For most NBA legends, ego and legacy are inseparable. For Shaquille O’Neal, that tension has always been front and center. He knows exactly how dominant he was. He also knows where history has placed him. And for once, Shaq is choosing honesty over bravado.
Speaking recently on The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal made something clear that might surprise people who have followed his career. He does not believe he belongs in the GOAT conversation.
“I’m not in the GOAT conversation. Listen, it’s only three people in the greatest of all time conversation. Listen, I’m arrogant, but I’m not dumb. It’s Kobe, Bron, and Mike, okay, that’s it. We all have our subcategories… Like, I always wanted to be Lion King.”
“For so long, it was just Mike and Bron.And now I’m like,’Oh, I understand the great picks. What about the Kobster?'”
According to Shaq, there are only three names that truly belong in that tier: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. That is it. No extended lists. No honorable mentions. Just three players who reshaped the league across eras.
Shaq admitted that for years, the conversation revolved around Jordan and LeBron alone. He accepted that. What he never accepted was the exclusion of Kobe. O’Neal has long felt that Bryant’s resume, mentality, and impact justify his place alongside the other two. As Shaq put it, once you open the door to more than one player, you cannot pretend Kobe does not belong in the room.
Recently, he even suggested Stephen Curry be included in the conversation as well.
That stance matters because it comes from someone who shared a locker room with Bryant during one of the most dominant stretches in NBA history. Together, Shaq and Kobe won three straight championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, forming a duo that overwhelmed the league with power and skill. Shaq saw firsthand what made Kobe different, and he has spent years pushing back against narratives that shrink Bryant’s legacy.
At the same time, O’Neal’s comments reveal something deeper. He has admitted before that being left out of the GOAT debate eats at him. This is a man with four championships, three Finals MVPs, a regular-season MVP, and arguably the most physically dominant peak the league has ever seen. By any reasonable measure, Shaq is a top-five player in NBA history.
He may never be officially crowned the greatest, but his dominance is unquestioned. And in narrowing the GOAT debate to three names, Shaquille O’Neal isn’t diminishing himself. He’s clarifying history, even if it still stings.
