Shaquille O'Neal is one of the greatest hoopers of all time. A four-time NBA champion, the best player in a Los Angeles Lakers dynasty, and a privileged guy in terms of the countless legends he shared a locker room with.
Among them, we have Kobe Bryant, Dywane Wade, and LeBron James, all of them in their primes. Shaq won three rings with Kobe, one with Wade, and was close to winning one with The King.
So, back in 2011, long before Kobe's sudden passing, the Big Diesel explained the biggest difference between all those superstars. Per Shaq, Kobe's relentless work ethic put him above the rest.
NBA News: Shaquille O'Neal Compares LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, And Kobe Bryant
"People ask me all the time: If you had to choose between DWade and LeBron, which would you take? Which one would you make the CEO? It’s really a tough question," Shaq told SLAM. "LeBron is a better decision-maker. DWade will hit more last-second shots. Lots of superstars in their position want and need to take the last shot."
"LeBron is more of an ‘opportunity’ CEO. He’s not afraid to take the last shot, but he won’t hesitate to pass it to an open Mike Miller either," Shaq continued. "So where do these two guys measure up against Kobe? Kobe is a scientific dawg. He works out every day, practices every day. Most of the other stars are just dawgs, not scientific dawgs. Me, I’m a freak-of-nature dawg because of my size. LeBron could be a scientific dawg like Kobe, but he’s got a lot going on like I did, so that’s preventing him from being one."
Kobe's work ethic is unmatched. He inspired countless players to work on their crafts, striving for perfection even if they weren't the most physically gifted or naturally talented. That's how you become an NBA legend.
