Besides being the most dominant big man to play in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal happens to be among the most powerful social media influencers in the NBA community. Shaq is always active on Instagram, posting videos and sharing stories related to the on-goings of the basketball world.
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With 29.8M followers on Instagram, anytime Shaq posts content, it gets the fans buzzing. It was no different on Sunday when he posted a story comparing the accomplishments of Michael Jordan and Lebron James at the age of 38. The Instagram reel was captioned – ‘Who is the GOAT?’.
Shaquille O’Neal raises The GOAT comparisons between LeBron James and Michael Jordan at the age of 38
There have been many great players to play in the NBA but when it comes to crowning who the Greatest of All Time is, there are only 2 players – Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Arguably the best to ever do it, both MJ and Lebron have accomplished it all.
Michael entered the league in 1984 drafted by the Chicago Bulls and played 14 seasons. During his tenure, he won 5 MVPs, 6 NBA championships, 6 finals MVPs, 1 DPOY, and 10 scoring titles. He also had 2 3-peats with the Bulls while never losing in the NBA finals.
Lebron entered the league in 2003 drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers and is currently playing in his 20th season. He has won 4 MVPs, 4 NBA championships, 4 finals MVPs, and 1 scoring title. Lebron however, has never 3-peated and has lost in the finals 6 times.
How much do finals losses affect Lebron’s case?
The 6-finals losses for Lebron are a major point of contention by the Jordan fans whenever the debate stirs up. Lebron lost to the Spurs in 2007 and 2014, Mavericks in 2011, and the Warriors in 2015, 2017, and 2018. When it comes to comparing the best, the losses cannot be overlooked. Even more so when your competitor has an impeccable 6-0.
This debate has now been running for decades and it doesn’t seem to stop anytime soon. Especially not when influential legends like Shaq continue to stir the pot.
It was another attempt to reignite it and get the fans talking. O’Neal’s savvy with social media and crowd control is brilliant. What do you think, who is the GOAT?
