Stephen A. reacts to Ray Allen's all-time starting 5️⃣ | First Take 

DeAndre Ayton was born and raised in the Bahamas... Just saying, not necessarily a "vacation"

I'm amazed by Wilt Chamberlain's athleticism. He was born in 1936 and died in 1999. Imagine if he was born 70 years later? Didn't receive the advanced nutrition and training.

Doing a "Starting 5" is a fun exercise because it doesn't necessarily mean you put the greatest players at each position in there, but rather trying to construct 5 guys whose games would absolutely gel with each other. So from that point of view, mine would be: PG - Steph Curry SG - Michael Jordan SF - LeBron James PF - Tim Duncan C - Hakeem Olajuwon Here's my reasoning: - Offensively, Jordan and James would dominate the ball, with MJ looking to score and LeBron looking to facilitate, but can score at the basket any time he wants. Curry could certainly handle the ball at times, but would primarily run off the ball, knowing he'll get open all the time when Jordan and James are getting so much attention with the ball. Duncan wouldn't score much in this lineup, but he could set big screens, play pick-and-roll with LeBron, and facilitate out of the post, finding Curry or Jordan, and be a monster on the offensive glass. Olajuwon also wouldn't score much in this lineup, but would be extremely reliable getting open buckets at the rim, drawing fouls, and hitting his free throws. - Defensively, Curry is the only liability, but Jordan and James would have the IQ to call out switches to "hide" Curry in bad matchup situations. Jordan would destroy anyone on the perimeter and LeBron could switch onto any player 1-4. Duncan and Olajuwon would shine as all-time great defenders in the paint, basically forming a wall so that nothing could get in there. While they would be limited in getting stretched out to the 3-point line, that's where James can assist as a help-side defender. I have James in there instead of Magic to provide more scoring and better defense. I have Curry in there to give me all the outside shooting I would ever need. I have Duncan and Olajuwon both in there over guys like Durant, Shaq, and Kareem because they're simply better all-round defenders with high IQ and can score efficiently without needing a lot of shots. Jordan goes without saying. And for fun, I'd have Kobe as a 6th man who could provide scoring off the bench, tenacious defense, and you could have him in crunch time moments when you need to go get a bucket.

Ray Allen played with LBJ and still left him out. He knows what it takes to go above and beyond!

Not sure why people don't remember Bird was a killer!!! CLUTCH!!!! straight winner.

Curry, MJ, LeBron, Duncan, Shaq. Curry covers 3 point shooting, MJ - mid range, LeBron - all rounder, duncan - Defense and post play, and Shaq - dominant inside

3:00 - Mad Dog always has that Zoolander blue steel look to him.

Ray Allen list is fluid 😂😂😂😂😂

Curry is the ultimate X factor u put him on the court it frees up your whole team because of how good he shoots never forget about his gravity

That’s a very dominant 5 from Ray. No team beating them in a series.

Wow JJ, That pen must've tasted spectacular 👀5:23

Curry Jordan Kobe Lebron Shaq. No team can beat this squad. Untouchable.

I have nearly the same except I have Hakeem at center and Tim Duncan at PF.

I love it. That starting 5 is straight up WINNERS.

For Me I would put this starting 5: PG: Steph - can distribute and stretch the floor SG: MJ - King of midrange, great slasher and great defender SF: Bird - Can stretch the floor with curry, can distribute, slash and a great defender as well PF: Duncan - Very reliable down low and very effective both defensively and offensively C: Shaq - With steph stretching the floor, Shaq can dominate inside easily which will ensure easy 2 every single possession 6th Man: Lebron - Can Distribute, slash, defend and can play all 5 positions if needed.

Im confused why so many people think this 5 is "awful"🤣 Ray clearly just prioritized Defense and the fact that you have the Most Dominant Big Man ever paired with arguably thr Most Skilled Big Man ever🤷🏽‍♂️

JJ giving Kareem his respect!

Ray Allen list is perfect period

When talking about the All-Time Starting 5, Curry is the first player that should come up, because among the greatest and most skilled players he needs the ball the least in order to be effective. We are not talking only about individual skill, but about an all-time TEAM. So any team that does not have Curry as number one is just not it.

You see how nobody took MJ out that 1 spot lol

It would be a thing of beauty seeing the dream play 4 and pass to a late trailing Shaq 😂

Mad dog brings a lot of energy to the show. Respect

Props to JJ REDDICK for the Bryant respect and Curry love… I like those two with Jordan and Lebron. The only question then is the Center spot but I like shaq over Kareem. Prime shaq is the most unstoppable force in basketball and the spacing on this team would allow home to destroy the paint

“All nightmares and no dreams for the 76ers” I usually can’t stand you, but I see what you did there Molly😂😂

That Ray list is fire. Literally a unstoppable team on both ends.

I’m loving this list

It's spring time in Denver, doggy. 70's and mostly sunny.

it really depends on what you want, ray's team is gonna have a lot of assists, defense especially at the rim and a lot of scoring in the mid range and unstoppable scoring at the paint with loads or rebounds. yes there is a lack of three point shooting, but if you are gonna trade three point shooting with scoring from MJ, Hakeem and Shaq? and if you want to beat this team with threes, a reminder would be warrirors vs lakers game 6, and remember, if your threes dont fall, you dont even have the rebound. LBJ as a sixth man is also great, he does everything. big bodies and high mobility of this squad in their prime.

It’s his not y’all list relax everybody

I would hire you and force you to listen to me 😂! Pure comedy!

Solid Line- up Salute… that’s dominant

Honestly, with an all time lineup where there are so many people that take up space or draw double, having Curry is a better than any life decision you would ever make. Can you imagine those 4 on 3 the Warriors get all the time are run by Lebron and MJ

Almost every HOFer has MJ in there starting 5, not everyone got LeBron in there's 😂

“all nightmare and no dreams” whoever came up with that needs a raise

I'd take this lineup: DeAndre Ayton, Zion Williamson, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Ja Morant

stephen a is a man of culture.

The Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu, who lived in the 1700s, reportedly invented the sandwich so he wouldn’t have to leave his gambling table to eat.

People dont understand having curry on the court changes the entire way the game is play. It makes other players able to drop 40 alone. Without it, they will struggle.

SAS really be moving like Kevin Durant's game is flawless. I get that giannis can't really shoot, but he does everything else better than Durant

"6th Man - Jamal Crawford" I rofl 😂😂😂

My starting 5 would be 1. Magic 2. Jordan 3. Bird 4. Duncan 5. Kareem I agree with Stephan that lebron is a better player than bird but I need shooting so that’s why I put bird. If I had curry at the one then I would take bird out and put lebron in. It’s close but I’ll stick with the combo of magic and Jordan

Would’ve went with Magic/Jordan/LeBron/Bird/Kareem (and Curry off the bench for more floor spacing)… but that’s a pretty solid all-time starting 5, from Ray!

3:38 Molly is really excited

FT is on 🔥 today

Steph should always be in a starting 5 because he makes it a ridiculous cheat code. Everyone else will get much more open looks. He’s not top 5 all time but he makes your juggernaut unstoppable.

This list ain't bad. But if im building a team for today's game, while also accounting for player style and tendency to be ball dominant, or system dependant ill take... Guards - Magic + Jordan Forwards - Bird + Durant Center - Russell

Steve and Christopher 😂😂

I would take Curry at PG. He averages 30 points per game every year in double coverage. With this lineup he is 40+ points per game. I would also take Chamberlain or Russell as my center. With this lineup who needs a center that can score (although Chamberlain certainly could).

Have no problem with Ray's list. He was born in 1975. Those are the ones he saw play. I do wonder if Ray and Kobe ever made amends after what Ray said in 2004-2005?

Jj’s line up w Kobe would go undefeated 🔥

I love molly and Stephen A

JJ puts too much emphasis on three point shooting and also them not shooting a lot of 3s back then does not mean they can’t shoot them

Magic/MJ/Bird/Kareem/Duncan - length and defense and offense

"all nightmares and no dreams"😭 molly is valid for that

Doc created too many open shots for the 76ers... he needed to "make for adjustments" so they weren't so open, and instead had defenders on them and more challenging shots

Isiah Thomas Kobe Bryant Larry Bird Dirk Nowitzki Hakeem Olajuwon

I want 2 3pt shooters in my starting 5, so I would keep Curry and Bird. Also, replacing Olajuwon with Duncan is crazy talk. My 5..... 1. Curry 2. Jordan 3. Bird 4. Olajuwon 5. Kareem

Nick would not only be a coach but also a nurse for Phoenix Suns. Nick is perfect for the Suns HC job.

PF and C are the hardest positions to choose because all the greats played those positions. Kareem,Russell,Hakeem,Shaq,Duncan,Garnett,Robinson,Dirk etc

Bird a killer

It just hurts how they overlook Kobe…. At least JJ mentioned Kobe once. I guess it’s because MJ cancels out Kobe. If you pick MJ then you’re basically picking Kobe I guess…

4:54 😂😂😂 he cant be serious

In this era of small ball: Magic, Curry, MJ, Kobe, Duncan Magic takes the ball up, just like Dramond. Timmy anchors the defense while MJ and Kobe harass and switch almost everything. The only issue this lineup will run into is a team with two good bigs. But they would also have trouble with this team running them off the floor.

And 6 man Jamal Crawford let's gooooo

All nightmares and no dreams is good😂😂

Man that is some starting 5. Hakeem could play power forward actually. Like a Duncan. Nice call on that one.

Why people are idiots saying shaq didnt play against good centers. You put shaq in the 60's or 70's and they wouldn't have any chance at all to stop him. Shaq went agsinst the tallest and some of the greatest centers

Solid list. I would probably go Kareem at Center and Tim Duncan at PF

PG - Steph Curry SG - Michael Jordan SF - LeBron James PF - KD C - SHAQ I think this lineup checks all the boxes. Shooting, Spacing, Passing, One on One, Lowpost, defensive switches, Speed, Size, Length.

I knew before I clicked that Kobe wasn’t going to be included 😭😭😭😭😭 (If ya know ya know)

That's a great top 5 by Ray. Hakeem over Duncan but I'll have Wilt over Shaq.

Here's my starting 5s 1st lineup Pg: Marques Haynes (5'11/6'0) (160lb) Sg: Derek Smith (6'6) (205-220lb) (forward) Sf: Hank DeZonie (6'5/6'6) (215-220lb) (forward-guard) Pf: Maurice Stokes (6'6/6'7) (231-250lb) (plays all 5 positions) C: Bill Russell (6'9⅝/6'10) (220-245lb) (C) 2nd lineup Pg: Barney Sedran (5'3/5'4) (115-125lb) Sg: Theodoros Papaloukas (6'6¾/6'7)(198lbs-225lb) (guard-forward) Sf: Radivoj Korać (6'4/6'5) (207lb) (sg) (C) Pf: Krešimir Ćosić (6'11) (195-212lb) (plays all 5 positions) C: Bill Spivey (7 foot/7'1) (200-230lb) 3rd lineup Pg: Brandon Knight (6'2/6'3) (177-195lb) (guard) Sg: Tom Gola (6'6/6'7) (205-207lb) (forward) Sf: Clifford Luyk (6'7/6'8) (198lb) (forward) Pf: Mel Daniels (6'9) (220lb) (center) (C) C: Bob Kurland (6'11/7'0) (220-230lb)

We old school fans love the Big era with Hakeem, Patrick Ewing, and Shaq. But that doesn’t mean the most effective team of all time would be composed of multiple bigs. But say you think the game is out of balance today. And you go back to rules where three point shooters can truly be hand checked. And moving and more particularly grabbing screens are not allowed. And take into account the flopping era and clean up all offensive contact and flopping. Then once again you have a more even game where mid range and bigs do matter more. But more modern players as better shooters also still are key. What about MJ at the 1 Ray Allen at the 2 Larry Bird at the 3 then Dirk at the four and Kareem at the five. Here you have killer mid range and so much firepower and but also dominant inside play. I think that team would fare pretty well although it wouldn’t be the best defensive squad but still highly effective.

How Kobe or Pippen or Bron doesn't squeeze into that SF position is beyond me. I love Bird but Allen is bananas for this lineup.

That's a strong all-time starting 5, but I would go with PG Curry SG Jordan SF LeBron PF Duncan C Kareem

1. Magic (best facilitator OAT) 2. Steph (best shooter OAT) 3. MJ (best player OAT) 4. KD (best shooter from anywhere over anyone OAT) 5. Joker (most all around offensive center) All 5 - shooters..All 5 - can facilitate/distribute...several defensive players

This is Ray Allen list. That's what he likes and grew up watching. I hate when people can't comprehend and respect others opinions instead of just accepting " that's his starting 5

Jordan, Curry, Lebron, Hakeem, Duncan. That's a good 5.

Klay, MJ, KD, Duncan, Hakeem. If you have MJ you're running the triangle offense, so you don't need a traditional PG. Which is why Klay works perfectly because the screens and movement that offense does is perfect for his spot up 3 point game. MJ is your focal point on offense. KD is the mismatch with his ability to shoot at every level. Duncan and Hakeem are unselfish big men, athletic, and great defenders. Size at every position, 3 point shooting, great defense, and MJ to close it out.

Magic MJ Bird would be sooo much fun...this 3 wont allow their team to lose.

Everyone's would be different. I do find most people's 5 starters seem to feature players that wouldn't fit or function together at an elite level . Rays should. For mine, which is a bit different: Magic, Steph, Lebron, KD and Shaq. You couldn't double any of them in almost any situation, and every opposition would be in the bonus within 6 minutes. Defensively decent size and length across, plus 3 players who could play multiple positions

Putting Curry anywhere near those other names is a sin in & of itself😭🤡💩🌉 Most overrated star of all-time sure, but Ray Allen's starting 5 is better than any "analyst", he was an actual NBA HoF All-Star!🤯📠Honorable mention to Tim Duncan!🐐

I'm gonna counter Ray's starting 5 with Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

“All Nightmares and no Dreams” 😭

Steph, MJ, Kobe, Bron, Shaq. That will beat that no shooting old school slow playing line up of Ray. Hakeem will keep on running with Bron that could play from top of the key and can pass to Steph or MJ or drop to Shaq.

Looking at ray allen list, and yall think we should listen the actual players lmaooo

Ray Allen made the shot to save……..

I don't necessarily agree with JJ's take about 3-pt shooting. It worked with Steph and Klay but who else? Guys born in the 1960s would not play like guys born in the 1980s.

LeBron can PG over Magic as the rest of lineup can stay the way it is. LeBron knows how to find the open man and Bird is a better shooter at SF so it will work great. Also not sure why they are so high on TD as Dream can easily play 3 to 5 and can play off the paint to give more room for Shaq to operate as needed. Just imagine Dream providing the weak side help D while Shaq is locking the paint. It's pretty deadly combination.

This man Ray picked Bird over LeBron James. He need to have his head checked out cuz he's sick

My starting / finishing 5 (disregarding all-time status) PG - Curry SG - Jordan SF - Klay PF - Duncan C - Shaq This lineup will work in a TEAM system

People forget how Kobe was real talk that dude was a killer 5 time champ with a 3 peat and a back to back cmon 81 points Kobe the 🐐

Lebron at PG (He’ll still defend the sf position) Steph at SG (He’s great on and off ball and the greatest shooter ever, he’ll defend the Pg position) MJ at the SF (He’ll defend the sg position) Dirk at the PF (maybe a defensive liability and ik Tim Duncan is better all around but he’d help space the floor in a major way) Wilt at the Center position. 6th man * Magic Johnson

The disrespect to lebron is CRIMINAL

😂😂😂😂that starting top 5 laughable 😂😂😂bird over Bron is insane

Lmao at talking about Denver weather. Bro, its not gonna be 30 degrees or cold! Its 70 something today! 😂

nice town? love their athletes? I instantly thought about Sterling Brown

championship expectations teams are not good choices 2 years max if you fall shy of delivering a champingship but if I can take a non playoffs team to the playoffs am already increasing my value as a coach

If I had to pick a starting 5 that didn’t have any of the players on Ray Allen’s list then mine would be the following: PG: Stephen Curry SG: Kobe Bryant SF: LeBron James PF: Tim Duncan C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Not sure who would win in a best of 7 series but these two teams would go at it.

Starters: Payton, Jordan, James, Garnett, O'Neal Reserves: DJ, Kobe, Pippen, Antetokounmpo, Robinson