LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal (Images Credits: Getty Images)
LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers star player, has been praised on several occasions for his exceptional skills and stellar achievements. The 36-year-old star, who recently opened up about his retirement plans, is widely regarded as the greatest of all-time players. However, former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal recently stirred controversy by excluding James when revealing his all-time starting five.
In a recent interview with Dirk Schlickmann of Sport Bild, O’Neal stated that he considers Michael Jordan to be the greatest basketball player of all time and placed him at the top position in his all-time starting five. He named Kobe Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, as the second player on his list.
“Shaq says Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time and reveals his all-time starting five: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O’Neal,” Via NBA Central.
Shaq’s statement sparked a debate among fans, leading to criticism in the comment section of NBA Central’s post on X (formerly known as Twitter). One fan said, “Not having LeBron or Tim Duncan here is just Shaq being a hater.”
Meanwhile, another fan mentioned, “This just shows no matter how great the player it doesn’t mean they know everything about basketball.”
Another fan commented, “LeBron should be in there somewhere. He’s bigger than Karl Malone and much better.”
O’Neal Unveils His Reasons for Crownin’ Jordan the Ultimate GOAT
During the discussion with Dirk Schlickmann of Sport Bild, DJ Diesel O’Neal explained his preference for the GOAT player at different moments in his life. He mentioned that Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul Jabbar were the dominating players in the league when he was a kid, while Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the best when he was in the NBA.
However, Michael Jordan dominated the NBA during his time, which is why Big Diesel picked Jordan as the greatest of all time. O’Neal’s statement could catch LeBron James’ attention, and it will be fascinating to see his reaction.
