It has become a trend for interviewers to ask existing and former NBA players to name their All-Time Starting Five. These lists are always contentious considering the stacked talent pool in the league. In the latest example, Shaquille O’Neal left out LeBron James in his all-time starting five, which surprised many NBA fans.
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During an interview with German sports news outlet Sports Bild, Shaq was asked to name his fantasy all-time starting five. He found a way to name both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant on the list.
However, he didn’t include LeBron James despite an opening at the Wing position. The 3x Finals MVP replied,
“Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dr. J[Julius Erving], Karl Malone and me.”
Of course, the omission of LBJ, who is arguably one of the top two players of all time, is surprising. O’Neal opted for Julius Erving and Karl Malone over James in the frontline despite LBJ’s stacked resume.
However, the list aligns with Shaq’s beliefs. When the German news outlet asked him about his Greatest of all Time(GOAT) pick between MJ and James, he picked Jordan as the GOAT.
Shaq also talked about how different players have represented different eras and were therefore, were GOATs in that point in time. From Julius Erving in the 1970s to LeBron James in the 2000s, O’Neal has seen the league’s faces change frequently. But for him, Michael Jordan remains the all-time GOAT.
He said,
“You have to look at the different eras. When I was a kid, Dr. J and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were the benchmark. When I was in college, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the best. When I got to the NBA, Michael Jordan dominated. Then came Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But for me, the greatest of all time is Michael Jordan.”
Thus, the omission of LeBron James comes from Shaq’s experience as someone who has seen some of the best players in history. Moreover. the presence of two competitors like MJ and LBJ on the same team might lead to conflict. Therefore, Shaq decided to construct a squad more conducive to winning.
Apart from that, O’Neal has always maintained that Jordan has the edge in the GOAT debate over James.
