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Shaquille O’Neal Makes Clear Choice Between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 7:48 PM ET

Following Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, Shaquille O'Neal's time with "Inside the NBA" on TNT came to a close.

But despite the TNT farewell, it’s not the end for the crew. O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith will continue the show on ESPN during the 2025–26 NBA season.

Before he was an analyst, Shaq was dominating the NBA, winning four championships during his 19-year career. He even played with some of the all-time greats, such as Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Many have claimed that the greatest NBA player of all time debate is between LeBron and Michael Jordan. But O'Neal seems to think otherwise.

In an interview with Netflix Sports, O'Neal was asked to name the top ten players in NBA history. Surprisingly, he had LeBron listed at No. 3.

"Number three, I'm going to go with the King, LeBron James," O'Neal said.

O'Neal proceeded to list his other former teammate ahead of LeBron.

"Number two, I'm going with, rest in peace, Kobe 'Bean' Bryant," O'Neal added.

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We asked Shaq to power rank his top 10 all-time NBA players Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal premieres June 4.
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O'Neal played alongside Bryant on the Lakers from 1996 to 2004, helping lead the team to the NBA’s most recent three-peat. During that run, O'Neal earned three consecutive Finals MVP awards. He played with LeBron for one season (2009-10).

While LeBron holds many of the NBA’s records, Bryant won more championships, with five to LeBron’s four. However, the current Lakers star surpasses Bryant in MVP awards, holding four compared to Bryant’s one.

O'Neal finished his top ten list putting Jordan at the No. 1 spot. He also included other legends such as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. O'Neal notably left off Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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