Legendary big man Shaquille O’Neal and former LBJ teammate Mario Chalmers claimed on “The Big Podcast” that NBA players aren’t as afraid of LeBron James as they are of Michael Jordan.
If you watch LeBron play and wonder if he lacks upside compared to past stars, you’re not the only one thinking about it.
Heck, players were more intimidated playing against Kobe Bryant (RIP) than against The Chosen One, who at 39 years old is still hanging around the league and looking to win Another championship to bolster his credentials as the GOAT, which Jordan still has.
Shaq did a great job of declaring that no matter how hard LeBron tried, he was simply not the same breed as Jordan or Kobe. According to Shaq, James’ image as a “good guy” in the league puts him just a notch below great players like Kobe Bryant and Jordan, who both had a relentless drive to win.
LeBron: “Not my GOAT,” Shaq admitted.
“I’ve heard players say, myself included, ‘I’m afraid of (Jordan).'” “I’ve heard players of (Mario Chalmers’) generation say they’re afraid of Kobe. I’ve never really heard that. Any player who says they’re afraid of LeBron,” O’Neal shared.
Jordan cared about almost nothing but winning, making enemies inside and outside the Bulls organization along the way.
Jordan’s six championships are not only more than LeBron’s four championship rings, but they also command respect from other players, something James seems to lack.
There’s no question that Lyndon Johnson holds the greater cachet in NBA history, though his pursuit of superstardom is more famous than that. win This became even more apparent as he moved to Los Angeles.
Taking more time off due to injuries; having more fights in his front office over a lack of staff; constantly complaining about his coaching rather than his performance… To many viewers, LeBron just wasn’t “the guy.”
Shaq has long been “Team Jordan” in the GOAT debate.
“I think the greatest player is Michael Jordan. LeBron is about to do something that hasn’t been done in a long time and I think he’s going to move his name out there, but to me it’s always Dr. J, Michael “Jordan, Magic, those guys,” O’Neal admitted on the “ImPaulsive” podcast.
(Do you agree with Shaq’s stance? Or is LeBron really the greatest of all time? Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com)
Shaq on TNT live NBA game.
(Jamie Schwaberow/NBAE via Getty Images)
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