Shaquille O’Neal pays major respect to LeBron James.
In a chat with Lakers coach JJ Redick on ‘The BIG Podcast,’ Shaquille O’Neal had some high praise for LeBron James. Looking back on his short stint with James on the Cavaliers, O’Neal says he was the best young leader he’d ever seen at the time.
Redick: “I think what gets lost in the sauce a little bit is the longevity portion of it. It’s really hard to maintain that level of intensity. and competitiveness. It’s one of the reasons that LeBron is so great.”
O’Neal: “LeBron [James] is great to me because he has always done it the right way,” said Shaq. “When I played with LeBron, he was the greatest young leader I’ve ever seen. He just ran it so perfectly. The way he treated the guys, the way he treated the organization, the way he was coached, the way he looked out for guys. I was like ‘damn I don’t even have to do nothing.”
JJ Redick & Shaq with HIGH praise for LeBron 🙌
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— Playmaker (@playmaker) June 21, 2024
Coming from a guy who played with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade at their peak, it says a lot that LeBron James is Shaq’s pick as the best young leader he’s witnessed. It’s fair to say the title is well-earned, too.
LeBron, a 4x champion, was drafted back in 2003 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He came straight from High School to the NBA, but he never let the hype get to his head. Even as a teenager, LeBron always made winning basketball plays and he made all of his teammates better on the floor. Through dedication and hard work, he became an example for his allies and inspired countless athletes to be the best of themselves. He treated everyone fair while also holding folks accountable for their mistakes.
In 2009, after an electric start to his career, LeBron was paired with his most decorated teammate to date: Shaquille O’Neal. While Shaq was well past his prime at this point, he still had an active role on the team and was front and center to watch LeBron lead his troops to the Eastern Semis.
While most players his age are too busy partying or gaming to properly lead a team, LeBron was different. He was born with championship DNA and it was infectious. Players around James were happy to follow his lead and they all bought into his team-centric playstyle. And as he dominated on the court from year to year, he continued to validate his authority until eventually, he acquired full control of basketball operations.
Through it all, James never sold out his teammates and he never got caught in a scandal that became a distraction. For O’Neal, who had won multiple championships already, it was enough to earn his respect in a way that few ever did. While he was only teammates with LeBron for that one season, Shaq saw that James was capable of wearing many hats and he saw how much easier he made life for everyone on the team.
What’s even more impressive for James is that these qualities never faded over time. Even now, as a 20x All-Star, LeBron is stronger than ever as a leader both on and off the court. That longevity is rare to see in the NBA today but the King is showing no signs of slowing down.