Anointing Michael Jordan As the GOAT, Shaquille O’Neal Confusingly Compares LeBron James to Tom Brady

LeBron James and Michael Jordan are far ahead of their competitors in the GOAT conversation. However, the entire basketball world seems to be split between the two, with no clear winner taking the title. Despite being pretty great himself, Shaquille O’Neal has always backed MJ to be the basketball GOAT. However, recently on social media, Shaq has compared LeBron to Tom Brady, rather than comparing the NFL legend to Jordan.

Unlike in basketball, the NFL community has an undisputed GOAT in Tom Brady. Retired now, the Quarterback spent 22 seasons playing Football. Despite being drafted as late as the 6^th round, Brady managed to have an instant impact on the New England Patriots. With seven Championships, five Super Bowl MVPs, three NFL MVPs, 15 Pro Bowl appearances, and a long list of other accomplishments, “Tom Terrific” retired in 2022 as the most decorated player of all time.

Shaquille O’Neal compares LeBron James to Tom Brady despite dubbing Michael Jordan as the GOAT

Shaquille O’Neal is very active on social media, especially on Instagram. The 2000 Most Valuable Player is always sharing different types of content in his stories. Shaq recently shared a post by Sports Focus that compared a few NBA players to NFL athletes.

In the post, Steph Curry was compared to Patrick Mahomes, Luka Doncic to Justin Herbert, Derrick Rose to Robert Griffin III, Kyrie Irving to Antonio Brown, Draymond Green to Richard Sherman, and LeBron James to Tom Brady. Have a look at the screenshot of Shaq’s story in tragicpatek’s Tweet.

 

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A post shared by Sports Focus (@sportsfocus_)

Shaq puts up some unique NBA-NFL comparisons pic.twitter.com/2xXg9KA1YV

— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) June 27, 2023

Keep in mind that these posts are added to Shaq’s story only if he agrees with them. As confusing as it may seem, Shaq has always picked Michael Jordan as his pick for the GOAT argument. But he’s posting content that compares James to Brady, the undoubted Football GOAT.

Maybe Shaq’s not changing his stance on the GOAT debate. The TNT analyst probably agrees with the two legends being compared due to their longevity. Brady spent 22 years in the NFL and was productive even toward the dying years of his career. Whereas, King James is preparing for Year 20. Defeating Father time, the four-time MVP is still one of the best players in the league as he nears age 40.

Shaq never includes himself in the GOAT debate

Shaq was a terrific Center during his time as a pro. Towering at 7-foot-1, the 350+ pound big man would dominate both sides of the floor. Winning four Championships, three Finals MVPs, and the 2000 NBA MVP, the “Superman” is one of the most distinguished big men to set foot on the NBA hardwood. Yet, the Hall-Of-Famer never makes a case for himself during GOAT arguments.

Instead, Shaq pays much more attention to his inclusion in the “Most Dominant Ever” conversation. According to the Diesel, he has all the achievements to be the undoubted most dominant player ever, apart from one – surpassing Wilt Chamberlain in the all-time points list.