Newsletter
Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Reading: Shaquille O’Neal’s Interesting Take On The GOAT Debate: “I Never Wanted To Be The Best Ever… Now, Most Dominant, My Category, Is Only For One Or Two People. It’s Me Or Wilt.”
Fadeaway WorldFadeaway World
Search
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Follow US
Home > NBA News & Analysis > Shaquille O’Neal’s Interesting Take On The GOAT Debate: “I Never Wanted To Be The Best Ever… Now, Most Dominant, My Category, Is Only For One Or Two People. It’s Me Or Wilt.”

Shaquille O’Neal’s Interesting Take On The GOAT Debate: “I Never Wanted To Be The Best Ever… Now, Most Dominant, My Category, Is Only For One Or Two People. It’s Me Or Wilt.”

Divij Kulkarni
Mar 26, 2022
4 Min Read
Share

Any athlete that makes it anywhere near the top starts with one dream, to be the best to ever play the sport they do. Obviously, that title can only ever belong to one person although there are always multiple people with a claim to it. The NBA’s GOAT debate has a very obvious frontrunner in Michael Jordan, someone widely accepted as the GOAT, with cases for the likes of Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James. 

However, not every player apparently wants to be considered the GOAT, and certainly not Shaquille O’Neal, who would much rather stick with his title of being the most dominant player in the NBA during his prime. Shaq’s accolades may not match up to some of the other players in the greatest ever conversation, but he is peerless when it comes to being the ruthless best in the league when he was in his prime. 

O’Neal spoke about how he feels about these conversations to GQ Sports, explaining his rather eccentric take on the situation. 

GQ

Question: “Speaking of that, I would argue that you were the most dominant force the NBA has ever seen. Playing against my hometown Nets, you broke the backboard, which I’ll never forget. What was the time when you were playing where you realized ‘Yo, I can pretty much do whatever I want?”

Shaquille O’Neal: “I’ve seen that people are enamored with titles, right? But I never wanted to be the best ever. I don’t want to say it’s too much competition, but there are too many names floating around, right? Even now: Kobe, Jordan, LeBron.

“Now, most dominant, my category, is only one or two people. I’m fine with that. It’s either me or Wilt. I already passed Wilt in championships. lf I had passed Wilt, I would have got on TV arrogantly and say, ‘I am the most dominant person ever. I don’t wanna hear nobody else’s name, period.’ Boom, boom, boom. ‘Nobody did what I did, nobody did it like I do. Forget Wilt.’ But because I didn’t pass him, I have to allow people to still say his name. When you say the best, there are 20 people—Dr. J, Magic, Kareem, Bill. It goes on. But when you say most dominant, there’s only two, so I’m happy.”

From the 1999-2000 season to the 2001-02 season, there was not a player in the league that could hold a candle to O’Neal. Shaq averaged 28.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game over 3 seasons in the regular season, won 3 championships and 3 Finals MVPs with the Los Angeles Lakers and won his solitary MVP in 2000 as well. 

The only way teams knew how to stop the Big Diesel was to literally foul him as much as they could to send him to the free-throw line. No one except perhaps Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain has dominated the league so thoroughly for any stretch in their career. Shaq could have been the GOAT if he tried, at least Kobe Bryant seemed to think so, but it seems the big man is happy with being the most dominant. 

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:Shaquille O'NealWilt Chamberlain
Share This Article
Facebook Email Copy Link Print
ByDivij Kulkarni
Follow:
Divij Kulkarni is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He has covered the NBA and the English Premier League, with 4 years of experience in creating sports content. Finding exciting and intriguing content about all things NBA is both his job and his passion. Divij loves the Dallas Mavericks and can be regularly observed getting emotional during games. Outside of basketball, he enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, consuming copious amounts of movies and TV, and spending time with his dog, Olivia. Expertise: NBA, Historical Sports ResearchFavorite Team: Dallas MavericksFeatured On HoopsHype, Sports Illustrated, Secret Base, MSNPrevious Work: Tribuna
Previous Article Ayesha Curry Celebrates Her 33rd Birthday Wearing A Stunning Bikini
Next Article Shaquille O’Neal Admits He Joined The Boston Celtics To Catch Kobe Bryant’s 5 Championships
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Newsletter
Facebook X-twitter Instagram

You Might Also Like

Golden State Warriors News & Analysis

Seth Curry Admits He Didn’t Want To Team Up With Stephen Curry Until Now

October 3, 2025
Sep 29, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets player Nikola Jokic (15) takes questions during media day at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Denver Nuggets News & Analysis

Nikola Jokic Remains Loyal To The Nuggets Despite Not Signing An Extension This Summer

October 3, 2025
Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) controls the ball in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
NBA News & Analysis

Kendrick Perkins Claims Russell Westbrook Has Been Blackballed By The NBA

October 3, 2025
Sep 29, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) poses for a photo during the Mavericks 2025 media day at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Dallas Mavericks News & Analysis

Cooper Flagg Shares How He Can Impact Winning; Sets Expectations For Rookie Season

October 3, 2025

NBA - Fadeaway World

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Pages

  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA Media
  • Exclusive NBA Interviews
  • NBA 2K News & Updates

© 2025 Fadeaway World @ All Rights Reserved

  • About Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World Authors
  • Editorial Team
  • Ethics Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Contact Us
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?