Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player ever. Only a few in NBA history can match the accolades, awards and championships he won during his career. Then there is LeBron James, also reputed as one of the greatest players of all time. Hence, the raging debate over which of them gets crowned as the GOAT has left fans in splits.
As such, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and his son have now clashed over the topic. During a recent discussion on Complex, the father and son took turns in picking which player would become the GOAT. In the video, Big Shaq posed the question to his son, Myles, who then responded that it was LeBron James.
However, the former basketball veteran was momentarily taken aback by the answer. He then proceeded to pick Michael Jordan, before Myles O’Neal quickly cleared the air on his choice.
I think it’s because I didn’t watch Michael Jordan at all.
Myles O’Neal said
Shaquille O’Neal had a rather witty response.
You got Google, don’t you?
Shaquille O’Neal replied
Shaq’s reaction was absolutely hilarious as the duo disagreed on who basketball’s greatest of all time is. While Shaquille O’Neal is from the era of Jordan, his son is of the modern generation which explains their differing views. A 14-time NBA All-Star, Jordan left a lasting impact on the game during his playing days. He subsequently retired while holding the league’s highest-scoring average of 30.1 points per game.
Shaquille O’Neal was full of praise for Michael Jordan’s quality
Everyone who had faced off against Michael Jordan, especially for the first time, always had one story in common: his quality. It wasn’t any different too for Shaquille O’Neal who grew up idolizing the legendary player. He even described the feeling as seeing God himself in action.
O’Neal recalled his first meeting against MJ on the court as a rookie.
It’s like seeing God. The stuff that he did on TV, and then you see it in real life, he’s like, ‘Oh my God, it’s really real. He came at me like one of the first plays of the game, and in my mind, I’m not getting dunked on, so I tried to meet him early, slid by me, I bumped him, and he still did that…
Shaquille O’Neal said on the Big Podcast
At the time, Shaq was fresh out of college and drafted number-one pick by the Orlando Magic. While still adjusting to pro basketball in the league, he faced Jordan. The encounter though, did leave a lasting impression on him. As a result, he joined the long list of former players who have a story to tell about the 6-time NBA champion.
