Lakers legend James Worthy picks the greatest starting 5 in NBA history

The Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed one of their golden eras in the 1980s, when Pat Riley was the head coach and the roster featured superstars like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That same team also included James Worthy, who recently shared his all-time NBA starting five.

In a 2024 conversation with his former Lakers teammate Byron Scott, Worthy was tasked with putting together his ultimate team based on players he watched before, during, and after his own career. Naturally, the former forward leaned toward players he either played alongside or faced on the court.

“Magic at one,” James began, in a pick that was almost a given. Earvin Johnson is considered by many—including Michael Jordan—the greatest point guard of all time. It makes sense that one of his Lakers teammates would echo that sentiment. Together, Magic and Worthy won three titles in 1985, 1987, and 1988. Before that, the guard had also won championships in 1980 and 1982.

“MJ at two,” the former forward continued, referring to the shooting guard in his imaginary lineup. In this case, he admitted it wasn’t an easy call between Jordan and Bryant. “Oh, I left Kobe out. It’s hard. I love Kobe, but MJ… I got to touch MJ a little bit before Kobe.”

James Worthy picked Michael Jordan as his favorite shooting guard.

“My small forward? I need me a scorer, man. I got to go with Larry,” Worthy said next. The pick highlights how impactful Bird was during his playing years, especially considering the Boston Celtics were the Lakers’ main rivals in the 1980s.

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When it came to power forward, James voiced his dilemma. “It’s between Tim Duncan or Karl Malone,” he said. The debate underscored a key question: whether to go with a rival from his playing days, like Malone of the Utah Jazz, or a younger star like Duncan. “I’m going to go with Karl Malone at four.”

For the final spot, Worthy didn’t hesitate. “Kareem is my center,” he said, in another obvious pick given Abdul-Jabbar’s impact and enduring legacy in the NBA. Still, he acknowledged it wasn’t an easy choice: “That’s a tough decision because there’s some bad (expletive) out there.”

After naming his all-time NBA starting five, James Worthy was asked to pick his all-time Lakers team. Unsurprisingly, he repeated two of the names from his previous list, while adding a few more: “Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor… That would be my five,” said the three-time NBA champion.