Whenever an NBA legend drops their all-time top 10, chaos usually follows. These lists are a magnet for debate. Fans, analysts, and even players see the game through different lenses, and there’s seldom a universal agreement. That’s just how it goes. But when Shaquille O’Neal recently shared his top 10, the internet surprisingly didn’t erupt. Not entirely, anyway.
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On paper, Shaq’s list looked solid. He named Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, and Julius Erving—in that order.
Most fans would agree it’s a balanced and respectable lineup. A mix of winners, pioneers, and game-changers. But there was one glaring omission: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A six-time NBA champion, six-time MVP, and the league’s all-time leading scorer for nearly 40 years, Kareem didn’t make the list. And for a lot of people, that didn’t sit right.
Lakers legend Michael Cooper didn’t hold back while discussing Shaq’s list on Showtime with Coop. He said, “When you become, not necessarily petty, but you’re thinking like that and you’re taking the honesty out of your knowledge of the game, you have to acknowledge Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”
Cooper pointed out that “Cap” was only recently dethroned as the all-time leading scorer, and he had a shot, the skyhook, that was nearly unstoppable. So, for someone to not include the player who dominated the game statistically, even after retirement, is unfair. He did, however, mention that Shaq probably didn’t leave him out intentionally.
In Cooper’s opinion, the one player from that list he can confidently say KAJ was better than was Tim Duncan. Interestingly, Shaq didn’t even put himself up on that list, even though he’s arguably one of the top 10 greatest players of all time.
Shaq and Kareem weren’t on the best of terms
Since Shaq left out one of the all-time greats from his list, it opened the door for speculation to go through the roof again. Shaq and Cap weren’t always on good terms, despite being part of the same franchise, one where former and current players are treated like family.
Early in Shaq’s Lakers career, Kareem kept his distance. He believed Shaq was too flamboyant and didn’t need his advice. The Big Fella mistook that distance for hatred from the franchise legend. Over the last few years, though, they’ve buried the hatchet.
When Cap appeared on Inside the NBA, he spoke directly to Shaq. He said, “I want to tell Shaq, he felt that I was shaming you or ignoring you, and that would never be the case. I’m on your side, Shaq. Don’t ever let anybody tell you anything different.”
Shaq graciously accepted Cap’s words and said, “You not speaking to me was the best thing that happened to my career because all I wanted to do was impress you, sir.” After such a heartwarming interaction, it’s unlikely that Shaq is still holding anything against him. While the reason for leaving KAJ out of his list is best known to him, it’s also possible that Shaq simply forgot while naming his top 10 players.
