LA Lakers' greatest starting-5 of the 21st century

Small Forward - LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks

It's impossible to have anyone other than LeBron James at the small forward position for the LA Lakers. Though the 35-year-old played the role of a point forward during the 2019-20 NBA season, he has played at the 3 position for the majority of his career.

LEBRON JAMES MIXTAPE 👑Watch @KingJames' run through the NBA Playoffs on his way to his 4th NBA title and NBA Finals MVP! #NBAMixtape pic.twitter.com/oru1NElVvR

— NBA (@NBA) October 19, 2020

Within just two years of joining the LA Lakers, LeBron James helped the team win their 17th title, which the team did so in 2020. The 4-time MVP will continue to play for the Lakers for a few more years and hopes to add more titles with the LA Lakers in the future.

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Power Forward - Pau Gasol

San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers - Game Four

Even though an argument could be made for Anthony Davis as the LA Lakers' dream power forward, Pau Gasol gets the spot on this team because of the impact he had during his seven years in Los Angeles.

June 17, 2010 💛💜 @Lakers pic.twitter.com/8HUMjaKxCc

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) June 17, 2020

Gasol played for the Purple and Gold from 2008-2014 and was a key component in the franchise's title victories in 2009 and 2010. He was one of the most versatile offensive players in the LA Lakers' frontcourt and was the perfect number 2 for Kobe Bryant during the early 2010s.

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Center - Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal attends the 2018 Austin City Limits Festival with American Express in Austin.

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most dominant forces to have ever stepped on a basketball court. During the early 2000s, Shaq was simply unstoppable in the paint and was a nightmare for opponent defenses.

.@SHAQ was a FORCE 💪High Tops: Shaquille O’Neal’s Best Plays - 3pm ET on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/m9cODHwGGI

— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 19, 2020

He formed one of the greatest dynamic duos along with Kobe Bryant. The two of them helped the LA Lakers win three consecutive titles from 2000-2002. Shaquille O'Neal was the Finals MVP on all three occasions and also won the regular-season MVP award in 2000.