Perhaps, no other sports fanbase is as obsessed with the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate as the NBA. Since the rise of social media, athletes from past and present eras have given their two cents, further fueling the flames. Usually, the choices boil down to LeBron James and Michael Jordan, but John Stockton believes this is a myopic way of looking at things. The Utah Jazz legend’s words resonated with Shaquille O’Neal, who shared Stockton’s thoughts on his Instagram story.
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While on Odd Sharks pod, Stockton lamented that by inserting Kobe Bryant, MJ, and LBJ as the all-time top three, many folks forget about the pioneers of the game such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He argued that the league even had to change its rules to counter Chamberlain’s around-the-rim destructive skillset. Apart from that, he also pointed out how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was an all-time leading scorer and shot-blocker at the same time. While discussing his all-time list, Stockton expressed,
“Who’s anybody to say those three[Jordan, Bryant, James]? Wilt Chamberlain, they changed the rules to negate how dominant he was. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, leading scorer and shot-blocker in the history of the game for 40 years,”
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Stockton acknowledged that LeBron James broke Kareem’s all-time scoring record after 40 years. However, he argued that the King had the services of the three-point line and relaxed defensive rules to achieve the humungous feat.
Stockton added, “Now I know LeBron passed him and things like that, but he passed him with three-point lines and changes of rules.” Shaq seemed to have liked Stockton’s take as he shared the clip on his Instagram story.
Shaquille O'Neal agrees with John Stockton's unique position on the GOAT debate pic.twitter.com/il5EmyTQRu
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) July 8, 2024
It is understandable why O’Neal would have appreciated this angle. As a former Center, he would have loved to include two legendary big men in the GOAT debate. But, he has also largely agreed with Bryant, Jordan, and James being the top three candidates for the GOAT debate and MJ being on the top by himself. It means Stockton’s take contradicts his earlier stances.
Perhaps, it was an acknowledgment of the 10-time All-Star’s perspective and not something O’Neal holds personally. This further proves that the GOAT debate is a wavering subject that can operate in multi-layered manners. While it is often simplified to MJ and LBJ, the league has had many past and current legends, who at least deserve mention alongside them.
