Klay Thompson Explains Picking Kobe Bryant Over Michael Jordan for His All-Time NBA Starting 5

Klay Thompson had a very practical reason for picking Kobe Bryant over Michael Jordan on his all-time NBA starting five.

Appearing on a recent Twitch stream with PlaqueBoyMax (starts at 1:29:56), Thompson listed Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal as his starting five.

"I gotta go Kobe at the two," Thompson said. "I love Mike but...I grew up watching Kobe. Got to play against him. Eighty-one. Twelve threes. You know, gold medals. God, I love MJ, but Kobe's like a carbon copy of Mike, so I'm gonna go Kobe just 'cause that's my era."

When asked about who he'd put on his Mount Rushmore, Thompson explained his picks by saying he went with players he was able to watch in person, not just on highlight packages:

"MJ, Kobe, LeBron, Steph. Just because I was able to watch all them growing up. I think the impact each of them individually had on the game and the style of play, and like, I wasn't alive to watch Wilt or Larry or Magic or Bill Russell, so from my own eyes, it's those four. …Kareem even. I watched the highlights, but like, just what I witnessed, I was able to be there and see all that."

Given how many arguments have been started over who you pick between some combination of Bryant, Jordan and LeBron James, Thompson's reasoning is actually very practical.

Thompson was born in 1990, so he was old enough to catch the end of Jordan's peak with the Chicago Bulls. But his formative years were primarily during Bryant's prime seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rather than try to put anyone in a historical context that Thompson may not have, it's easier to simply say these are the five best players I've ever seen personally at their respective positions.

There's also no real quibbling to be had between Bryant or Jordan. They are both all-time greats who had a profound impact on the sport that continues to be felt long after their careers came to an end.