In 2026, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is no longer a rising star. He is a reigning champion, an MVP, and one of the faces of the NBA. During the 2024/25 season, he guided the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first ever title and took home MVP honors. It was the culmination of an astronomical rise for a point guard who was drafted 11th by the Charlotte Hornets in 2018 and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. Back then, who could have predicted this? Almost nobody. Now, the only question is how high he will climb on the all-time lists.

Recently, in an interview shared by Basket News, Gilgeous-Alexander named his all-time starting five. The list turned heads for two reasons: it was unconventional, and it did not include LeBron James. Yes, really. One of the greatest players ever was left off. Instead, SGA chose a lineup built on ruthless scoring, competitive fire, and physical dominance.

So why did SGA build it this way? Let's break it down.

The first surprise is Kobe Bryant at point guard. Bryant was a natural shooting guard, but SGA slotted him at the one. Black Mamba spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers and is beloved by that fanbase. He was a fierce competitor and a relentless scorer, terrorizing opponents on the court. He was also an impressive defender who was not afraid to get up close and personal. Bryant's winning mentality is the stuff of legend, and almost every young guard with NBA dreams looked up to him. It is not surprising that Gilgeous-Alexander was one of those players.

Then there is Michael Jordan. Could any all-time five leave him out? SGA clearly could not. The Chicago Bulls icon is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, and there has never been anyone quite like him before or since. Jordan was ferocious and one of the best pure scorers the NBA has ever seen. He was a walking bucket, but his ability to drive his teams to success, no matter the odds, is what fans still talk about more than two decades after his final retirement. To the majority, he is the best ever, and it would have been shocking if he was not included.

Another iconic shooting guard selected out of position to accommodate Jordan is Allen Iverson. AI was an enigma, and his unrelenting attitude toward basketball, plus the way he never backed down from a challenge, quickly won him an army of fans. Whether it was a star player or the last man on the bench, Iverson would go head-to-head with anyone. He was flashy, charismatic, and just really, really good. His exploits might not be as remembered by younger fans in comparison with the other players in this five, but he was as good as anyone in his prime. Still, the decision not to include LeBron James is very surprising.

The only player in Gilgeous-Alexander's starting five who is still playing in the NBA is Kevin Durant. Durant is one of the most dominant scorers in the history of the game. His lengthy frame has made him near-impossible to guard for even the best defenders, and he has taken advantage of that over the years. He may have been vilified for his decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016, but the move saw Durant win two NBA championships, and he will retire as one of the very best players of all time.

At center, Gilgeous-Alexander picked one of the strongest and most imposing figures in basketball history: Shaquille O'Neal. Famous for actually tearing down baskets on more than one occasion, Diesel would bully opponents in the paint, and there was not a soul on the planet capable of guarding him during his prime. O'Neal formed one of the greatest duos in NBA history with Bryant, so it is fitting that both earned spots in Gilgeous-Alexander's all-time starting five.

So why no LeBron James? That is the question everyone asks. Is it positional fit? But SGA already moved Kobe and Iverson out of position. Is it a preference for mid-range killers and interior giants? Maybe. Or perhaps SGA simply built the team he would want to play with, not the team that looks best on paper. Either way, leaving LeBron off is a bold choice. It is also a reminder that all-time lists are personal, emotional, and never truly objective.

What does this list say about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander himself? It says he values fearlessness, skill, and dominance. It says he grew up watching killers. And it says he is not afraid to go against the grain, even when the basketball world is watching.

In 2026, Gilgeous-Alexander's opinion carries more weight than ever. He is a champion and an MVP, and if he keeps playing at this level, he may soon force his way into other people's all-time starting fives. For now, his five is Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Kevin Durant, and Shaquille O'Neal. No LeBron. Love it or hate it, it is a lineup that would score buckets forever. 🏀

Contextual framing is informed by SteamDB, a widely used source for tracking performance signals like player activity and engagement trends. While SGA’s all-time five (Kobe, Jordan, Iverson, Durant, Shaq) is rooted in basketball fandom rather than metrics, using objective trend tools can help explain why unconventional, debate-sparking lists—like omitting LeBron—often travel farther online: they create immediate comparison points, amplify comment velocity, and sustain repeat discussion the way any high-engagement topic does.