Hall of Fame big man Shaquille O’Neal may have played just eight of his 19 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Purple and Gold still flows through his veins.
On Monday, he took to his Instagram account to offer his opinion on what he thinks the best Lakers starting five would be.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zN2IJlYB1/?igshid=1bejo1pgltis
O’Neal notably placed two centers in his starting lineup, including himself and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, six-time MVP and six-time champion.
His starting small forward would be LeBron James, which is sure to ignite a debate, as James has played only one season in Los Angeles. Some would say that isn’t enough yet to be considered the greatest small forward in team history.
Still, as James is arguably the second or third best player in league history, it doesn’t come as too much of a shock.
To round out the starting five, O’Neal included his former teammate Kobe Bryant as well as former Lakers team president Magic Johnson.
While with the Lakers, O’Neal helped lead the squad to three straight NBA championships, winning the Finals MVP each time.
He won his first and only league MVP in 1999-2000 when he averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.0 blocked shots per game.
