Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated 2/27/24
During an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype, Lance Stephenson was asked to list his top five players in NBA history.
Stephenson went with Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal.
“Man, this is hard,” Stephenson said. “A lot of people get mad. My Top 5, I’m just going to do position-wise… no I’m not. So Kobe, Jordan, no order, LeBron, Tim Duncan, Shaq. That’s my starting five right there. I know there gonna be a lot of argument of who gonna shoot the ball, but I think they’ll figure it out and actually beat everybody that everyone else picks.”
The late great Bryant spent his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won five championships, two Finals MVPs and one regular-season MVP. Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks. He’s fourth all-time in points and second in points scored in a single game.
Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. He won six rings, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs and 10 scoring titles with the Bulls. Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with Chicago and Washington. He’s first in NBA history in points per game, fifth in points, second in player efficiency rating and fourth in steals.
LeBron has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers. He’s a four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP and four-time regular-season MVP. LeBron has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks. He’s first in NBA history in points, second in field goals, fourth in assists, ninth in steals, fifth in triple-doubles, seventh in points per game, third in player efficiency rating and eighth in 3-point field goals.
Duncan spent his entire storied career with the San Antonio Spurs. He won five rings, three Finals MVPs and two regular-season MVPs. Duncan holds career averages of 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.2 blocks. He’s 16th all-time in points and seventh in rebounds.
Finally, O’Neal played for the Orlando Magic, Lakers, Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cavaliers and Celtics. He won four championships, three Finals MVPs and one regular-season MVP. Shaq has career averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals and 2.3 blocks. He’s 10th in NBA history in points.
