Shaquille O’Neal has weighed in on the long-running Michael Jordan versus LeBron James debate, and he’s made it clear he’s not a fan of the conversation.
Speaking on The Big Podcast, the Hall of Famer dismissed the trend of constantly comparing the two basketball icons, saying it takes away from fans’ ability to appreciate both players individually.
“I don’t like the comparisons to LeBron and Jordan,” O’Neal said, via HoopsHype. “They ain’t going to never play together.”
The four-time NBA champion explained that placing the two all-time greats side-by-side forces a false choice and detracts from the uniqueness of each player’s legacy.
“You’re making people choose. And it’s like somehow now I can’t enjoy both,” O’Neal added.
O’Neal, who entered the league in 1992 and overlapped with both Jordan’s second three-peat and LeBron’s prime, said he is fortunate to have witnessed both players dominate in different eras.
“Like somebody like me, who got to watch both eras in their peak—how crazy is that?” he asked.
While acknowledging that both players hold unique places in history, the former Lakers center noted the challenge in deciding what metric matters more in the conversation—longevity or peak dominance.
“I still would argue that longevity is more impressive than peak,” O’Neal said, pointing to LeBron’s sustained excellence into his 22nd season.
However, he quickly countered with Jordan’s remarkable success over a shorter career span.
“But then you look at the accolades that Jordan got in a shorter amount of time,” he continued. “So it’s just a matter—are you measuring hardware or are you measuring stats?”
O’Neal’s remarks come at a time when debates about the “GOAT” continue to dominate social media and sports media outlets.
Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and five-time MVP, played 15 seasons and is widely considered the most accomplished player of the 1990s.
James, who won his fourth championship in 2020, recently became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is still averaging 24.5 points per game at age 40.
O’Neal said that growing up watching players like Julius Erving and Magic Johnson, and later playing alongside Kobe Bryant, gave him a clear sense of what greatness looks like.
“I grew up watching Dr. J, Magic, Mike. Played with Kobe and all that. So I know what greatness looks like,” he said.
The former MVP then questioned how current narratives compare those legends to today’s players.
“So you want me to see this now and call it greatness? I can’t,” O’Neal concluded.
