Ice Cube Names His All-Time Lakers Starting 5; Surprisingly Replaces Kareem With Other Legendary Big Man

Up until the small forward position, most of the selections are ones that most of the Lakers fanbase can agree upon. The Purple and Gold have been served by some of the greatest to ever set foot on an NBA court. 

For the backcourt positions, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant easily secure their place in the starting lineup. Although the recent remarks about Bryant raise some eyebrows about how he is perceived, he is still a bona fide franchise legend.

For the small forward position, LeBron James seems to be a justifiable pick. Although several will argue about his achievements with the franchise and his track record with the team, as the leading scorer in NBA history, coupled with his accolades, James cements his position in the rotation.

It’s at the power forward spot where Ice Cube’s selections start to raise eyebrows. Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most dominant big men of all time. Having won three titles and three Finals MVPs with the Purple and Gold, he is also a franchise legend.

For his career, O'Neal notched an average of 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Over the span of his eight-year tenure with the Lakers organization, the big man established himself as the most dominant force of nature the NBA had ever seen.

While it is sensible to have him in the starting rotation, O'Neal has never traditionally played as a power forward. Placing him at forward creates a logjam at the center spot.

The decision to pick Wilt Chamberlain over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a bit of a head-scratcher. When considering statistics, Chamberlain overshadows Abdul-Jabbar with his unbelievable averages of 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds per game. What Chamberlain was individually capable of earned him a near-mythical reputation in NBA lore.

Meanwhile, Abdul-Jabbar easily outclasses Chamberlain from a championship point of view. As a 6x NBA champion with six Finals MVP awards to match, he is one of the most successful players of all time. When considering that five of these titles were with the Lakers, the Lakers legend creates a stronger case for himself as well.

With averages of 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, Abdul-Jabbar was more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the best. His longevity and consistency only add to his case.

There is certainly a valid case for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be in the all-time starting five. By letting O'Neal play the role of a bruiser in the center position, Abdul-Jabbar could’ve slotted in at power forward, giving him more room to operate in the low post.