Shaquille O’Neal has added his perspective to the NBA’s long-running GOAT conversation, making it clear that Kobe Bryant’s name should not be overlooked.
Speaking on the Straight Game Podcast, the Hall of Fame center said he grows frustrated when fans and analysts discuss the greatest players of all time without mentioning his former Lakers teammate.
“I just get frustrated when people talk about the GOATs of the game and don’t mention Kobe,” O’Neal said, via Basketball Forever. “I don’t care who you pick, whether it’s Michael [Jordan], LeBron [James], or Kobe, but just mention all the names. They just passed him up and went from Mike to LeBron, and they left him out. I would like to hear all the recipients and then let the people pick.”
The comments highlight O’Neal’s view that Bryant belongs in the same tier as Jordan and James, the two players most commonly cited in the debate. Bryant won five NBA championships with Los Angeles, including three alongside O’Neal during the Lakers’ early 2000s dynasty.
O’Neal and Bryant’s partnership produced one of the most dominant stretches in modern league history, capped by a three-peat from 2000 to 2002. Despite well-documented tensions between the two stars, O’Neal has consistently acknowledged Bryant’s work ethic and competitive drive as central to the team’s success.
Bryant retired in 2016 after 20 seasons with the Lakers, finishing with 33,643 career points, two Finals MVPs, and an 81-point game that remains the second-highest single-game scoring performance in NBA history.
Jordan, with six championships and five MVP awards, and James, still active with the Lakers and a four-time champion, are the players most often compared in GOAT discussions.
