Putting together an all-time starting five in NBA history is always complicated. In most cases, it comes down to personal preferences, and there is rarely a universal consensus among players, analysts and fans. Something similar happens when NBA stars reveal their own all-time lineups. That is what happened with Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who recently shared his all-time starting five. His selection immediately sparked conversation because of one notable absence: LeBron James.
Edwards revealed his all-time starting five during a recent interview with Ahmad Rashad. During the conversation, Rashad asked Edwards to name his all-time lineup. Edwards began by naming Stephen Curry at point guard before inserting himself into the lineup.
“I’m going with Steph Curry at the one, Anthony Edwards at the two, I’m going Mike Jordan at three,” Edwards said. “Yeah, Mike Jordan got to go to the three, I got to go to the two.”
Edwards continued by naming his frontcourt, selecting Kevin Durant, whom he has often cited as his favorite player, along with a legendary center. “At my four, I got to put KD, my favorite player, I got to put KD at the four,” Edwards said. “I’m a have to go with probably the Dream at the five. Or Shaq? Yeah, I’m a go with Shaq.”
The absence of LeBron James
As mentioned earlier, many times these types of selections come down to personal preference. That does not mean it is a bad starting five or anything similar, but Edwards himself made it clear that he could not leave his favorite player, Kevin Durant, out of the lineup.
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Edwards’ lineup ultimately featured Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant and Shaquille O’Neal, leaving LeBron James off the roster. The Los Angeles Lakers star recently added another milestone to his resume, moving to No. 1 on the league all-time field goals made list after passing Kareem Abdul Jabbar during the Lakers’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.
Edwards MVP level
Including himself in an all-time starting five may seem surprising right now. However, Edwards is currently playing at an extremely high level and possibly having the best season of his career in the NBA.
Edwards is producing the most efficient campaign of his career. The 24-year-old guard is averaging 29.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting career-best marks of 49.5 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range. Across 53 games, Edwards has played 35.6 minutes per contest and has served as the focal point of the Minnesota Timberwolves offense while helping guide the team to a 40-23 record in the Western Conference standings.
