Allen Iverson Names His All-Time NBA Starting Five

During an episode of "The Big Podcast" with Shaquille O'Neal that aired recently, NBA legend and Hall of Famer Allen Iverson revealed his picks for the all-time starting five in league history -- a lineup featuring some basketball titans. Iverson — who enjoyed legendary status during his years with the Philadelphia 76ers and a similarly impactful legacy on the game itself — spoke to SI about what he saw in Smith, why James is No.

The discussion was about the greatest of all time (GOAT) basketball team and then criteria for making up that team, Iverson spoke out loud his admiration both in skill but also impact from these favorite players he chose. LeBron James, LA Lakers — Iverson would be on the court with his dream team.Level available until Dec 07Leading by example, showing everyone exactly how to prosperGravityLeBron is of another planet in terms of both skill and leadership. Bay Area Warriors star Steph Curry was second—and Allen Iverson named him the G.O.A.T. three-point shooter:

The lineup is rounded out by two more iconic legends — Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, players that have not only defined their respective eras but also set championship excellence in the league. Jordan, who is widely considered the greatest player in NBA and Bryant, an all-time great scorer with five rings to his credit make up one of even backcourt/wing duos you could imagine terrorizing any opponent.

Rounding off Iverson's all-time starting five is another Voice of Nature, Shaquille O'Neal himself who was in attendance during the podcast as well. His presence in the paint has added an old-school layer to a relatively small and finesse-oriented team, one that features three premier shooters (Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love—like O'Neal at point guard—in addition to James).

The selection of Iverson also omitted basketball legends Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Tim Duncan -- further illustrating how much the process of creating an all-time greats list is subjective -- but may be relied on as a barometer for fans to compare their own lists due in part to his honoring multiple eras by type. His starting five not only illustrates the best in terms of personal talent, but also makes it priority as a combination that could score and lead on both ends.

As the dream team built in the mind of Allen Iverson there are a killer trio that reputed scoring, defense and basketball IQsimientos. Iverson is honoring these players not only out of respect for them, but also because they have forever made their mark on the league that Iverson gave his all to during his career. The NBA always on the rise, conversations about all-time greats provide those with insatiable minds of appreciation for where its been and who have gotten it to this point.