And here's Paul Pierce's top 5 (not starting 5):
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1263167588961366016
People hate on PP for not including LeBron. Personally speaking, I got Bron in the same tier as MJ, Kareem, Russell, Wilt, Magic, Bird, Oscar and Duncan. I'm fine with opting for MJ/Kareem/Russell/Magic over Bron. My only objection to his list would be Kobe.
Pierce looks like a fool listing Kobe & Magic ahead of Bron. Makes him come off as having been beaten by LeBron in more ways than one, lol.
He’s such a bad analyst it’s not even funny.
his reasoning was pretty bad, basically Lebron created a team in Miami and then again in Cleveland. Just sounds like a huge hypocrite since you know Pierce's title team was manufactured the prior off season as well (I suspect he wouldn't have the same criticisms of Garnett as he did with Lebron). The other analysts on the show didn't even really bother with his nonsense as they all just took it as nonsense. Heck Magic would have gone back to school if the Lakers didn't win the coin toss for the 1st pick. He has said this several times over the years. In other words, he wanted to play with Kareem. Kareem won his title in Milwaukee in Oscar's 1st season (i.e. he joined the team and wasn't on it) and didn't win any others without Magic. Kobe demanded to go to LA after he was drafted by Charlotte. He joined a team with Shaq. His 2nd two, the Lakers were a mid-level team until they acquired Pau at the trade deadline. They then went on a 3 season tear. The analysis is just nonsense and that is the problem with it.
The thing is, I think you could at least argue with a straight face that Lebron is outside the top 5, but Pierce just had this nonsensical argument. And just to be clear, I don't think it would really be that difficult to argue that MJ, Bill, Wilt, and Kareem were all better for different reasons. That 5th person is more difficult, but I can see at least reasonable arguments for Oscar, Magic, or Bird. That said, I think most people have Lebron in the top 3 all time and more and more think he is the best player ever so it is getting harder to make the argument.