LA Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal appeared to show off his number 3 rank on a ChatGPT-generated list of the top 50 players. Initially, NBA World shared a ranking of the top 50 NBA players as generated by the AI chatbox. O’Neal has previously claimed multiple times that Kobe was the second-best player of all time. He has also said that he was the most dominant player in the history of the NBA.
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While Shaq seemed to show off his number 3 rank, Kobe Bryant, who he has previously referred to as his ‘little brother’, was 14th on the list. Shaq had previously hit back at ‘Playmaker HQ’ in January for not putting Kobe on their list of top-10 players. This time around, O’Neal made no comment on Kobe’s ranking.
Shaquille O’Neal appears to hit back at ChatGPT’s list of the top 50 NBA players
A 5-time NBA winner and regarded as one of the greatest two-way stars of all time, Kobe Bryant’s determination and will to win was second to none. Bryant had the ability to deliver on the biggest stages for the LA Lakers when it mattered the most.
He was the chief driving force and one-half of arguably the most dominant duo the NBA ever saw. While Kobe might have won more championships had Shaquille O’Neal stayed, the two had the utmost respect for each other despite their differences.
That respect seems to exist today as well, with Shaquille O’Neal defending Bryant multiple times in recent months. Back in January, when PlaymakerHQ listed their top 10 players, Kobe was in the top-5.
On Instagram, he posted the ranking and did not have any issues with his number 5 position. However, O’Neal made it a point to explain how Kobe Bryant continues to be disrespected despite his many achievements.
Previously, Shaq had also criticized an ESPN list that named him at 10th, and Kobe just a position higher. This time, however, while he himself was 3rd, Kobe was placed 14th. Still, the LA Lakers legend did not comment about the disrespect for Kobe, and simply shared the ranking on his Instagram story.
Shaquille O’Neal thinks Kobe Bryant is 2nd best player of all time
The similarities between Michael Jordan’s and Kobe Bryant’s games had been very apparent right from the start of Kobe’s career. Bryant had the ability to lift up his game when his team needed it and was determined enough to play through pain.
It was his will to win and focus that helped the Lakers win 5 NBA titles during his era. At the still time, Shaquille’s claim that Kobe is the 2nd best player of all time will not be agreed with, by most fans. Additionally, when asked, O’Neal had claimed that Bryant was the 2nd best of all time simply because of the similarities that he had with MJ.
“Y’all think Michael Jordan was perfection, right? Who was the closest thing next to Mike?”
With the 51-year-old making such claims about his former teammate, it was uncharacteristic for Shaq to have stayed mum this time around. While it is highly unlikely that he did not notice Kobe’s rank, Shaq might simply have been happy with the fact that he was ranked number 3 on the all-time list
