Shaquille O’Neal has weighed in on one of basketball’s most talked-about topics as he shared his personal top 10 greatest Los Angeles Lakers players of all time, along with his personal Mount Rushmore.
The Hall of Fame center shared two images on his Instagram story that started a debate among NBA fans. One ranked the franchise’s 10 greatest players, while the other featured the Lakers’ Mount Rushmore.
The first graphic named the 10 greatest Lakers ever:
1. Kobe Bryant
2. Magic Johnson
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Shaquille O’Neal
5. Jerry West
6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. Elgin Baylor
9. James Worthy
10. Pau Gasol
(The graphic skips No. 8 and lists James Worthy as ninth, likely due to an error.)
Shaq had no issue sharing a list where he named himself as one of the franchise’s four greatest players, and there are very few who would argue with that decision.
Even though he spent only eight seasons with the Lakers, Shaq delivered the most dominant stretch any player has produced in franchise history. He averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks during his Lakers tenure while shooting 57.5% from the field. He helped lead the Lakers to a historic three-peat from 2000 to 2002.
Shaq won three consecutive Finals MVP awards during that run, as he was virtually unstoppable in the postseason. At his peak, teams had no answer for him in the paint. They had to employ “Hack-a-Shaq” strategies to slow him down.
His ranking below Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also makes sense given what those legends have done in purple and gold.
Kobe spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning five titles, two Finals MVP awards, and the 2008 regular-season MVP award. He was the face of the franchise for two decades. Many fans consider him the greatest Lakers player ever for his dominance, loyalty, and countless iconic moments.
Magic Johnson changed the point guard position after arriving as the No. 1 overall pick in 1979. He won five championships, three MVP awards, and three Finals MVPs while leading the “Showtime” Lakers to one of the greatest dynasties in league history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also deserves his place on any Lakers Mount Rushmore. After arriving from Milwaukee in 1975, he won five championships with the Lakers and became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer before LeBron James eventually surpassed him.
Beyond the top four, Shaq’s shared rankings continue to celebrate every era of Lakers basketball.
Jerry West remains among the greatest guards ever and helped the franchise define itself during the 1960s. Wilt Chamberlain brought another championship to the Lakers in 1972, while Elgin Baylor was one of basketball’s earliest superstars despite never winning a title.
James Worthy earned his “Big Game James” nickname by consistently delivering big performances in the playoffs. Pau Gasol rounds out the list after playing a pivotal role in Kobe Bryant’s final two championship runs in 2009 and 2010.
There is one major omission: LeBron James.
Despite winning the 2020 NBA championship, earning four All-NBA selections with the Lakers, and becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer while wearing the purple and gold, LeBron doesn’t appear on the list Shaq shared. It could be because of a design error in the list as well, which named just nine players in a top 10 list.
In the past, Shaq has shared other lists that could be called controversial. This includes a top 100 NBA players of all time and his top 10 centers in NBA history. He also shared a personal list of the top 10 greatest players ever, where LeBron James was ranked No. 3. Some fans questioned the omission of legends like Wilt and Larry Bird.
Whether fans agree with every ranking or not, Shaq’s Instagram posts serve as another reminder of just how rich the Lakers’ history is. Few franchises can claim such a collection of legends, making any all-time Lakers ranking one of the toughest debates in basketball.
