SUMMARY
- Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James played alongside each other on the Cavaliers during the 2009-10 season.
- Shaq claimed James was a great leader and the only person he allowed to be a leader over him.
We all know how incredibly good LeBron James is as a basketball player. It is quite unfortunate that we won’t get to watch him throw down tomahawks or go on scoring sprees in a few years. Needless to say, the 4x NBA Champion will leave behind a beautiful legacy that will inspire the generations to come.
The 39-year-old has been in the NBA for 21 seasons. Over the years, James has played alongside several all-timers. He competed alongside Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Ray Allen, Kevin Love, Dwight Howard, and many other elite players. However, his stint with another 4x NBA Champion often goes over the head. James played alongside Shaquille O’Neal during the last season of his first stint in Cleveland.
Shaquille O’Neal believes LeBron James was an incredible leader
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the NBA during the 2009-10 season. They achieved a 61-21 record in the Eastern Conference, which was the best in the league. It was Shaq’s first and only season with LeBron James. He claims LeBron was an incredible leader, who also made him regret not being a part of an elite all-time category.
He said, “He was actually really good at it. You can’t do that everywhere. He’s Bron and I know I’m Shaq. I’m the Shaq that has ruled many continents and is on his way out. So I’m just really coming in to be an advisor to him. Never had to say anything, the way he rules was actually.”
“He was a really great guy, a really great player. If you’re open, he’s going to get it to you. So that’s why, when they talk about LeBron being one of the best ever, I do agree. But the numbers will always be skewed. It’s a great conversation to be in. I wish I was in that GOAT conversation,” he concluded on The Big Podcast.
Shaq mentioned how he wishes he had paired up with LeBron James two years before they actually did. The Cavaliers paid a visit to the Eastern Conference Semifinals that season but lost to the Boston Celtics in six games. That was the last playoff full run Shaq had ever made as he would retire following the next season.
LeBron James had special perks nobody else enjoyed in the NBA
Shaquille O’Neal briefly spoke about being the leader on every team he’s played on except for when he signed with the Cavaliers. That was the only time he felt the need to step into the back seat for LeBron James. However, O’Neal claimed James was so terrific that he received a lot of perks nobody else got to enjoy in the NBA or more specifically, on his team.
In honor of the Cavaliers and Magic tipping off the NBA playoffs today, throwback to the time Lebron James hit this game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in the 2009 playoffs 🤯pic.twitter.com/Mp2MYvaZP8
— FanFunded (@fanfundedclub) April 20, 2024
He said, “I was kind of jealous of him because he got to do stuff I could never do. Coach would be like, ‘Hey man, we’re practicing at 10.’ LeBron would be like, ‘No, we’re practicing at 12.’ Alright, practice at 12. And I was like, god damn. He got to bring his family members on the plane. I was like, ‘I’ve been the man for a really long time, I never really had this much power.’”
Unfortunately, James had everything but a championship during his first stint with the Cavaliers. He left the Cavaliers in 2010 to join the Miami Heat. James won his first two titles in Miami before returning to Cleveland for his third, and then later, won his fourth in LA.