When it comes to fabled franchises in the NBA, the halo burns brightest in Los Angeles. The who’s who of basketball starting from the days of George Mikan played in Laker colors. Hollywood is where the stars came together and the same extended to the Los Angeles Lakers too.
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Unsurprisingly, making a case for the Mount Rushmore of Laker basketball are some of the greatest players of all time. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and the likes form a long list of all-timers who spent time in LA.
Debates regarding who the top 4 in Laker lore are have been conflicting at all times. Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson are arguably mainstays who feature at the top in all all-time Laker lists. For the remaining two on a hypothetical Laker Mt. Rushmore, the debate is ever-waging.
Shaquille O’Neal, one of the candidates to those spots, however, feels that he doesn’t belong there. And while at the topic, also dismisses the claim of a 4x MVP and NBA champion with the Lakers too.
Why did Shaquille O’Neal take LeBron James out of contention to the Laker Mt. Rushmore?
Shaquille O’Neal was the winner of three consecutive NBA titles with the Lakers and was the Finals MVP on all three instances. Yet, O’Neal doesn’t consider him one of the greatest Lakers of all time.
Why? O’Neal believes that while his overall contributions to basketball are worthy of all-time-level praise, his stint with the Lakers wasn’t as overreaching or impactful.
If three rings and Shaq’s dominance wasn’t enough, one can imagine the high stakes that are involved in attaining Laker stardom. Essentially for the same reason, O’Neal ruled former teammate LeBron James too, out of the race.
“Now, if you have a big man Mt. Rushmore list, I’m definitely on that. That’s all-time. But all-time Lakers players, No. I’m probably not on that list. You can’t be on that list just by winning one. And listen, LeBron is my guy, and LeBron probably says the same thing. You just can’t be on that list by winning one” spoke O’Neal while discussing the topic with Max Kellerman.
When Shaq of 3 Laker rings takes himself out, only fair under his views to take LeBron out of the conversation. LeBron’s stint with the Lakers only began in 2018 and has a ring to show for it. However, not quite the requirement to go top of the Laker player lists, at least per the Big Diesel.
How do Shaq and LeBron’s Laker stints compare?
Shaquille O’Neal joined the Lakers in 1996 after his extremely successful rookie stint with the Orlando Magic. O’Neal instantly made the Lakers a force in the West. And until 2004, Superman was flying strong in Los Angeles.
Three championships, Shaq’s solitary MVP season, and three Finals MVP titles in 8 marks are quite the collection. Kobe and Shaq established themselves as arguably the greatest one-two punch in NBA history too, during their time together.
LeBron too has had a superstar teammate during his time in Los Angeles. The 2020 NBA title belonged to King James and AD and their partnership seemed set for further success. Unfortunately, injuries and other factors led to a decline.
LeBron’s legacy at the Lakers, therefore, isn’t as clearly set in stone as Shaq’s. Are neither stars worthy to be in the Laker Mt. Rushmore?
