Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel didn’t need much time to map out his ideal all-time NBA starting five. And the biggest surprise in his lineup came right at center, where he chose Victor Wembanyama over Shaquille O’Neal.
Speaking with Topps, Knueppel laid out the five names in order: Wembanyama, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Stephen Curry. He also made it clear he was aiming for a lineup with size, skill, and plenty of problems for anyone trying to guard it.
“Starting at the five, all-time perfect team? Wemby, Tim Duncan, so we got two Spurs.
Let’s try to get as funky as we can. We got a 7’6″ who can move and shoot,” Knueppel said in a chat with Topps.
“Tim Duncan, a defensive anchor, so you can flip him around - they can both guard the four and five if Duncan’s younger. At the three, we’ll go LeBron, at two, we’ll go Jordan, and at point guard, we’ll go Curry.
I feel like that’s a nasty team. Got the Wemby aspect of him being 7’6″ and protecting the rim, and then Curry’s shooting… I feel like that’s a pretty ridiculous lineup.”
The pick says plenty about where Knueppel’s basketball eye is right now. At 21, he just wrapped up his rookie season with the Hornets, putting up 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field.
His choice of Wembanyama is the clearest sign that he sees the modern game differently than a lot of older fans would. The Spurs star’s case is hard to ignore after last season, when he averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3.1 blocks per game on 51.2% shooting. He also became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in league history after leading San Antonio to 62 wins.
Knueppel’s frontcourt pairing with Wembanyama is Duncan, the Hall of Fame anchor who gave the Spurs years of stability and dominance. The five-time champion and two-time MVP averaged 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game on 50.6% shooting.
On the wing, Knueppel went with LeBron James at small forward. After 23 years, James remains the model for longevity and elite production, and his résumé is as long as it is decorated: four MVPs, four championships, and 22 All-Star selections. In the 2025-26 campaign, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 51.5% shooting.
At shooting guard, Knueppel chose Michael Jordan instead of Kobe Bryant. Jordan’s numbers and hardware still tower over the position: six championships, five MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 49.7% shooting.
That left Curry at point guard, the other pick that would spark plenty of debate. Knueppel passed on the old-school Magic Johnson route and went with the league’s greatest shooter. Over 17 seasons, Curry has averaged 24.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 47.1% shooting, while winning four titles and two MVPs.
In the end, Knueppel’s lineup blends the legends fans know by heart with the kind of modern force he clearly believes belongs in the same conversation. It’s subjective, sure. But it’s also a telling snapshot of how the next generation sees the game.
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