Shaquille O’Neal is known to have had a tough-love relationship with his teammates, but why was LeBron James different? If you followed Shaquille O’Neal even after his prime, you’d know some details of his life with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009-10 season. Bron was literally in his mid-20s, coming off a season that earned him his first MVP title, while an NBA title still remained out of reach. Despite being a four-time champion nearing retirement, Shaq found himself in awe of the young LeBron’s leadership, a dynamic that fundamentally shifted his usual approach.

Meanwhile, Big Diesel came to Cleveland with 4 championships under his belt, but was almost on the verge of his retirement from the league. No wonder he didn’t command the same superstar-like attention and authority on a franchise. It was time for upcoming stars like LeBron James to shine. And Shaq was already surprised by the level of preferential treatment the King was getting on the $3.95 billion franchise Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I was super impressed when I got to Cleveland with Bron… As young as he is, this was a true leader. And he was such a leader… I never did. Like, he got to bring his family on the plane…” Big Diesel admitted on a recent episode of his Big Podcast. For anyone who knows how tightly NBA teams control their travel logistics, you’d know that’s no small thing.

Historically, NBA franchises have stuck to strict rules about who gets to travel with the team, typically just players, coaches, and key staff. In fact, Shaquille O’Neal himself once pushed for a ban on his Miami Heat that’d prevent them from travelling with family on team flights, unless the team advanced to the NBA Finals.

“When I first got to Miami, wives could travel on a plane, m———–, they could not, other than that, I’m the shit done with, no wives, no kids on a plane, ever, unless you make it to the finals and then they come and you gave us three, four, five, or six, all the wives hate me, but that’s okay, you’re not traveling,” O’Neal once recalled on an episode of The Young Man and The Three podcast. Yep, that meant neither Shaunie Henderson nor Gabrielle Union Wade could travel with the Miami Heat.

So, seeing a young LeBron earn such privileges before even securing his first chip? That speaks volumes about the leadership and influence King James already commanded. No wonder he earned an exceptional treatment from Big Diesel that no other big name who wore the same jersey as O’Neal got from the 4x NBA champ.

Shaquille O’Neal reveals why he never dished out tough love to LeBron James like his other teammates

When you think of Big Diesel, dominance immediately comes to mind. Both in how he played and how he carried himself behind the scenes. After all, Shaq wasn’t just a towering figure on the court. He was also known for using tough love to push his star teammates like Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade. Sure, his approach ruffled some feathers, but looking back at the championship banners he helped raise—three with the Lakers and one with the Heat—it’s clear the results spoke for themselves.

However, in a recent conversation, Shaq opened up about one exception to his usual hard-edged style—LeBron James. During their short stint together with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009-2010 season, O’Neal found no reason to bring out the tough love. Why? Because James, even back then, had something special about him—a complete leader’s mindset and presence. “Only one I didn’t do that to was Bron,” Shaq shared. “When I got to Cleveland with Bron, Bron already had that s— under control.”

It’s not every day that someone like Shaquille O’Neal steps back in admiration. He went on to highlight King James’ incredible maturity, relentless work ethic, and leadership. Though their partnership didn’t culminate in a championship, as Cleveland bowed out in the second round of the 2010 playoffs against Boston, the mutual respect between the two legends never wavered, as evident from his recent confessions, too.