“Why Tf Is LeBron James in This?”: Shaquille O’Neal’s Heartbreak at the Hands of $500,000,000 Worth Team Owner Pushes Fans Against the King

With 16 championships to their name, the Los Angeles Lakers are tied for the most-winning NBA franchise. They’ve housed the game’s greatest but, of course, some names shine brighter than others. As a result, a list of the greatest Lakers always feels amiss. But when a list comes straight from the franchise’s owner, it holds a bit more merit. However, even Jeannie Buss is in a tough spot when gauging the history of the league’s most prestigious franchise. And, one that omits Shaquille O’Neal? Bound to spark controversy.

Her list caused an immediate outcry from the fans. The absence of Shaq was too hard to ignore and fans quickly turned to the newest Laker great, LeBron James.

Lakers greatness featuring LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal

The list, in isolation, is pretty decent. With a cast of Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Phil Jackson, it certainly has rings to back it up. While all of those names deserve a place on the list, the omission of Shaq was particularly jarring. During his 7 seasons with the Lakers, Diesel won an MVP, scoring title, all-star game MVP, and perhaps, most importantly, 3 straight championships from 2000-2002, along with the man at number 1 on the list, Kobe Bean.

So, Shaq was understandably upset at his absence from the list. And, the gun was quickly pointed toward the newest Laker great, LeBron James. In his five seasons with the Lakers, James has won a title, an assist title, and broken Kareem’s scoring record.

However, fans still felt that Big Diesel deserved a spot over the King. For such an illustrious franchise, agreeing on just 5 names would be impossible. Apart from Shaq, the list also does not include other greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, or the logo, Jerry West.

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But, that did not stop fans from coming after the King and his placement on the list.

Fans take a shot at the King’s legacy

The top comment on the post read, “why tf is lebron in this???” with laughing emojis.

With time missed due to injury, it does feel like James’ tenure with the Lakers has been shorter than the 5 years he has spent with the team. As a result, some fans argued about which player did more for the team between the two.

“Bro Shaq did wayyyyyy more in LA than LBJ” was another popular sentiment.

Most people wanted the switch from LeBron to Shaq.

“I’d replace LeBron for Shaq. No question.” and “Naaaaah 😢. Shaq over Bron” was the common preference. Another fan tried to explain it best.

While LeBron is among the greatest players to play the game, perhaps, his contributions as a Laker do not match up to Shaq’s. “I mean, Bron is great, mb greatest, but as a Laker, Shaq is much more important.” 

Some would argue that Jeanie’s own connection to LeBron played some form of bias. Or perhaps, it is a matter of recency. Maybe, it even is a fact. Or maybe, a little bit of all. Such is the history of the Los Angeles Lakers that regardless of which 5 you choose, some names are always going to miss out.

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