NBA fans will always have the debate about who is the greatest basketball player of all time: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James.
While most can analyze and analyze the competition each player faced, the individual accolades they received and the rings they won in their respective eras, basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal had the luxury of playing with o against every NBA star.
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Shaquille O'Neal attends the State Farm All-Star Game on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
He talked about the distinction between NBA greats on a recent episode of “The Big Shaq Podcast.” He discussed it with former Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers.
“I've heard players say, including myself, 'I was afraid of Mike.' I've heard players of your generation say, 'I was afraid of Kobe.' I've never really heard any player say they're afraid of LeBron,” O'Neal said. .
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LeBron James of the Lakers reacts after passing Michael Jordan on the NBA's all-time scoring leaders list against the Denver Nuggets on March 6, 2019, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Chalmers said he was “killed” for saying he didn't think players “really feared LeBron like they feared Jordan.” O'Neal added that he “never heard anyone say that.”
“And it's not that, you don't have to fear 'Bron,” Chalmers added. “I just think, at the end of the day, 'Bron has been through so many things that he wanted to be liked. So, it was like… I'm going to do things now where people like me, people will respect me… “You'll always respect what he did. But you actually like 'Bron and now you want to be a 'Bron' fan.”
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 13, 2024 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
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James, who is likely in the twilight of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, is the NBA's all-time scoring leader and a four-time champion.
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