Shaquille O’Neal has gone down as one of the greatest players in NBA history, but he isn’t really part of that GOAT conversation. During an appearance on The Old Man and The Three podcast, O’Neal stated he is a bit jealous that his name isn’t mentioned alongside the likes of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
“I get jealous that my name is not in that greatest of all times (conversation),” O’Neal said. “… The most dominant category? I’m him, you only can say one other name (Wilt Chamberlain), I don’t want to hear nobody else’s name.”
“Greatest of all time, I would like to be in that conversation,” O’Neal continued. “But if it’s not definite — see when you talk about (LeBron James) and (Michael Jordan) it’s definite and Kobe (Bryant) should be in it. It’s definite, they’re greatest players. I want to be in that conversation, if I’m not in that conversation, I don’t want no f***ing considerations, don’t give me no considerations.”
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I think what makes matters worse for O’Neal is that deep down, he knows he could have been in that conversation. If the 52-year-old had taken better care of his body during his career and was more focused on the game, he could have been the greatest ever.
O’Neal won four titles, three Finals MVPs, an MVP, and two scoring titles during his time in the NBA. He was a 14-time All-Star and had career averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. At his absolute peak, O’Neal was the most dominant force in modern NBA history. It is a testament to his greatness, though, that many, including myself, think he underachieved.
Del Harris, who coached him on the Los Angeles Lakers, said O’Neal would have been the GOAT if he had Bryant’s mentality. His former teammate echoed that sentiment as well. Kobe said O’Neal would have been the greatest if he had a good work ethic like him. I don’t think either was exaggerating by any means there.
In the end, O’Neal’s absolute peak didn’t last as long as Jordan’s, and he didn’t have LeBron’s longevity either. As a result, his resume isn’t as great as theirs, and he finds himself just a tier or two below them.
While the big man isn’t interested in getting any consideration for that GOAT title if he isn’t in the conversation, he does firmly believe he is one of the best to ever do it. O’Neal shared his list of the 10 greatest players and stated he absolutely has to be in there.
Shaquille O’Neal Spoke About Watching Michael Jordan Play At His Peak
O’Neal saw Jordan play at his absolute best and competed against him at the time as well. The Chicago Bulls icon made quite an impression on him and O’Neal spoke about watching Prime Jordan.
“I don’t know what God looks like, It’s like seeing God. The stuff he did on TV and when you saw it in real life, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is really real.'”
“One of the first plays of the game, in my mind I’m thinking, ‘I’m not getting f***ing dunked on,’ so I tried to meet him early. The mother****er slipped by me, I bumped him, and he still did that sh*t, laid it up off the glass, and the crowd went crazy. I was like, ‘F**k, this guy is real.'”
O’Neal entered the league in 1992 when Jordan had just won back-to-back titles. He would then help the Bulls three-peat in the big man’s rookie season. A short first retirement followed, after which he three-peated again to establish himself as the greatest ever.