Shaquille O’Neal is the one name that is synonymous with the Lakers. Thus, no list of Lakers legend is complete without his name on it. Hence, he was amused by Jeanie Buss’ snub of him from her list of the top five Lakers ever. He posted a picture of her list on Instagram with a one-word caption. His friend Deion Sanders, another sports legend and Hall of Famer, chimed in with a hilarious comment to back him up.

Shaq and Sanders have a friendship that transcends their sports. They often express their views politely but with heavy impact. Both have mutual respect, and they often show their support and encouragement for each other on social media. They are both icons in their respective fields, no doubt.

Deion Sanders comes in support of his NBA friend

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss snubbed Shaquille O’Neal from her list of the top five Lakers ever on the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. She picked Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Phil Jackson as her favorites, saying it was a tough question.

Shaq, who led the Lakers to three titles and three Finals MVPs, was shocked and hurt by her omission. He posted an image of Buss’ list on Instagram with the caption “whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy”. His longtime friend Deion Sanders also came forward and commented on his post, saying “Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan”.

Many fans agreed that O’Neal deserved to be on the list, along with other Lakers greats like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain. However, the post was from the old days that happened in 2021.

Shaq: No longer bothered as a retired man

When Jeanie Buss left Shaquille off her list of the top five Los Angeles Lakers ever on Showtime’s “All The Smoke” in 2021, Shaq was stunned. He shared his reaction on his podcast, ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’, saying that he would have been hurt by it in his younger days, but not as a retired man.

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“At 49, I’m a lot more peaceful than I was. If I was 29, I would say, ‘Hold on, LeBron’s only been there 720 days. How you gonna put him before me?’ But look, I’m 49, I respect people’s opinions,” Shaquille said.

And, Shaq praised Jeanie Buss and the Buss family for their generosity and respect and said he understood that everyone has their own opinion and perspective. Shaquille O’Neal added that different people would have different names on the list.

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