“I’ll Never Be as Good as the Top 3”: Lakers Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal Feels Humbled to Be “Mentioned in the Same Breath” as These NBA Legends

Shaquille O’Neal is undoubtedly one of the best centers of all time, dominating the paint since day one. The 15-time All-Star won four NBA championships in his career. Three came with the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-peat from 2000 to 2002. And one came with the Miami Heat in 2006. The Lakers also subsequently retired Shaq’s jersey in 2013.

Even with the Lakers having legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain, it wouldn’t be an understatement to still call Shaq one of the greatest Lakers centers. But Shaq had different thoughts on the same.

Is Shaquille O’Neal not good enough to be in the top 3?

Considering Shaquille O’Neal’s achievements, is he not good enough to be considered in the top 3 centers of all time? At least, he doesn’t think so. When asked on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ if he considers himself amongst the great centers of all time, he said, “I’ll never be as good as the top 3.” 

READ MORE: Shaquille O’Neal Was Once Destroyed by Angry Father for Bratty Behavior Despite Cars and Houses: “Pressure is when you don’t know when your next meal is coming” 

Showing his respect for the three greatest centers – Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain – he said, “I am grateful to be even mentioned in the same breath as them.” 

Being mentioned on the same level as the 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell, the 100-point scoring legend Wilt Chamberlain and the all-time NBA scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a big achievement in itself. But with the changing times, the level of gameplay and difficulty has also increased.

Other than games becoming more complex in terms of strategy, reduced physicality also plays an important role. So, deciding who was the best and who wasn’t is a difficult task just based on achievements alone.

WATCH THIS STORY: 3 Wild Old Tweets by Shaquille O’Neal That He Would Much Rather Forget Now 

Who according to you is the best amongst the four, and do you think Shaquille O’Neal qualifies in the list of the greatest centers of all time in the NBA? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.