It's something that's been around the league since his fantastic rise in this game. LeBron James has quickly drew comparisons with the best to ever lace them up and he eventually made a case to be constantly compared with Michael Jordan.
Since then, the debate about who's the GOAT has become a never-ending topic. It's a question that seemed almost impossible to answer thus far, but Shaquille O'Neal disagrees.
For some people, MJ is incomparable and a take like this one would be bold, to say the least. But Shaq explained how the Lakers star could put this endless debate into rest once and for all.
Shaq explains how LeBron could become the best of all time
Whenever two players from different generations are subject of comparisons, many people may feel it's unfair and that it doesn't makes sense. But, like it or not, that's part of sports, and LeBron has become a strong competitor to MJ for the GOAT status.
A number of NBA-related figures have weighed in on this discussion, and Shaq has told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times that LeBron should win this debate if he becomes the NBA all-time leading scorer.
“Championships are great, but he’s trying to pass Kareem up," said O'Neal. "That’s what he is doing. I know exactly what he’s doing. ‘Cause now if you pass Kareem up, it ain’t no talk about who the best player ever is. Think about that? I saw he needed to average (25) points or something like that the next few years, which he will do. He can do that in two more years.”
LeBron is the third player to have scored the most points in the league (35,401). Above him stand Karl Malone (36,928) and the leader of the list, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387). If James averages at least 25 points in the next two seasons, he would go atop the ranking. And considering he's averaged 27 points per season in his career, Shaq's prediction doesn't sound crazy at all.
He explained that holding that record would be even more important for LeBron than winning his fifth ring. For Shaq, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar would seal the deal. “He’s got four rings and he becomes the highest scorer in the NBA history. He’s the best ever. Ain’t nothing you can say," O'Neal said. "I mean, that’s what he is really trying to do. Ring No. 5 would be cool, but if he gets that leading scorer, the highest scorer ever in the league … I’d take that.”
Whether you agree or not, Shaq has a point. If LeBron eventually owns that record, he might prove being the most dominating player of all time. But MJ's legacy is also untouchable, so maybe this debate won't end so easily.
