NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is known to post some interesting comparisons between the legends of the game via his social media handles. This usually prompts heated debates in the comment section from fans all around the world. Shaq has done that yet again by comparing some All-Time greats of the league. Only this time around, the debate centers around a hypothetical 3 vs 3 matchup, with Shaq, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James on one side and Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Hakeem Olajuwon on the other. Meanwhile, Shaq also made an outlandish claim in the caption of the post that triggered a complete meltdown among hardcore fans.
O’Neal has faced Jordan and Olajuwon in the playoffs during his career. Jordan and Olajuwon had swept Shaq and his team in some encounters. However, in Shaq’s defense, he was very young at the time and was not in his prime despite racking up huge numbers. But that very fact makes Shaq’s recent claim even more bizarre.
Fans give Shaquille O’Neal a brutal reality check
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In his social media post, Shaquille O’Neal made a bold claim that his hypothetical team, consisting of LeBron, Kobe and him, would sweep the other team, comprising of Bird, Jordan and Hakeem, in a seven-game series. This did not sit well with a lot of fans, especially the fans of Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. They let their feelings known in the comment section.
One fan commented, “All in their prime, I’ll take the bottom team, people dont understand how scary prime Larry bird was.”
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Another fan said, “Get f***ed, Larry would take you boys to school left handed”
“Everyone sleeps on how good Bird really was in his prime… And Hakeem is just moves better than Shaq. In a 3v3, ball rotation matters more than match ups,”?noted another fan.
Here are some other reactions from fans:
“The one with Michael Jordan”
“Bottom three no matter the rules”
“Bottom. Hakeem already took Shaq to school. Mike will break Lebron down. Kobe and Bird cancel each other out”
“Both of them are good, but sorry shaq, I will select MJ team. Reason: Never lose?”
“Ain?t Hakeem already put clamps on your before?”
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Many fans also pointed out Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan sweeping O’Neal. Shaq faced Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the Finals while playing for the Orlando Magic. The Rockets swept them to win the title. Shaq played against MJ twice in the playoffs, winning once and getting swept the next year.
Larry Legend
Larry Bird is one of the All-Time greats of the game. However, many young fans do not rate him very high because of his lack of physical prowess. The Celtics legend did not have a huge bounce, was not the quickest, and definitely not the strongest on the court. However, that did not stop the three-time NBA champion from being the best player on the floor.
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Despite his shortcomings in physical prowess, he was still one of the most physical players ever, playing in an era where there were no easy layups. Bird hit the deck almost every night which resulted in his back issues. However, he had the mentality to fight night in and night out. He was one of the first players to consistently hit long-range attempts. Furthermore, Bird delivered some of the most brutal trash talks.