Shaquille O’Neal Just Ended the GOAT Debate and Michael Jordan Fans Won’t Be Happy

Shaquille O’Neal was a force to be reckoned with during his prime. The great Michael Jordan had to recognize this the hard way when his team got knocked out by him in 1995. The rivalry between them was benign but produced some fantastic moments on the court. Shaq, nowadays, has dove headfirst into the entertainment world. But he hasn’t still lost the swagger that defined him during his playing days. DJ Diesel recently declared that his teams were better than Jordan’s Bulls.

The Los Angeles Lakers, under former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, had Shaq as the big dominant center. He and a young Kobe Bryant won a three-peat for the yellow and purple brigade. This had always elicited comparisons with Jackson’s Bulls teams. Chicago had won two three-peats during the 90s.

Michael Jordan became the greatest ever basketball player under Jackson’s guidance. Scottie Pippen ably assisted MJ. Pippen was the best 2-d forward any team could have. The Bulls team also had Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, etc. Can the 2000s Lakers beat the 1990s Bulls?

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Shaq thought they could have on his podcast. He said, “That’s all a matter of our opinion. People still like the 72-10 Bulls team. People like what Golden State did.” Spice Adams reminded Shaq that he also like the 1996 Bulls team. He said, “I did, but not better than any of my teams. My teams went 15-1. That’s the best team that has ever played because we should have won 16-0.”

Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan faced off against each other during the playoffs in 1995 and 1996

Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal faced off against each other two times during the playoffs. Shaq dominated the Bulls in 1995. He dropped a stat line of 24/13/4 on Chicago. He was just 23 years old and help in the form of Penny Hardaway. Shaq was the only player to have knocked out Jordan’s Bulls during their peak in the second round of the playoffs.

Jordan took revenge next year. He averaged 29.5 points per game and had 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists alongside that. MJ swept the Magic in the Conference Finals. The 4th game saw him score 45 points at almost 70% FG percentage and 75% three-point percentage.

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It was an epic performance by the player. Shaq’s Lakers never met Jordan’s Bulls, but it would have been a cracking contest. Both teams had great attacking duos and great bench players. The only question that remains is which team will Phil Jackson coach?