Shaquille O’Neal has never been shy about speaking his mind-on or off the court. Whether it’s tossing playful jabs on Inside the NBA or calling out media hot takes, the Diesel always brings the heat. But his latest comments? Let’s just say they raised a few eyebrows.
In a recent appearance on the Off The Record podcast with Bailey Jackson, Shaq was asked a classic “what if” question: if he could replace former teammates with all-time legends, who would he pick?
His answer? Bold-and surprisingly personal. “I’ll go with Mike with Kobe,”Shaq said. “Trying to win championships-ring culture. Love to play with Mike to learn from him.”
O’Neal didn’t stop there. He also said he’d trade Penny Hardaway for Magic Johnson, praising Magic’s flashy style: “I like being on the end of something fancy.” In a vacuum, it sounds like simple basketball logic. But when you consider who he’s swapping out-Kobe Bryant, the co-architect of three Lakers championships-it hits a little deeper.
Fantasy Drafts Are Fun-Until You Drop a Legend
Naturally, the internet jumped on it. Shaq, who spent years battling with and alongside Kobe, appeared to be sidelining his former co-star in favor of Jordan’s six-ring résumé. And that’s where things get complicated.
Just days earlier, O’Neal publicly blasted Bleacher Report for ranking Bryant outside the Top 10 in their all-time player list. “Kobe at 11 is criminal,” he wrote on X. No emojis. No fluff. Just pure respect. So, what gives?
This is classic Shaq. He’s always been a blend of nostalgia, opinion, and no-filter honesty. He’ll toy with hypotheticals, but when it comes to legacy, he doesn’t budge. If you rank Kobe too low, he’ll call you out. If you ask who he’d pair with in an alternate timeline, he might say MJ.
Both things can be true. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted after the rankings dropped, “You can’t talk about Shaq without talking about Kobe-and vice versa. They built an empire together. You don’t just erase that for a fantasy draft.”
In the end, O’Neal’s dream team is just that: a dream. But his real-world admiration for Kobe Bryant? That still burns as bright as the Staples Center lights ever did.
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