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315lb Shaquille O’Neal calls fans ‘crazy’ in ‘Kobe Bryant vs Wilt Chamberlian’ GOAT Lakers debate

Achyuth Jayagopal
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315lb Shaquille O’Neal calls fans 'crazy' in ‘Kobe Bryant vs Wilt Chamberlian’ GOAT Lakers debate

Shaquille O’Neal is a bonafide legend in purple and gold.

Big Shaq was the most dominant force in the league during his time with the Lakers. Paired with Kobe Bryant, the duo formed arguably the greatest one-two punch the league has ever seen.

Shaquille O’Neal was a three-time finals MVP as the Lakers completed a three-peat from 2000-2002. Shaq also attained league MVP status and missed out on unanimous MVP status by one Allen Iverson vote during his time with the LA outfit.

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Shaquille O’Neal therefore, finds himself quite high on the hierarchy of Lakers legends. The storied franchise has played host to some of the titans of the game. Arriving at a Mount Rushmore of Lakers stars is easier said than done.

However, Shaq seems to have certain opinions on the same. In surprising fashion, Shaq left himself outside the top 5. What was even more surprising was his choice of ranking surrounding a particular fellow big man.

What is Shaq’s take on the GOATs Laker debate?

Shaq’s final list of greatest Lakers featured 5 names. Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Wilt Chamberlain. However, Shaq did not further list who was on top in a hierarchy between the five.

Wilt Chamberlain on the other hand was a freak of nature. Chamberlain holds an absurd number of records, particularly with respect to his scoring and rebounding. Most of them are unlikely to be ever broken too, such was Wilt the Stilt’s dominance of the game.

However, Wilt Chamberlain was a Laker only for a brief spell. Wilt spent only 5 years of his 15-year-long career at LA. His legacy as a basketball icon, therefore, isn’t exactly linked to the Lakers alone.

While this is no slight to Wilt Chamberlain, it does take a hit on his chances at GOAT Laker status. And Shaq is arguably pointing at the same while calling a fan crazy for picking Wilt over Kobe.

While Kobe over Wilt in the basketball GOAT tier might trigger arguments, the status of GOAT Laker seems to vest safely with Kobe. Magic definitely offers competition, but Kobe might just edge it. Or at least, his running mate, Shaquille O’Neal seems to believe so.

Also read: “I’m a master of marketing”: 7-foot Shaquille O’Neal’s uncanny response to past feud with Kobe Bryant

About the author

Achyuth Jayagopal

Achyuth Jayagopal

Achyuth Jayagopal is a creative writer with The Sportsrush. After previous freelance dabbles in the industry, Achyuth has authored over 300 pieces for TSR. Having followed the game of basketball for a considerable period, he pledges his allegiance to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Beyond speaking his mind on all things basketball, Achyuth is a Sports and Gaming Lawyer who is an ardent Chelsea fan and takes a shine to the culinary world and travelling too.

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