Shaquille O’Neal tends to make statements regarding the biggest names in the game of basketball and sometimes it doesn’t go down well with certain sections of fans and even contradicts the actions of the past.
The Big Diesel claimed that NBA players today don't fear LeBron James the way they did when Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were players.
On "The Big Podcast," which is co-hosted by none other than "Big Diesel," former Heat guard Mario Chalmers—who won two rings with James in Miami—dished out his thoughts with O'Neal, an NBA TNT analyst and member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
What did Shaquille O’Neal say?
'I've heard players say, including myself, ''I feared Mike [Jordan].'' I've heard players in [Chalmers'] generation say they feared Kobe,' O'Neal said, at first.
"I haven't really heard any players claim that they are afraid of LeBron."
James was referred to by O'Neal as a "nice guy" after Chalmers revealed that he had previously experienced criticism for sharing the same views as the former big man.
How did fans react to the statement?
The fans didn't enjoy what Shaq had to say and they posted their opinion in the comment section of the post.
What did Chalmers say?
“I got killed for saying this. Players didn't seem to genuinely fear LeBron the way they did Jordan,” in my opinion.
Shaq continued, "I've never heard anybody say that" but Chalmers clarified his perspective.
“It's not that players shouldn't fear LeBron. Bron wanted to be liked because he had been through so much,” Chalmers remarked,
Thus, it was somewhat like this: "I'm going to do things now so that people respect and like me."
Even though [people] will always respect what [he] accomplished, you'll come to like 'Bron’ and want to follow him now. Thus, I believe that to be what that was.
