Considered one of the best players to ever play in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal has a fan following like no other. Apart from his exploits on the basketball court, what made him popular is his media presence. Shaq is known for speaking on topics and not mincing words.
Another popular trait of Shaquille O’Neal was the liveliness in his play. Shaq was known to be a trash talker and he enjoyed every moment of his playing career. Although Shaq can counter anyone, there are certain players who have humbled Shaq.
One of them being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A legend himself, Jabbar has 6 rings to his name. This is something that he has used in order to trash talk with O’Neal. Talking on his popular podcast, Shaq talked about how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bullied him for not having rings.
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Shaq on getting bullied by Kareem Abdul Jabbar
While it may come as a surprise that Shaq can be humbled, he has talked about this in his podcast. Talking about the Los Angeles Lakers, he touches upon the topic of NBA legends giving advice.
Shaquille O’Neal then talks about a very interesting story involving him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This happened when Shaq did not have an NBA championship to his name, and Kareem bullied him regarding that aspect.
He then mentions, “It’s not he was right. I couldn’t say anything, he was ahead of me. He got 38,000 points and 6 rings. So how could I say anything?“
Shaq ultimately ended up with 4 rings with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.
Shaquille O’Neal vs Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Shaq O’Neal and Kareem are legends as both of them have won almost everything that can be won as an individual apart from team successes.
Kareem edges past Shaquille O’Neal with 6 NBA championships, while Shaq has 4. Jabbar has been named season MVP a whopping 6 times during the entirety of the 20 seasons he spent in the NBA. Shaq on the other hand has been named season MVP twice.
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Although Kareem Abdul Jabbar has the better trophy cabinet, the stats between the two are not very far apart. Kareem averaged 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. O’Neal averaged 23.7 points,10.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. (Source: landofbasketball.com)
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Who will you choose between Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? Let us know in the comments below.
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