Shaq makes major distinction in GOAT debate among LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

NBA fans will forever have the debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time – Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James.

While most can scrutinize and parse out the competition each player faced, the individual accolades they received and the rings they won in their respective eras, Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal had the luxury of playing with or against each NBA star.

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Shaquille O'Neal attends the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 17, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

He talked about the distinction among the NBA greats in a recent episode of "The Big Shaq Podcast." He discussed it with former Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers.

"I’ve heard players say, including myself, ‘I feared Mike.’ I’ve heard players in your generation say, ‘I feared Kobe.’ I never really heard any players say they fear LeBron," O’Neal said.

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LeBron James of the Lakers reacts after passing Michael Jordan on the NBA All-Time Scoring Leaders List against the Denver Nuggets on March 6, 2019, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Chalmers said he got "killed" for saying he didn’t think players "really feared LeBron like they did Jordan." O’Neal added he "never heard anybody say it."

"And it’s not that, you shouldn’t fear ‘Bron," Chalmers added. "I just think that, at the end of the day, ‘Bron has been through so much he wanted to be liked. So, it was kinda like… I’m gonna do things now where people like me, people will respect… We’re always gonna respect what he did. But you actually like ‘Bron and want to be a fan of ‘Bron now."

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 13, 2024, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

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James, who is likely in the twilight of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader and a four-time champion.

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