Since his arrival in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal has established himself as one of the most dominant players to ever step on the court. From the very beginning of his career, he stood out for being different, and over the years, he cemented his legacy by accumulating countless milestones. Interestingly, he recently revealed his own list of the 10 best players in basketball history. The real motivation behind this list was to show respect to Julius Erving for his own rankings of the greatest players.
Shaq is a four-time NBA champion, one-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, and two-time scoring champion. Because of this and much more, he is an authoritative voice when it comes to discussing basketball at all levels.
In an interview with LA Times, the former center joined the ongoing debate about who the greatest players in the history of the sport are. While the list could be extensive due to the many legends who have stood out over the decades, Shaq is clear about who belongs in that conversation.
The three-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and one-time champion with the Miami Heat opted to create two starting lineups: a first and second team, though he couldn’t resist adding an eleventh player.
Shaquille O’Neal walks the court during the second quarter in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on May 24, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Who Did Shaq Include in His Top 10 Players in Basketball History?
When asked to name the 10 best basketball players of all time, Shaquille O’Neal didn’t hesitate to assemble his dream lineup. “Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and then (expletive) me,” he said, naming the five best players to have ever played in the NBA. “It’s not to disrespect Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” he clarified.
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However, in his second lineup, he included two players he had originally left out. “Steph Curry, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Malone and Isiah Thomas,“ O’Neal said, later adding Abdul-Jabbar as the sixth player.
An Indelible Legacy of Shaq
Beyond his statistics and titles, Shaq left an unforgettable mark on basketball. His charisma, personality, and love for the game made him one of the most beloved and admired athletes of all time.
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