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“Of Course, I Agree”: Shaquille O’Neal Picks Giannis Antetokounmpo Over Dirk Nowitzki, Names Stephen Curry Among Elite 5

Rishabh Bhatnagar
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"Of Course, I Agree": Shaquille O'Neal Picks Giannis Antetokounmpo Over Dirk Nowitzki, Names Stephen Curry Among Elite 5

Recently, on Instagram, LA Lakers’ legend Shaquille O’Neal posted his list of the best NBA players of the century. As one would expect, Shaq himself was in the starting five, and also posted about a second and third team. While he named Stephen Curry alongside himself in the starting, Giannis Antetokounmpo made it to the second team. Interestingly, O’Neal picked the Greek Freak over Dallas Mavericks’ legend Dirk Nowitzki, who could only make it to the third team in his list.

While there were a couple of questionable picks, fans can give Shaq the benefit of the doubt. His first team wore an impending look, with the second team boasting the likes of Nikola Jokic, Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant. The surplus of talent meant that Nowitzki could only make it to the third team on Shaquille O’Neal’s list.

Shaquille O’Neal posts list of the NBA’s best players from the 21st century

Shaq’s three teams all had a range of superstars in all positions. Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant made it to the first time alongside himself and Curry.

The 2nd team saw Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steve Nash, KD, Dwyane Wade, and the Joker as its five members. This meant Dirk Nowitzki made it to only the third team.

He still had a list of superstars alongside him, including James Harden, Chris Paul, Kevin  Garnett, and Dwight Howard. Shaq also posted the following caption alongside:

“Do you agree? Of course, I agree.”

Nowitzki had a sprawling 21-year career which included 14 All-Star selections, and the NBA championship and Finals MVP in 2011. Considered to be one of the greatest power forwards of all time, his absence in the second team for Giannis Antetokounmpo can be seen as a dubious take.

Other slightly questionable takes include the inclusion of Nikola Jokic and Steve Nash in the second team. Still, Shaq clearly rates Stephen Curry very highly and named him alongside himself in the first team.

Shaquille O’Neal included Stephen Curry in his list of top-10 NBA players

O’Neal regularly uses Instagram to inform fans about his NBA-related opinions. Recently, he posted his list of the top 10 NBA players of all time.

The list, presented in no particular order, included Stephen Curry alongside himself, Michael Jordan, and a range of familiar superstars. However, the likes of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain missed out.

Shaq picked Isiah Thomas and Tim Duncan in his list, but left out the two obvious legends, albeit of the older generation. At the same time, there is little doubt that he rates Stephen Curry very highly, a player he has often addressed as the greatest shooter of all time.

About the author

Rishabh Bhatnagar

Rishabh Bhatnagar

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Rishabh Bhatnagar is a Senior NBA Writer at The SportsRush. A lifelong NBA fan, Rishabh has been working as an NBA journalist since 2017. Before joining The SportsRush, he covered the NBA for another popular media platform. Rishabh is a bona fide NBA Historian specializing in uncovering stories from the league's past. He also likes covering trade rumors and player contracts. Rishabh has written almost 800 articles for The SportsRush and is always on the lookout for intriguing NBA stories. He is also a published novelist and an ardent Lakers fan.

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