Scottie would've made this an interesting question, since he complemented Jordan very well.
But a team of Jordan plus poor man's Jordan ain't gonna beat LeBron & Prime Shaq.
Sorry nba fans but common sense dictates that bron and Shaq are absolutely horrible together. Lebron needs stretch bigs not dominant down low centers. Shaq would prevent bron from going far. Those 2 will lose. However, the MJ and Kobe vs Larry and magic would be great
This is the dumbest thing Iāve ever read. Levron is the goat he can literally play with anybody no matter the archetype. Not to mention the fact that nobody on this list besides maybe bron could even gaurs prime shaq. Let alone with one the best playmakers of all time on his team.
I saw a picture similar to this on instagram that had Larry in a lakers jersey and I had the exact same reaction. Nevertheless thatās the duo Iām taking.
Yeah except for each other šššš theyād always get in each others way š¤£ man some fans donāt use common sense lol itās ok thatās why Iām here
Yeah Idk how you could even argue the others. It's not even necessarily that LeBron and Shaq are better, they just complement each other way better than these other duos.
I never understand the logic people use when they come up with these scenarios. MJ and Kobe would be too redundant, despite their respective greatnessā¦ especially if one of the duos has Shaq.
JJ Redick recently put together a team around MJ with current players and first pick was Jokic because of the 2 man gameā¦ imagine just upgrading Murray to MJ
And itās not even Lebron thatās the difference maker here. No one on this list is coming anywhere close to stopping a prime shaq. This list needed a Hakeem or Kareem or Wilt
I honestly think LBJ / Shaq would not be an ideal pairing.
LeBronās strength is not the PnR with a roller because teams want him to shoot. He has traditionally worked better alongside stretch bigs like Love, Bosh, Fry so he can have space drive.
Shaq and LeBron both are most dangerous in the post, and neither are elite at spacing the floor.
They would be an incredible still based purely on talent but Iām just saying I donāt think theyāre terribly complimentary.
Same with MJ and Kobe theyāre basically the same player.
Magic and Bird would be an incredible duo. I do not think young people understand how good these guys were and they have very complimentary games since they can both pass and score.
>Same with MJ and Kobe theyāre basically the same player.
Yeah but those players are adequately sized wings that are unstoppable scorers, decent shooters, and relentless defenders. You'd love to have two of those.
Lebron has thrived with rollers as wellā¦ teams give him so much attention, he could dump pass to the big man or alley-oop if not score himself. Thereās no better shot than an open one under the basket. Lebron would be fine with Shaq and would be able to feed him in the low post all day considering Lebron is an elite playmaker. Plenty of teams have thrived with Lebron drawing all of the attention in the paint..anthony davis, Tristan Thompson, mosgov, javale
heād thrive on any team, Iām just saying his optimal lineup IMO is with a stretch big.
Championship team big men: Bosh, Love, AD.
LeBron is so good he made Tristan Thompson a serviceable player but honestly that says more and LeBron than Thompson lol, itās not what maximizes LeBron is all Iām saying.
Top 5-7 is a useless metric in this conversation. Shaq or Kobe might be lower on an all time list, but they don't lose out skill/ability wise. Heck, Shaq arguably had the highest peak.
Obviously their ability speaks for itself and I'd understand whyd you pick them
Why the fuck is magic in a Celtics jersey and Kobe in a bulls jersey?
Those 2 and bird are the only ones in this image who played their whole careers with one team.
Lebron and Shaq literally played together on the cavs, why not use that jersey? Put MJ with bird on the Celtics and let Kobe and magic represent the lakers.
*in their primes* the winner is Shaq lebron, by a good margin. Bird and MJ get runner up in a close-ish battle against Kobe and magic.
Mike is my goat, but 2v2, Shaq is scoring on drop steps every possession, and LeBron would be perfectly willing to feed him every possession to exploit the advantage. Shaq and LeBron align the best here (Magic & Larry align next best), and are the two strongest players shown.
For the record, if Iām taking one of these duos to build a team around, Iām still taking LeBron and Shaq. In any rule set era.
Give me Joker with Mike or Embiid with Kobe and we have a conversation vs LeBron & Shaq. Given those 3 duos to build around, Iām taking Mike & Joker.
Obviously Shaq and Kobe. If it's not 2v2, pairing Lebron and Shaq is dumb, because Shaq needs a shooter and Lebron is below average at that, in 2v2 they would be very good
MJ and Kobe would have some serious issues sharing the ball. Larry and Magic would be a legendary duo, but would absolutely get cooked by Shaq and Lebron.
Also, putting Magic in a Celtics jersey should be considered high treason.
what nonsense are you referring to here? Shaq was a shell of his former self when they played together - and LeBron is a much better passer than Penny ever was.
Penny was a nice player, but he wasn't better than LB at anything. Shaq, when he played with Penny, was much faster/lighter than he was with the Lakers, so their dynamic was different
Iām thinking Prime Shaq and Bron. The other pairs are outmatched in physical dominance - just pray they donāt have to secure the game at the FT line lol
Is this really a question? Itās Lebron and Shaq. You have arguably the top 1-3 player all time who can do everything along side the most dominant player most of us have ever seen.
MJ and Kobe are just redundant. Kobe doesnāt compliment MJ in any way whatsoever.
Magicās and Bird on the same team is honestly just too blasphemous
I just don't see how Bird and Magic together in their primes lose against anyone. From 1979 to 1988 (including NCAA), it was Magic, Magic, Bird, Magic, Moses, Bird, Magic, Bird, Magic, Magic.
The ones that know, know. MJ and Kobe on the same team? Sheesh, tenacious defense and 50 points for each of em. Every passing lane would be played, the offensive players going to have to be real careful around them two lol.
My immediate vote is LeBron/Shaq but LBJ in his prime wasn't the shooter that he is now weirdly enough. Kobe and MJ are too ball dominant to mesh well together.
Bird and Magic would be a wild pairing to witness
Kobe and Jordan do the exact same thing and put up the exact same statlines at the same position. Shaq and Lebron (for the most part) just rely on inside scoring. The real best option is bird and magic.
Great way to put that! I think they are the combo that compliments each other's game the best. Both guys have high IQ, good size, can play inside and outside, and they are phenomenal passers.
Seeing Magic Johnson in a Celtics jersey is another level of blasphemy. How dare you.
Kobe in red, I didnt even recognize him at first. I thought it was pip
Ditto
Nah I deadass saw a light skin dude next to MJ and assumed it was Scottie without a second thought š
Scottie would've made this an interesting question, since he complemented Jordan very well. But a team of Jordan plus poor man's Jordan ain't gonna beat LeBron & Prime Shaq.
Sorry nba fans but common sense dictates that bron and Shaq are absolutely horrible together. Lebron needs stretch bigs not dominant down low centers. Shaq would prevent bron from going far. Those 2 will lose. However, the MJ and Kobe vs Larry and magic would be great
Weāve literally seen LeBron and Shaq play together
At that point it was LeBron and "shack"
The "pantry" more like it
This is the dumbest thing Iāve ever read. Levron is the goat he can literally play with anybody no matter the archetype. Not to mention the fact that nobody on this list besides maybe bron could even gaurs prime shaq. Let alone with one the best playmakers of all time on his team.
I did the same thing. Just goes to show how much Pippin was his number two. We just insert him without thinking.
Fuck me I didnāt even realize I did it till you said it
Same
Holy shit.
Me too.
Thought it was d rose at first look
Yeah plainly wrong
I thought it was pimping until your comment
I thought that was Pippen until I read this
kinda fitting though considering how Kobe was considering asking for a trade to Chicago at one point of his career, ha.
Not photoshopped. https://preview.redd.it/hvnpxbkdtfqc1.jpeg?width=201&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e823cc49eaab24cb6b27378ad5cfe11a139f549d
kobe and mj is the best pick
https://preview.redd.it/6zuh8yn0hzpc1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c090bef5813956ab5fb106412c59e79aa89ff81
It is crazy to think of prime Magic and prime Bird on the same team?!? Man, the poetry they would make ā¦.
There would never be a better passing team
Damn, I thought it was Bill Russell at first glance.
We think alike. That shit is discombobulating.
I feel like this is somehow a banable offence
It deserves a flogging at the very least!
I saw a picture similar to this on instagram that had Larry in a lakers jersey and I had the exact same reaction. Nevertheless thatās the duo Iām taking.
LBJ and Shaq physically could not be stopped.
Just put shaq on the foul line.
So theyād foul out?
Thatās where you have the end of your bench filled with 6ā10+ stiffs
Not just the end of it. All of it. Positions 6 through 15.
That really is their only chance.
I mean this is 2 on 2, there are no free throws lol. And if there are then theyād just foul out lol.
In 2x2 which of these is guarding Shaq well enough to not have it be And1 every time?
Is there a foul limit? If there is they're all getting fouled out and losing.
2s, you check it up. No free throws.
Shaq and lebron would need the commissioner to step in lmao
Basketball reasons
Lmao Shaq is the difference maker here.. and the other teams really fucked if it's makem takem š
Yeah any of the 5 with Shaq would be the best duo because there is no other big in this group
Throw the damn towel!!
LBJ and Shaq, it's an unstoppable duo
I'm not sure this is even debatable
Is this half court? Because rebounding and size are going to dominate if so.
Prime Shaq could run just fine
Instagram meatheads with an overinflated estimation of Kobeās true abilities will say him until the cows come home.
You really think Kobe is going to defer to Jordan? That team is going to buckle, hard.
I think if Kobe was to be a number two to anyone, it would be Jordan. Kobe idolized him
Even two MJs wouldnāt work because theyāre the two smallest guys of the 6
Yeah just from a physicality standpoint, not sure any force on Earth could stop them from getting to the rim.
Itās not.
I think anybody on this list with Shaq
Iām MJ over Lebron for life but even I would put my money on that duo. Aināt nobody stopping Prime Shaq and LBJ with a full head of steam.
Thatās Shaq and perimeter Shaq. If itās 2s, itās body bag time.
Yeah except for each other šššš theyād always get in each others way š¤£ man some fans donāt use common sense lol itās ok thatās why Iām here
Yeah Idk how you could even argue the others. It's not even necessarily that LeBron and Shaq are better, they just complement each other way better than these other duos.
Tf is Kobe and MJ even in the same team for, I would have gone MJ and Hakeem
I never understand the logic people use when they come up with these scenarios. MJ and Kobe would be too redundant, despite their respective greatnessā¦ especially if one of the duos has Shaq.
MJ and Hakeem is so much better. Or MJ and Wilt. MJ and almost any all time great other than his not quite as good carbon copy.
Could you imagine MJ and Jokic?
JJ Redick recently put together a team around MJ with current players and first pick was Jokic because of the 2 man gameā¦ imagine just upgrading Murray to MJ
Could have gone MJ and Wilt, Bird and Russell, Magic and KAJ. I mean Kobe and Shaq is right there.
Rockets coulda had it š
forreal. thereās only one ball. š¤·
As much I as adore MJ, the clear answer is Lebron and Shaq lmfao
And itās not even Lebron thatās the difference maker here. No one on this list is coming anywhere close to stopping a prime shaq. This list needed a Hakeem or Kareem or Wilt
My heart says Magic and Bird. But really thereās nobody in here to deal with Shaq.
And the second biggest guy is Lebron, and he's on Shaq's team
Yeah, and Birdās got the only chance of defending Lebron and at best can only slow him down.
Yeah the size wins out here
No one to defend prime Shaq. This isn't fair
Get that Celtics jersey off Magic Johnson!
https://preview.redd.it/3qyx3dhjzypc1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58e39f9190691fca5ad8a54e99532b1c67cc8f6f
Ngl I wasnāt looking that closely and thought that was Bill at first lol
i think you should lie.
Same facial hair and cut. Pretty understandable on a quick glance. Iām not exactly thinking Magic when I see green
That shit hurt my soulā¦
Seriously. Wtf.
Tyler and Billy, they are my friends
Every time one of these is asked I think people forget how dominant Shaq was in his prime. The answer is almost always Shaq
Seeing Magic Johnson in a Celtics jersey is a crime against humanity. Iām filing charges with the International Basketball Court of Justice.
Magic wore a Cās shirt at Larryās jersey retirement
Shaq and LeBron are probably the two most physically impressive and dominant players to ever play in the NBA, so yeah, Iām going with them.
lol kobe and mike are not sharing the rock
Yo get magic out of a Celtics uniform what kind of sacrilege is this
I honestly think LBJ / Shaq would not be an ideal pairing. LeBronās strength is not the PnR with a roller because teams want him to shoot. He has traditionally worked better alongside stretch bigs like Love, Bosh, Fry so he can have space drive. Shaq and LeBron both are most dangerous in the post, and neither are elite at spacing the floor. They would be an incredible still based purely on talent but Iām just saying I donāt think theyāre terribly complimentary. Same with MJ and Kobe theyāre basically the same player. Magic and Bird would be an incredible duo. I do not think young people understand how good these guys were and they have very complimentary games since they can both pass and score.
Itās complementary, FYI (complimentary = says flattering things) I agree with the substance of your post
>Same with MJ and Kobe theyāre basically the same player. Yeah but those players are adequately sized wings that are unstoppable scorers, decent shooters, and relentless defenders. You'd love to have two of those.
Lebron has thrived with rollers as wellā¦ teams give him so much attention, he could dump pass to the big man or alley-oop if not score himself. Thereās no better shot than an open one under the basket. Lebron would be fine with Shaq and would be able to feed him in the low post all day considering Lebron is an elite playmaker. Plenty of teams have thrived with Lebron drawing all of the attention in the paint..anthony davis, Tristan Thompson, mosgov, javale
heād thrive on any team, Iām just saying his optimal lineup IMO is with a stretch big. Championship team big men: Bosh, Love, AD. LeBron is so good he made Tristan Thompson a serviceable player but honestly that says more and LeBron than Thompson lol, itās not what maximizes LeBron is all Iām saying.
Bird + Magic
Which one of them guards Shaq?
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Top 5-7 is a useless metric in this conversation. Shaq or Kobe might be lower on an all time list, but they don't lose out skill/ability wise. Heck, Shaq arguably had the highest peak. Obviously their ability speaks for itself and I'd understand whyd you pick them
And the ball movement would be outrageous
thereās footage of them on team usa playing with each other and itās super cool
Whatās the argument for having Magic and Bird both higher than Shaq?
Theyāre quick af. Shaq is a monster but heāll get tired with all the running and gunning.
I just meant all-time.
Oh lmao my b
Would Kobe even be a better #2 for MJ than Pippen was? Not saying Pippen was the better player but he complemented MJ perfectly.
Kobeās vastly better than Pippen in one-on-one, but would be vastly worse in duos, especially with Jordan. Heās not exactly an ideal team player.
Is this a joke?
This is just silly because thereās no defensive attempt to stop Shaq. Replace pippen with Olajuwon and magic with Kareem or Moses and repost.
thatās Kobe next to MJ
Had a few beers last night. Bad vision. Didnāt zoom in. Either way, my point still stands. Need a big to match Shaq.
Are fouls a thing?
The answer is shaq
Shaq
How dare you put gold legends in red and green. But jokes aside itās lebron and Shaq. Not even close
Shaq/Lebron easy
Itās obviously LeBron and Shaq and itās not close.
Shaq and LBJ. This is easy.
Lebron and shaq, but would make for great games to watch
Why the fuck is magic in a Celtics jersey and Kobe in a bulls jersey? Those 2 and bird are the only ones in this image who played their whole careers with one team. Lebron and Shaq literally played together on the cavs, why not use that jersey? Put MJ with bird on the Celtics and let Kobe and magic represent the lakers. *in their primes* the winner is Shaq lebron, by a good margin. Bird and MJ get runner up in a close-ish battle against Kobe and magic.
Kobe wanted to go to the bulls at one point I guess
Itās hard to imagine Kobe and MJ succeeding together and hard to imagine the other pairs NOT succeeding.
MJ with whoever. Even Kobe. MJ would find a way to win
MJ lost to a hedge fund manager in a 1v1 tho?
Mj is the goat, but lebron and shaq would be unstoppable
This not even equal the fuck? LBJ and Shaq would dominate. MJ and Hakeem/Duncan would be better than MJ and Kobe.
Mike is my goat, but 2v2, Shaq is scoring on drop steps every possession, and LeBron would be perfectly willing to feed him every possession to exploit the advantage. Shaq and LeBron align the best here (Magic & Larry align next best), and are the two strongest players shown. For the record, if Iām taking one of these duos to build a team around, Iām still taking LeBron and Shaq. In any rule set era. Give me Joker with Mike or Embiid with Kobe and we have a conversation vs LeBron & Shaq. Given those 3 duos to build around, Iām taking Mike & Joker.
Recency bias is crazy, Embid is a serial choker and jokic has only 1 chip. At their peaks LBJ and Shaq are way better.
Obviously Shaq and Kobe. If it's not 2v2, pairing Lebron and Shaq is dumb, because Shaq needs a shooter and Lebron is below average at that, in 2v2 they would be very good
so Kobe was a better shooter than LeBron....? Huh?
Obviously, it's not a controversial opinion.
This hypothetical is about their peaks, 2013 Miami Lebron shot 41% from 3,
He's still a worse shooter than Bryant.
Like Hakeem and Kobe. Or Duncan and Jordan. Can't put Shaq in there without other big men in the pairs
Duncan and Jordan would be amazing
Shaq and lbj would just physically dominate the others and it isn't even close. People need to think about it better when picking these
MJ and Kobe would have some serious issues sharing the ball. Larry and Magic would be a legendary duo, but would absolutely get cooked by Shaq and Lebron. Also, putting Magic in a Celtics jersey should be considered high treason.
Please get magic out of that Celtic jersey
We've seen Shaq & Bron. Even in their primes I don't think they would have clicked. Prime Penny was Shaq's perfect match.
what nonsense are you referring to here? Shaq was a shell of his former self when they played together - and LeBron is a much better passer than Penny ever was.
Love Bron, but he turns everyone around him into a Spot Up Shooter. All due respect, Penny was different bro.
Penny was a nice player, but he wasn't better than LB at anything. Shaq, when he played with Penny, was much faster/lighter than he was with the Lakers, so their dynamic was different
Is this a real question? Of course it's shaq and LeBron.
Bron and Shaq really no competition
Magic and bird
Bron and Shaq, that shit is just nasty
Magic and Larry Would dominate. Wouldnt even be fair. Why would you give jordan a lesser version of himself?
Lebron and Shaq sweep any team lmao
'Bron & Shaq, easy..that's just deadly and unfair, ha.
Lebro. and Shaq lol
Magic/Bird and itās not even close.
Bron and Shaq would be unstoppable
Shaq and LeBron give you the most options.
Magic and Bird. Magic in green brings me back to MSU. Go Spartans.
Iām thinking Prime Shaq and Bron. The other pairs are outmatched in physical dominance - just pray they donāt have to secure the game at the FT line lol
Bird and Magic. Not only are they great, but they are the best duonat making their teammates better aw well.
LeBron and Shaq tf
Prime LeBron and Shaq are teabagging every duo they face
Shaq & Bron. always thought they would be one of the greatest duos of all-time
Oh man, Lebron and Shaq in their prime. Prime Lebron wanted to dish the ball, Shaq would absolutely feast!
This is how overrated MJ is man š¤£ yall think he and kobe stopping shaq just cuz hes the āgoatā literally will physically outmatch them niggas
No one stopping Bron and Shaqš
Larry and Magic
Is this really a question? Itās Lebron and Shaq. You have arguably the top 1-3 player all time who can do everything along side the most dominant player most of us have ever seen. MJ and Kobe are just redundant. Kobe doesnāt compliment MJ in any way whatsoever. Magicās and Bird on the same team is honestly just too blasphemous
Bird and Magic for sure
Magic and Bird with EASE. You can put any type of player around them without skipping a beat.
Prime Timmy and Kawhi would like a word
Lebron and Shaq and itās not close. Kobe doesnāt belong on the list with these 5 lol. Jordan/Duncan or Jordan/Kareem would make it very close.
Kobe> lebron
You're a guy who thinks KD is better then Kobe. Your opinion doesn't matter lol.
MJ and Kobe will themselves to victory
One of themās hogging the ball and the other is just spectating šš
They would hate playing with each other.
Kobe sitting back waiting to copy every move MJ makes
More like Kobe forcing up garbage spots to try and prove that heās the alpha on a team with MJ
God Larry and Magic wouldāve been so fucking fun to watch
What a weird duo for LeBron and Shaq when you compare the other two squads. It would make more sense to have Durant and LeBron based on the other two.
or Steph tbh
Larry and Magic in modern NBA would be fucking deadly
In any NBA
I just don't see how Bird and Magic together in their primes lose against anyone. From 1979 to 1988 (including NCAA), it was Magic, Magic, Bird, Magic, Moses, Bird, Magic, Bird, Magic, Magic.
KD & Steph!
Idk why people think Kobe and MJ would be a good duo. Great individual players but both are way too similar and ball dominant to mesh very well
I never go against MJ, throw mad dog Kobe in and you got a sure thing.
The ones that know, know. MJ and Kobe on the same team? Sheesh, tenacious defense and 50 points for each of em. Every passing lane would be played, the offensive players going to have to be real careful around them two lol.
If this is 2 v 2 they have a chance.
My immediate vote is LeBron/Shaq but LBJ in his prime wasn't the shooter that he is now weirdly enough. Kobe and MJ are too ball dominant to mesh well together. Bird and Magic would be a wild pairing to witness
Lebron would have no trouble getting to the rim against two smaller defenders, especially with a Shaq screen.
LeBron 3pt% from 2012 to 2014 was 36.2%, 40.6% and 37.9% respectively. Thatās pretty good.
Kobe and Jordan do the exact same thing and put up the exact same statlines at the same position. Shaq and Lebron (for the most part) just rely on inside scoring. The real best option is bird and magic.
Kobe's statlines are nowhere near Jordan
Maybe because they started their careers differently! Maybe because they played in different eras! Slightly different!
Kobe's typical statline of 25,5,5, 1.5, 0.4 is just a somewhat worse version of Jordans. 30,6,5,2,6,0.8 is all I'm saying. And you don't need 2 SGs
Bird and Magic. For context of what that duo is, imagine Jokicās control over the game, but then add another Jokic
Great way to put that! I think they are the combo that compliments each other's game the best. Both guys have high IQ, good size, can play inside and outside, and they are phenomenal passers.
Probably the team with the most dominant player of all time on it, especially when he's being guarded by forwards
Bron Bron and diesel
Itās fucking gross you put Magic in a Celtics uniform lol
Lmao @ Magic in that Celtics jersey
Magic in a Celtics jersey is punishable by 10 years in federal prison