Charlamagne skips all legendary NBA centers in his top 5 players of all time
Making a top-five NBA list is never easy since it can lead to some deserving players being ignored. Radio host Charlamagne appeared on Carmelo Anthony's 7PM in Brooklyn and shared his list of the five best players in history. Surprisingly, he didn't include any big men on his list.
Listing the five best players usually involves constructing a hypothetical starting lineup. Most would name one point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward, a power forward and a center. However, Charlamagne made a unique list of players.
The host began by complimenting Steph Curry for what he's done in his career. Then, The Breakfast Club host shared his top-five list.
"I got Steph in my top five," Charlamagne said. "I actually got Steph number three. But when I say my list, you'll know why. You're not going to like lists after I say my list.
"My top five is Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, LeBron James and Magic Johnson. Steph has changed all basketball."
Even the dominant Shaquille O'Neal, who won four titles in his career, wasn't included. He was also part of the last team that went on a three-peat, the LA Lakers.
Magic's former teammate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, wasn't on Charlamagne's list either. The second-all-time leading scorer in the league dominated everyone with his iconic Skyhook move. Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time champion and even won the MVP award the same number of times.
Still, his list boasts great players who have helped shape the league and the game of basketball. Not having any big man is what makes his list one-of-a-kind.
Charlamagne didn't have LeBron James in his NBA top 5 list before
With so many great players in the NBA, having a consistent top-five list isn't easy. Like others, Charlamagne had to carefully think before he finalized the list he shared with Melo. Before his guest appearance on "7PM in Brooklyn," he joined comedian Andrew Schultz on their show, "Brilliant Idiots."
In an episode released in April 2023, Charlamagne shared his top five with Schultz, which was different from what he recently shared.
"My top five is Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan -- if I'm being objective, I'm putting LeBron in there. But me? My five? It's Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal. It's just hard to rank AI because he didn't win any championships," Charlamagne said.
With the great players in the NBA, people could often change their top-five list.