Arguably two of the greatest NBA teams ever were the Los Angeles Lakers when they were helmed by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal and the Chicago Bulls when they were helmed by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
However, according to O’Neal, his Lakers would have made quick work of those legendary Bulls teams had both squads met in their primes.
He said as much when speaking to Ariel Helwani of ESPN.
Helwani started the topic of conversation by telling O’Neal that he believes the three-peat Lakers would have defeated Jordan’s Bulls. O’Neal agreed wholeheartedly.
“Of course, yes, easily,” O’Neal said. “Cause I would’ve killed Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, [Bill] Cartwright. The factor is me, and my free-throw shooting.”
O’Neal went on to ask Helwani if legendary head coach Phil Jackson would have been coaching the Lakers or Bulls in this imaginary matchup. Helwani told O’Neal that Jackson would have to be coaching the Bulls “because he was with them first.”
O’Neal was not phased by the development.
“So he would’ve tried the hack-a-Shaq thing,” O’Neal responded. “I still would average like 28, 29, but the key would’ve been free throws. With me, it’s always 50-50.
“If I would’ve been on, we win. If I would’ve been off, we lose. I love having these conversations, ‘They would have did this, we would have did that.’ But I can strictly say we would have beat them.”
Sadly, fans will never get to know the real answer to this fascinating question.
