Shaq Opens Fire

Shaquille O'Neal says he'd take Kobe Bryant in his prime over LeBron

"The Dan Patrick Show" seems to be where everybody goes to weigh in on who's the best ever and where players rank. Last week, Bill Laimbeer made an appearance and said that he thought LeBron James could do more than Michael Jordan, which caused a bit of a stir. Shaquille O'Neal was a guest on Monday, and he disagreed with Laimbeer, saying he'd take Jordan over James. Then he was asked about where James fits in compared to Kobe Bryant.

"I played with both of them," O'Neal said. "You know, Kobe has that killer instinct. And I'd probably have to go with Kobe. That's not a knock against LeBron. It's just that I know Kobe and I played with him longer. I've seen what he can do."

Patrick then asked if James had a killer instinct.

"Yes he does," O'Neal said. "But a lot of people try to compare him to Mike, when he's more like Magic [Johnson]. But, you know, when he needs to take over a game, he will. But he's really, really smart. He's very intelligent. He lets the game come to him. And he relies on others. Magic relied on others and it worked out well for him. LeBron has relied on others these past five years, it's working out for him. Hopefully it works out for him in the Finals."

The question invariably puts someone like O'Neal in a tough position because he played with both of them. In this situation, you'll usually see ex-players side with the guy who has won more championships.

O'Neal said nothing but positive things about James, though. He even, sort of strangely, said that James does have a killer instinct after citing Bryant's killer instinct as the reason why his former Lakers teammate was better. Personally, if I was making an argument, I'd use what O'Neal said about James -- the fact that he's one of the smartest players we've ever seen, and the fact that he makes his teammates better like Johnson did -- as evidence that he was superior to Bryant in their respective primes. But that's just me. This debate isn't ending anytime soon.

Shaquille O'Neal is rarely afraid to express an opinion. (USATSI)

Published by: CBS Sports

June 1st, 2015

Source: www.cbssports.com