Shaquille O’Neal is not known for his modesty. Then again false modesty is unbecoming — and Shaq is an NBA legend who won three straight NBA Finals MVPs. As he likes to say to his fellow TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley, “Google me, Chuck.”
But despite Shaq’s historically challenging relationship with his great Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, O’Neal is modest enough to recognize that it’s correct when Bryant is ranked above him on two Top All-Time Lakers lists (see below).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bye03rmF5Q-/
Maybe Shaq is happily distracted by the fact that both lists rank him above the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and winner of five Lakers titles, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (Shaq has three Lakers titles.) Or maybe it’s that he’s ranked above Wilt Chamberlain, the only man considered legit competition for Shaq in the category unofficially called Strongest Man Ever to Play in NBA.
But when Shaq posted these results to Instagram, it’s probably simply the fact that both Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson — the two Lakers listed above him on both lists — were both lifelong Lakers and winners of five NBA titles each for the team. (Shaq won his fourth title on the Miami Heat.) So it’s probably just a recognition of longevity that allows Shaq to concede his spot to Kobe. But still it had to be hard… (Maybe Shaq just appreciates how that picture of Kobe doesn’t look anything like him?)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw9l88xlvE9/
