There is no unanimous GOAT in the O’Neal family. In a recent appearance on Complex’s ‘GOAT Talk’, Shaquille O’Neal and his son Myles were asked to name the GOAT basketball player. Shaq named Michael Jordan, whereas his son Myles named LeBron James, citing his lack of experience watching Jordan as his reason.
Shaquille O’Neal: “GOAT NBA player?”
Myles: “LeBron [James].”
Shaq: “Okay. For me its Michael Jordan.”
Myles: “For me, I think it’s because I didn’t watch Michael Jordan at all.”
Shaq: “You got Google don’t you? Google him, stop it!”
(9:49 onward)
For Myles, he does make a fair point about not getting to watch much of Jordan. Being born in 1997, Myles would have been a year old by the time Jordan retired from the Bulls. And while his run with the Wizards was a nice novelty, it was clear that Jordan was past his powers at that point in time.
Whereas, Myles would have gotten to see LeBron’s entire career since his childhood. In fact, Myles would even get to watch LeBron in person, when his father, Shaquille O’Neal, was teammates with LeBron James on the Cavaliers. Having watched the sustained excellence of James, Myles chose LeBron over Michael Jordan.
As for Shaquille O’Neal, he had the unique experience of competing against both Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Shaquille O’Neal was on one of only two teams in the 1990s that beat the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in a playoff series, defeating them in the 1995 playoffs en route to the NBA Finals.
The GOAT debate is one that generates a lot of discourse, both positive and negative. Fans of LeBron James and Michael Jordan usually get quite heated when talking about which player is the best ever. But no one can deny how incredible both stars were during their time in the league.
LeBron James Looking To Close The Gap To Michael Jordan
LeBron James is still active in the NBA and continues to chase more championships and accolades. James is still behind Michael Jordan in terms of NBA championships, with Jordan having 6 and LeBron having 4.
With James still playing at the highest level, and still being one of the best players in the league, he does have a chance to at least win one more championship before his career is over.
LeBron James and the Lakers are not expected to compete for the NBA championship next season, with ESPN even predicting that they will miss the playoffs entirely next year.
But James, along with Anthony Davis, are two of the best players in the league. And it would be foolish to rule out any situation where the two drag the Lakers to the playoffs and make a long, deep run, much like they did in 2023.
LeBron James winning an NBA championship at this point in his career would certainly bolster what is already a resplendent legacy in the sport.
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