Shaquille O’Neal Upset Kobe Bryant Is Often Omitted From GOAT Conversations
shaquille-oneal-upset-kobe-bryant-goat-debate
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal said he is tired of seeing former teammate Kobe Bryant left out of discussions about the greatest player of all time.
Speaking on a recent episode of the “Straight Game Podcast,” the four-time champion noted that debates routinely focus on Michael Jordan and LeBron James while skipping directly over Bryant. “I just get frustrated when people talk about the GOATs of the game and his name is not mentioned,” O’Neal said. “I don’t care who you pick—whether it’s Michael or LeBron or Kobe—just mention all the names.”
Podcast host and former NBA guard Eddie House pointed out that many analysts label Bryant a “carbon copy” of Jordan, questioning why the five-time champion is often excluded if Jordan is widely considered the benchmark. O’Neal agreed, adding, “That’s a great point. He’s a carbon copy of Mike; Mike’s the greatest, so it has to be him. But LeBron has done some things too.”
O’Neal and Bryant captured three straight NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 through 2002, the league’s most recent three-peat. While O’Neal is commonly regarded as the NBA’s most dominant force, Bryant’s standing fluctuates, with some pundits ranking him outside the top ten.
The podcast also featured co-host Mike Bibby, whose Sacramento Kings faced the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. O’Neal joked that defeating the Kings that year was “the best moment” of his career, drawing laughs from Bibby and House.
Source: Lakers Nation
