Former Los Angeles Lakers star big man Shaquille O’Neal strongly opposed the No. 1 ranking that put LeBron James at the top, and he slipped all the way to fifth place behind James, Kareem Abdul LeJabbar, Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan.
O’Neal spent eight seasons in the NBA with the legendary Lakers, and it was during his time in Los Angeles that he solidified his status as the most dominant big man in basketball history. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 blocks in 514 regular season games for the Lakers while shooting 57.5 percent from the field.
O’Neal and Kobe also led the Lakers to three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and O’Neal are the latest NBA team to win three consecutive NBA championships. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls also won three consecutive championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
Arguably, O’Neal’s best NBA Finals series during his time with the Lakers came against Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson and the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals. The big man averaged 38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds in this series while shooting 61.1% from the field. The Lakers defeated the Pacers in six games.
O’Neal’s eight seasons with the Lakers ended in the 2003-04 season. In July 2004, Los Angeles traded him to the Miami Heat in exchange for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick. O’Neal went on to win the 2006 NBA Championship with Dwyane Wade and the Heat, who eliminated Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the 2006 NBA Finals.
Considering how much O’Neal accomplished both individually and collectively during his time in the NBA, it’s understandable that he wouldn’t agree with his ranking at No. 1 overall.
But all the No. 1 picks before him were also among the most decorated players in league history.