There are many different topics within the NBA world that will always allow for debate, such as Mount Rushmores and the greatest of all time conversation. Another topic that falls into that category is the all-time starting five and, like all other debate topics, it is almost a guarantee to see current and former Los Angeles Lakers players mentioned.
This was the case with Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who is enjoying the best season of his career. In an interview with Ahmad Rashad, Brown was asked to give his all-time starting five and current Lakers superstar LeBron James, as well as franchise icon Kobe Bryant, both made the cut, via NBA on X:
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan
Steph Curry
Bill RussellJaylen Brown revealed his ALL-STARTING FIVE with Ahmad Rashad 👀 pic.twitter.com/3n663Jn7To
— NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2026
The inclusion of Bryant and James, as well as Michael Jordan, are almost guarantees for any player giving out their list. In the eyes of many, those three are the greatest, in some order, to ever step foot on an NBA court.
Brown went opposite ways with his final two selections with current Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and the winningest player in NBA history Bill Russell, who of course won 11 NBA Championships with the Celtics. One has to wonder though, if Brown maybe chose Russell over the likes of Shaquille O’Neal or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar because he wouldn’t have been welcomed back in Boston had he included three Lakers and no Celtics on his squad.
Potential Boston bias aside, Brown selected an excellent squad with five players who are all arguably in the top 10 greatest players ever. And in any instance of these debates, the Lakers are always going to be well represented and even for a Celtics star like Brown, the purple and gold still shows up.
Lakers’ LeBron James still surprises himself in one regard
The fact that James is not only still playing 23 years into his NBA career, but it also still thriving as one of the best players in the league is truly unbelievable. And the Lakers superstar admitted that some of the athletic plays he continues to make at 41 years old surprises even himself.
“It kinda is, yeah. It kinda is at times,” James said on Spectrum SportsNet after a recent win. “I don’t know if any of those surprised me. I mean the one in the first half, I seen him tracking me. He’s a pretty good shot blocker so I had to throw that down. The lob from AR, I told him to throw it so I had to go get it. But there’s some plays that I still do at this point in my career where it definitely surprises me for sure.”
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