LeBron James snubbed over Michael Jordan as 4x NBA champ names his all-time starting five

While the NBA's 'GOAT' debate largely revolves around LeBron James and Michael Jordan, the all-time starting five debate is an entirely different discussion. When picking an all-time starting five, the NBA community frequently puts forth countless combinations of the greatest players of all time while debating back and forth among one another.

While some look to pack the starting five roster with superstars and elite scorers, others put together starting fives with a blend of scorers, facilitators, and defenders. In the case of four-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, his all-time starting five has sparked quite a bit of discourse.

During an interview with Sport Bild, O'Neal listed off his all-time starting five, naming Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, and himself as his ideal starting lineup.

In addition to the two obvious backcourt players in Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, who O'Neal believes deserves to be in the GOAT debate, O'Neal included Dr. J, who inspired him to be a basketball player.

Alongside himself in the front court, O'Neal picked Karl Malone, considered to be one of the best 4s of all time. Of course, the fact that O'Neal opted to exclude LeBron James has sparked widespread debate among the NBA community.

Shaquille O'Neal believes Kobe Bryant belongs in the GOAT debate with Michael Jordan & LeBron James

The debate surrounding which NBA player is the greatest of all time largely revolves around Michael Jordan and LeBron James. However, earlier this year Shaquille O'Neal explained that he doesn't like how often Kobe Bryant is excluded from the conversation.

During an episode of "The Big Podcast" back in May, O'Neal spoke about the GOAT debate. Using an automotive analogy, O'Neal made the case for Kobe Bryant to be included:

“The only thing I don’t like about the [GOAT] conversation is that they don’t put my boy’s name (Kobe) in it. If you’re gonna be throwing names around, you gotta have my boy’s name in it.

"That’s like saying, ‘What are the best luxury cars out there: Lexus or Beemer? You gotta put the Mercedes in there, too. Mike, LeBron, or Kobe, now y’all debate.”

As O'Neal also explained, during his career, both he and other players in the league had a fear of Michael Jordan. Similarly, he had heard and seen players say they feared Kobe Bryant during his heyday.

The way the Hall of Famer sees things, however, he's never heard or seen mention of modern players saying that they fear LeBron James. Whether or not that played a part in his decision to omit James from his all-time starting five or not, we may never know.