Often seen firing away with his numerous hot takes is none other than former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas . His obsession with entering the spotlight of basketball debate has led him to start his own podcast, which has become a smashing success in recent months.
When Arenas rattles off his opinion about Michael Jordan , LeBron James , or any icon name in sports, it typically generates an avalanche of headlines, as did one of his recent opinions. While Gil has unashamedly announced his top five NBA players ever before, he recently made a change that caught the eyes and ears of fans.
The original five
If you're a basketball fan of any tier, you've probably tried rattling off a list of the game's top five players ever. And even if you haven't, there are countless former and current icons of the game that have given their own spin on possibly the most contested debate topic in sports.
In an earlier episode of his podcast, Gil's Arena, the retired guard named his top five players ever, including Jordan, James, Kobe Bryant , Shaquille O'Neal, and Magic Johnson.
Although the former star guard hinted that it would take a miracle for his five best players list to receive a change, it didn't take long for him to actually make that change. MJ and LeBron, two players who are notoriously pegged against each other in the "GOAT" debate among fans, can't be removed. Bryant, a player who Gilbert had many friendly battles with on the court, is a keeper. Shaq, who Arenas states is the most dominant force in league history, has to stay on the list with that large of a label.
Does that leave Magic as the odd man out? Actually, it doesn't.
Related: "You know what the hell my answer is going to be" - Stephen A. snaps at caller for asking why he doesn't rank Michael Jordan No. 2 all-time
A top 5... featuring 6 players?
Welcome to Gil's Arena, where bold opinions sometimes get even bolder than bold. While a top five can't feature six players, Arenas concedes he is torn over who to take out in order to include his newest addition: Steph Curry .
"I added Steph to my top 5. I don't know who to push out; you're gonna have to give me some time. … Right now I got six people in my top five. … Don't ask me how it works," Gil says .
Considering Curry is entering semi-darkness in his NBA career, let's just say he barely beat the buzzer. But why did Arenas add the future Hall of Famer to his list now, especially after he just missed the playoffs a season ago?
"It was like, he [Steph] hit a shot; they hit a shot; he came [and] hit a shot; they miss[ed] a shot," Arenas says, referring to Steph's iconic performance in the gold medal game. "This [expletive] came with another dagger. It was like, this is Steph's moment right here."
How he did it, and the fashion in which he did it will always ring as a sweet reminder in men's basketball history. After a largely underwhelming start to the tournament, even leading some to question whether the guard would ever be able to find his role , No. 4 came on in a big way, launching 26 3-pointers and making 17 of them over the final two games of the Olympics.
Many in the basketball universe were quick to hail this moment as the moment of Curry's storied career, even better than any of his highlight-reel-worthy plays throughout his six NBA Finals appearances.
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