When it comes to legends like Shaquille O’Neal, fans always love hearing who he considers a good player. Be it from the current lineup of the stars or the past, Shaq’s opinion has a lot of weight. Recently, he revealed his all-time starting five players, but did not include one of the top players on the list.

NBA fans always debate who should be the G.O.A.T. as well as who should be considered the best-starting players. While everyone has their pick, it is interesting to hear what someone who has had a legacy like Shaq has to say about it. While many fans would agree with what O’Neal said, some would be irked by the omission of one name.

Speaking to Sport Bild, Shaq revealed the stars that inspired him and who he considered the G.O.A.T. He said, “When I got to the NBA, Michael Jordan dominated. Then came Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But for me, the greatest of all time is Michael Jordan.” While this was understandable due to Jordan’s massive impact on the sport, the part that stood out was Shaq’s all-time starting five.

As mentioned above, fans were waiting to see who Shaq would name, and the answer was surprising. He included Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dr. J, Karl Malone, and himself. LeBron James was left off the list, and his fans would not be happy about this. While O’Neal didn’t give a particular reason for this, maybe he will in the future. It has been pointed out that the two have had issues in the past.

Shaquille O’Neal has thrown shade at LeBron James in the past

O’Neal is no stranger to defending Jordan’s G.O.A.T. status. Previously, in March, he had made comments on the same topic while throwing some subtle shade at James. While on an episode of “The Big Podcast” with Mario Chalmers, the two discussed James. While the topic was about being intimidating on the court, Shaq said, “I’ve never really heard any player say they feared LeBron.” He also added that James was a nice guy, and this made him less intimidating than Kobe Bryant and Jordan.

This led to a massive fan outrage, where they claimed that Shaq was wrong about James. While the star didn’t comment on the issue, it was clear what Shaq’s thoughts were on the four-time champion. The two NBA stars do respect each other but also have their own opinions of the other. It will be interesting to see what James has to say about this list if he ever makes a comment.

What did you think about the list? Do you agree with O’Neal? Tell us in the comments.