Trying to pick the four greatest players in Los Angeles Lakers history is the basketball equivalent of trying to choose your favorite child.
Somebody is going to get left out, and somebody is definitely going to be unhappy about it.
The Lakers have arguably the most ridiculous collection of legendary players in NBA history. Jerry West. Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Magic Johnson. Kobe Bryant. Shaquille O’Neal. And more recently, LeBron James and Luka Doncic have added their names to the franchise’s incredible superstar lineage.
So who belongs on the Lakers’ Mount Rushmore?
According to Shaq, apparently not Shaq.
The Big Diesel recently volunteered to remove himself from the conversation, saying he would rather give the honor to the legendary big men who helped pave the way for him.
“They paved the way for me,” O’Neal explained, specifically mentioning Wilt and Kareem. Shaq even admitted that while he believes he could have dominated against either legend, ranking himself ahead of them would feel disrespectful.
Classic Shaq.
The man who once tore down NBA backboards apparently draws the line at knocking down basketball history.
Shaq has always shown tremendous respect for the great centers who came before him, and Kareem holds a particularly important place in his basketball worldview.
“I’m not on there, because Kareem was the man,” Shaq said, noting that Abdul-Jabbar sometimes gets overlooked when basketball fans debate the greatest players ever.
Shaq wants to make sure that doesn’t happen.
It’s a great gesture.
There’s just one little problem.
Shaq absolutely belongs in the conversation.
During his eight seasons with the Lakers, O’Neal put together one of the most dominant stretches the NBA has ever witnessed.
Alongside Kobe Bryant, Shaq led Los Angeles to three consecutive championships from 2000 through 2002. He won Finals MVP all three times and captured the league MVP award in 2000.
And those Finals performances weren’t merely great.
They were ridiculous.
At his peak, Shaq was basically basketball’s answer to a wrecking ball. Teams knew exactly what was coming and still couldn’t do much about it. Double teams, triple teams, extra bodies in the paint—it often didn’t matter.
Then there was everything else that came with Shaq.
He wasn’t simply a superstar basketball player. He became one of the biggest personalities in sports. The smile, the humor, the nicknames, the commercials and that unmistakable larger-than-life presence helped make the Lakers must-see television around the world.
That matters when discussing a franchise whose identity has always been built around both winning and star power.
Shaq deserves plenty of credit for respecting the generations that came before him. In fact, his appreciation for Wilt, Kareem and other legendary big men probably helped shape the player he became.
But humility doesn’t erase history.
You can argue Magic. You can argue Kobe. You can argue Kareem, West or Wilt. That’s the fun—and the impossible part—of constructing a Lakers Mount Rushmore.
But Shaquille O’Neal?
The man who delivered three straight championships and three straight Finals MVP trophies doesn’t get to quietly excuse himself from the debate.
Sorry, Big Fella.
We’re putting you back on the ballot.