LeBron James is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest players in NBA history. LeBron is often considered the icon of his generation, taking the mantle from Michael Jordan and carrying it forward into the modern era. And he continues to strive for success to this day, as he is still one of the best players in the NBA.
Recently, LeBron James was named part of the NBA 75, a list of the greatest players in NBA history. And the NBA paid tribute to all the players on this at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game when all the players walked out and stood on stage in front of a loud and roaring Cleveland crowd.
During the game, the Inside The NBA panel discussed several players on the list. When it came to LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal made an interesting admission, noting that he was jealous of LeBron James. He noted that James is in the conversation for best player ever, something he wishes he was a part of. But it was all in a very positive way, as Shaq continued to praise LeBron (1:58 mark).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enczOyDnmcQ
“I’m a little bit jealous of LeBron and let me tell you why. We’re all part of the barbershop talk. Greatest analyst, greatest shooters, one of the most dominant big men. But I would like my (name) in the conversations of greatest of all time. I’m not in that conversation, he is. Kobe Bryant is, Michael Jordan is. I ask people this all the time, when he passes up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in points, what you gonna say about LeBron James? Is he the greatest player of all time, one of the greatest players? But I would also love to be in that position where I’m the number one spot.”
Shaq and LeBron James have always had a decent relationship. Shaq and LeBron were teammates together in Cleveland during LeBron’s first MVP season. The duo didn’t get to play with each other in their prime but clearly enjoyed sharing the court next to each other.
There is no denying that LeBron is an all-time great. But LeBron is actually of the belief that he is the best of all time, as he told Kenny Smith during an interview, citing his 2016 NBA championship win over the Golden State Warriors as his main argument for why he is the best ever.
