Draymond Green is one of the most accomplished NBA players of his generation. Four NBA championships, four NBA All-Star appearances and one Defensive Player of the Year award speak for themselves.
Because of Green’s pedigree, he is uniquely qualified to speak on NBA players both past and present.
This week, Green answered something of a tough question: who would be in his all-time starting five?
Some of the answers were expected, whereas others caught fans off guard.
.@Money23Green reveals his all-time starting 5 pic.twitter.com/B6rMkSVMvh
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 11, 2022
“My all-time starting five is Shaq at the 5 and Steph (Curry) at the 1, LeBron James at the 3,” Green said. “Now, this is where the eras and stuff get tricky because what era of basketball am I talking about? But, I’m just gonna talk basketball in a sense of who I think will make a great five.
“Steph at the 1, Shaq at the 5, LeBron at the 3, Timmie D (Tim Duncan) at the four, and if you think I was going to go with anyone other than MJ at the 2, you gotta be out of your mind.”
Reactions to Green’s list poured in immediately:
I agree w all the picks; he was playin w that MJ pick though lol, 🐐 should’ve been said right off the bat https://t.co/RNn98r0dZn
— Justin Kim (@justinkimdc) August 12, 2022
https://t.co/G5G5bMmGyU pic.twitter.com/KI9pj9LK6Z
— Prime Bonds (@PrimeCena08) August 12, 2022
Surprised he ain’t put himself https://t.co/NNcdvXYjnn
— JP (@JuantheGreat25) August 12, 2022
Need to replace Tim Duncan with a shooter for this to be current https://t.co/cOrTX6a1O8
— Connor (@The_Merchdog) August 12, 2022
Green has always been one of the more straightforward players in the NBA.
Whether he is revealing which former Golden State Warriors player he’ll miss the most, speaking openly about LeBron James or calling out NBA stars he feels are out of shape – he always keeps it real.
In that spirit, if that’s his all-time top starting five, you know he means it.
That hand placement. https://t.co/NvzmaKjKkI
— Game 7 (@game7__) August 12, 2022
The nice thing about starting five lists is that they’re like the GOAT debate. There is no right answer, just subjective conjecture.
That said – it’s hard to find too many issues with the guys Green chose.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.