Shaquille O'Neal reveals his GOATs in contrast to Draymond Green’s opinion: “I like Draymond, that’s his opinion”
Shaquille O'Neal has said his piece about Draymond Green's choice of who the basketball GOAT is. O'Neal acknowledged that Green is entitled to his opinion but did not agree with it.
The GOAT debate has been going on for years, with LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the finalists. Although a few names like Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain have been thrown into the mix on occasion, the main debate has always been between LBJ and MJ.
Except for Isiah Thomas, the older generation supports Jordan, primarily because they saw him working live. MJ had ten scoring titles and a perfect six-of-six runs in the NBA Finals.
However, Green strongly believes James is No. 1 of all time. He highlighted James' longevity and also lauded the four-time NBA champ for his skill level and ability to adapt.
On "The Big Podcast," Shaquille O'Neal reacted to Green's claims. He stated that he likes it when people have opinions, but his GOATs are Julius Erving and Michael Jordan.
(From 28:25)
"I like Draymond, that’s his opinion. I like people when they have opinions in this world. You know, the problem we have is when some certain person has an opinion and you don’t like it." said Shaquille O'Neal
“I’m not going to go off. That’s his opinion. My guy is Dr. J (Julius Erving) slash Mike. That’s my guy.”
The GOAT debate is strictly based on preference, as there is no defined parameter to judge with. Each of these players has impacted the game differently, and that would resonate with people differently.
Read: “Kobe is just Michael Jordan on steroids” - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets into NBA debates at his basketball camp
Shaquille O'Neal always wanted to be the best big man
Although O'Neal is not often mentioned in the GOAT debate, the four-time NBA champ has always talked about being the best at his position. O'Neal is considered the most dominant big man in league history, a title he is content with.
Throughout his career, Shaq succeeded in bullying opposition players in the paint. His size and strength made him unguardable at the low post.
Shaq has always talked about how he evolved into a hard in the paint. He explained that he did not want to be considered one of the best big men and chose to carve a niche for himself.
Nonetheless, Shaq wasn't the only one operational in the low post. He could dribble the ball up the court and was a decent passer. Despite his ferocity, he was one of the most fun-loving players in the league.
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