It’s never a bad time to have another GOAT talk. Or shall we say “difference of opinion?” After all, opinions are like certain body parts… everyone has one. And when it comes to best-of-the-best of all time hoopsters… lets just say the conversations can get hot and heavy very quickly.
Recently, our man Shaq gave quite the pushback to popular ESPN pundit and analyst Stephen A. Smith over his ranking of O’Neal’s old friend and teammate, Kobe Bryant. Shaq didn’t think Smith was putting Kobe up high enough on the GOAT pedestal.
In a recent video interview with Shaq, Smith included Kobe on his “top ten, maybe top five” list of all-time great NBA players, but didn’t go as far as to put him in the comparison with GOAT (greatest of all time) contenders like Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
The BIG Podcast with SHAQ
Shaq made it clear that he didn’t need to have Bryant at the very top of the list, but he did feel that he deserved a better ranking than Stephen A. was willing to give. “We as people, we gon’ stand on what we stand on,” O’Neal said. “But I have a problem with what you said. Doesn’t matter who the G.O.A.T is — my guy should be in the conversation.”
More from O’Neal: “You guys just throw him out of the conversation. So, somehow it just went from Mike to LeBron, and you just threw my guy out of the conversation. His name needs to be in there all the time. And when his name is not in there, that’s when people have a problem.”
Click here to see the full video on Instagram
It was Kobe and Shaq that combined considerable talents and skills to win three straight NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Both would of course go to more success with their respective teams when they parted ways.
For his part, Smith gave O’Neal – playing at the prime of his career – a lot of credit for helping Kobe win those rings. And while Shaq appreciated the props, he still wanted Kobe to be included in the GOAT-talk: “That’s not the point,” O’Neal said. “The point everybody is making is don’t leave him out the conversation.”
For his part, Smith said he was not leaving Kobe “out” of the conversation, but again, O’Neal disagreed: “You are. I always hear Mike and LeBron, and I used to hear Mike and Kobe. Certain people can be in the conversation. Certain people can’t. Before y’all say one and two, you can’t leave my guy out.”
Across his brilliant career, Kobe Bryant won a total of five NBA championships with the Lakers. That’s just one fewer than MJ with the Chicago Bulls but one more than James has at this point. Of course King James is still playing.
Shaq isn’t the only one on Kobe’s side in the GOAT conversation. Another former Lakers teammate, Trevor Ariza, has called Bryant the best NBA player ever, ahead of both Jordan and James.
What do you think? Remember, LeBron could still win additional jewelry. It’ll be tough, for sure. The Lakers have been struggling recently. As of this posting date, the Lakers are 10th in the West, with a record just below .500. Lots of work to be done!