“Love you, Kareem; love you, Wilt, but it’s my house right now; my jersey’s about to be right next to you” - Shaquille O'Neal believes you have to move past your idols to cement your legacy, says it "has to be about me"

Shaquille O'Neal, left, respected the legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but wanted to carve his own greatness. [Photo: The Tylt] Jayson Tatum wore a purple KB24 armband for inspiration and to honor Kobe Bryant. [Photo: Fadeaway World]

Shaquille O'Neal consistently pays his respects to NBA greats but is also adamant that current and future players set a path of their own. It was a strategy he and the late Kobe Bryant set for themselves when they were building their Hall of Fame careers.

On "The Big Podcast with Shaq," the lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">LA Lakers icon kept pushing the same idea, particularly to today’s new stars. Here’s what the “Big Diesel” had to say on how he looked and respected the legends while aiming for greatness of his own:

“At some point, it can’t be about the idol no more. It gotta be about me. You don’t think Wilt (Chamberlain), Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) was my guy? Nah, when I’m in LA, LA’s mine now.

"Love you, Mr. Kareem. Love you, Mr. Wilt. But it’s my house right now. My jersey’s about to be right next to you, guys. I love you guys. I respect you guys. Thank you for everything you’ve done, but this is my house now.”

O'Neal was referring to Lakers greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain, whose jersey numbers have been retired by the franchise. After the team acquired him from the Orlando Magic in the summer of 1996, Shaq was determined to put his name with those two icons.

Shaq: I wanted to be most-dominant #NBA player ever https://t.co/maQCcyEQau

Along the way, Shaq authored the last NBA three-peat since Michael Jordan did it twice in the 1990s. During the Lakers’ run in the early 2000s, the “Black Superman” was unstoppable. He averaged 35.9 points, 15.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 59.5% shooting.

In Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets, O'Neal urged a young Kobe Bryant to embrace his greatness:

“Take that jersey off and put your own jersey, playa.”

Kobe and Shaq, Kobe wearing and paying homage wearing Jordan Jersey
#NBA
#BullsNation
#MambaForever https://t.co/UzWUPBZ2da

Shaq told the young Black Mamba to remove the Michael Jordan jersey he was wearing. Respect and admiration were there, but it was time Bryant saw himself as an all-time great.

“About time?” Kobe replied.

Yes, it was, and their legend only continued to grow from there. They eventually rivaled the greatness of Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain.

Shaquille O'Neal urges Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum to build his own path

Jayson Tatum wore a purple KB24 armband for inspiration and to honor Kobe Bryant. [Photo: Fadeaway World]

Shaq admires and respects Boston Celtics headliner Jayson Tatum’s constant reference to Bryant. But, at some point, how Tatum idolizes “KB24” should give way to his work to be a legend in his own right.

Jayson Tatum wearing a Kobe 24 armband in Game 7 💜💛 https://t.co/en4nIjbKAQ

JT got so much flak in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors for failing to live up to the standards of the Black Mamba. He previously wore a purple armband in honor of Bryant and even texted the deceased superstar.

It's fair to criticize Jayson Tatum. The spotlight shines brightest on super stars, and that's what he is.

It's also fair to point out that he led a team to the NBA Finals as a 24 year old.

Tonight sucks, but the future is bright.

It worked in the Eastern Conference finals against the top-seeded Miami Heat. Tatum led the Celtics to a Game 7 win on the road to reach the NBA Finals. He didn’t have much success in the championship round against the Warriors, where his reference to KB24 only spawned memes.

Tatum is still young and could forge a path of greatness of his own by following O'Neal's advice.