Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James have been buddies their whole NBA careers whether it be teaming up on the Eastern All-Stars, playing together in Cleveland Cavalier colors or even having a dance off at all star weekend. These two have a history together, both as teammates and as opponents. The respect they have for each other though is unmatched. While a lot of NBA analysts in the current media often criticize LeBron James, Shaquille is always defending and appreciating the greatness of the King. As for LeBron, he has always spoken very highly of Shaq, complimenting The Diesel regularly.
This is just another example of it.
LeBron James compliments Shaq's NBA career
We all know that Shaq is one of the most gifted and talented players to step foot in the NBA, and arguably the most dominant and powerful center of all time. And so does LeBron. In an interview on Thursday night after the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls, King James spoke of the man they call The Diesel, saying:
"Shaq is an all-time great, one of the greatest to ever play this game... lots of respect... he's like a big brother of mine" This respect LeBron has for Shaq also goes beyond basketball, his respect for O'Neal as a person is also high.
LeBron was not happy on Thursday, after the Cavs suffered a 3rd straight loss, letting off some steam in the postgame interview, talking about his team and the situation they're in.
The King seemed uninterested in his milestone and rather had more interest in Shaq's latest achievement. LBJ said: "extremely excited to see him get his statue outside of staples center, but I couldn't care less about me passing him, means absolutely nothing"
Huge honor from LeBron James
While there is all the talk of LeBron's greatness after achieving this great milestone, the King made sure to keep the media's eyes open to the respective greatness of Shaquille O'Neal.
Talking about the all-time legendary Center, he said: "Shaq is an all-time great. The most dominant player to ever play this game. He redefined what the big man is all about".
Whether you believe Shaq is greater or LeBron is greater, it really shouldn't matter. We should just appreciate them both for what they've done for the sport of basketball.
