three-time league MVP. Johnson was named to 12 All-Star Games in his career, leading the Lakers into the 'Showtime' era.

But other than that, it's hard to dispute Iverson's list. All five players he picked have won at least three championships and a minimum of one league MVP award. James and Jordan are no-brainers, while the choice of Shaq doesn't require much thinking either.

What This Means

It's always fun to hear what a legend has to say in the starting five, and Iverson just happened to play against the likes of James, O'Neal and Bryant for several years. Iverson would know a thing or two about their dominance, seeing it firsthand and all.

Now, we'll see how much backlash Iverson is bound to receive for having to leave out other legends such as Johnson and Tim Duncan, among others.

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