The 2019-20 NBA season suspension has left players around the league with more time on their hands than they know what to do with it.
With no basketball, social media has become a virtual walk down memory lane of some of the greatest moments in NBA history. Naturally, this has sparked plenty of discussion regarding the league’s hierarchy up to this point.
Jayson Tatum recently took the bait on a question from one of his followers regarding his all-time starting lineup. His response included some rather familiar faces for the Los Angeles Lakers faithful.
Tatum took to Twitter to reveal his starting five, which included four players from the Lakers:
Mike, bron, bean, Magic, Kareem
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) March 26, 2020
It is safe to say that Tatum’s list may not sit well with Boston Celtics fans given the disproportionate amount of purple and gold to green involved. Regardless, it is difficult to argue against a lineup of this caliber.
Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest player to pick up a basketball and he usually serves as the most common starting point when it comes to assembling a historic starting five. While Jordan may have the notoriety, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the hardware to make his own argument as perhaps the most decorated player in league history.
The selection of both Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson is indicative of how well-versed Tatum is with basketball history. Johnson is one of the most iconic and transcendent players of all time and he is perhaps the one best-equipped to lead such a legendary team in a hypothetical situation.
Meanwhile, Tatum’s admiration for Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has been well-documented during his rise to stardom in Boston and this likely played a factor. However, there is no question that both Bryant and James are more than deserving of making anyone’s all-time lineup.
Of course, Tatum’s starting five is more of a representation of how many iconic players have donned the purple and gold as opposed to his potential interest in the Lakers. Regardless, this will not prevent fans from toying with the prospect of him wanting to follow in the footsteps of those in his lineup.
