In the NBA, the two most predominant names to come up in the GOAT conversation are Michael Jordan and LeBron James. There have been other names that have been thrown around, but Shaquille O’Neal is not a name that usually comes up in that conversation.
The former Los Angeles Lakers great has won four NBA titles, three Finals MVPs and one regular season MVP award. Moreover, he is known by many as arguably the most dominant player ever, and is part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.
The Hall of Famer has all those accolades and usually finds himself in conversation with others about who the GOAT is. In his latest episode of the Big Podcast with Shaq, he entered into one such conversation with guest Iman Shumpert. After discussing what defines a GOAT career, the big man said this.
You know what eats me? Not having five, not having six. Not being in the conversation for the greatest of all time. Yeah, you’re the most dominant big man but when they talk about the greatest of all time you’re not even mentioned. That s**t eats me alive.
Shaquille O’Neal on the GOAT conversation
The Big Aristotle did mention that his poor free throw shooting did have an impact, which goes to suggest that he could have been a lot higher in the all-time scoring list. But even then, it has bothered him that his name does not appear in GOAT debates.
Shannon Sharpe claims Shaquille O’Neal will never be in GOAT debate
Along with fans, Shannon Sharpe and his crew on Nightcap heard this conversation. They picked up the topic on their latest episode of their show. When the ESPN analyst introduced the topic, co-host Chad Johnson asked if Shaquille O’Neal would be in the GOAT conversation if he had 5 or 6 NBA titles.
No. Shaq was unbelievable. I just wish Shaq would have taken it seriously. Cause you never see a guy like Shaq. You never gonna see a guy that big, that athletic, could run like he could run, that could jump like he could jump. You saw Halley’s comet.
Shannon Sharpe on Shaquille O’Neal
The NFL Hall of Famer went on to mention that usually big men do not get the credit they deserve. Their height advantage allows them to do things other players cannot. But even then, Shaquille O’Neal had everything in his bag to be the GOAT.
We’re never gonna see another Shaq ‼️@ShannonSharpe @ochocinco @ShayShayMedia_ @TheRealJRSmith pic.twitter.com/shD8iGUJsR
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) November 21, 2024
However, Shannon Sharpe resumed the conversation around the dedication and drive of the big man. He feels if O’Neal would have stayed in shape and worked on his game, no one would have been able to stop him. He believes the TNT analyst knows he left something on the plate, which is eating him inside.
