The GOAT debate exists in every sport around the world and will rage on until the end of time. Shaquille O’Neal recently shared a picture on Instagram that showed the GOAT of various sports and there were some interesting selections there. The most notable one perhaps, was LeBron James being the greatest for basketball.
O’Neal sharing a picture that had James as the GOAT for basketball certainly catches the eye. It is unclear if he does agree with that, as he has never explicitly stated that LeBron is the greatest ever.
James certainly is building a strong case for it, though. The 39-year-old has won four titles, four Finals MVPs, and four MVPs in his storied career. LeBron is also a record 20-time All-Star and is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He recently became the first player to reach 40,000 career points in the NBA as well.
Despite all that, it is still Michael Jordan who is widely regarded as the GOAT. Jordan won six titles, six Finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, and numerous other accolades during his career.
James might need to win another championship or two to shift the general opinion in his favor. He is still playing at a very high level in his 21st season, with averages of 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. It remains to be seen, though if the Los Angeles Lakers can build a team around him that can seriously compete.
As for the rest of the selections, I suppose the most controversial one could be Serena Williams. Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever, but I think 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic is the undisputed GOAT in tennis now.
Some might argue against Floyd Mayweather Jr. when it comes to boxing, but he does have a perfect 50-0 record in the ring. Mayweather holds the record with 26 consecutive wins in title fights as well and is without a doubt, one of the best to have stepped foot in the ring.
Sticking to combat sports, I am sure a fair few would also have Jon Jones or Anderson Silva over Georges St-Pierre. Again like Mayweather, St-Pierre is one of the best we have ever seen.
Going away from combat sports now, I do believe Tom Brady is the NFL’s GOAT. Patrick Mahomes will eventually surpass him, though, I feel. Mahomes just won back-to-back Super Bowls and if he stays healthy, he will win a lot more.
A couple of years ago, you might have received a fair bit of pushback if you called Lionel Messi the greatest soccer player ever. Messi then won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which has led to him being widely regarded as the best ever.
Shaquille O’Neal Claims He Never Wanted To Be The GOAT
While most athletes dream of going down as the greatest ever in their sport, Shaq revealed he didn’t. O’Neal claimed he never wanted to be the GOAT but wanted to be the most dominant like Wilt Chamberlain.
“When I was playing, I didn’t want to be the greatest player ever or the best player ever. Y’all pass it around too much. But you know what words you’re not passing around? The most dominant ever. It was only one at the time. Now there’s two. That’s it… I can live in that community. I can live in that residential area.”
“I don’t want to be… man who’s the best? Kobe or Bron? Michael? There’s too many people. My lane, there’s only two people… I will allow you to say Wilt Chamberlain or Shaquille O’Neal is the most dominant ever. I can live with that.”
O’Neal certainly did succeed in that goal of his. He and Chamberlain are the only ones in contention for the title of the most dominant player ever.
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