Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal does not believe Luka Doncic, 26, is a better player than LeBron James, 40, entering the 2025-26 season, despite the 14-year age gap between the Los Angeles Lakers teammates.
Shaq took it a step further by suggesting that even Giannis Antetokounmpo, 30, is not currently a better player than James.
The four-time NBA champion made the bold claim while participating in an interactive session with Overtime, wherein he was asked to break a stick every time he heard the name of a player better than James. The list also included Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns, San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Ranks SGA Higher than LeBron
When the interviewer spelled out the name of Giannis, Shaq nearly broke the stick, but held back on doing so.
“Who’s next?” Shaq asked, prompting the interviewer to ask about Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Shaq would instantly snap the stick in half while nodding his head.
“He’s the MVP,” Shaq said when asked why he broke the stick. “He had a great year. I don’t know about the greatest-ever season, but he had a great year.”
To O’Neal’s point, SGA became only the fourth player in NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan (x3) and himself.
Lakers Fans Unhappy
The former four-time champion’s decision not to rank Doncic higher than James angered many Lakers fans on social media.
“luka is better than bron rn lmfao be fr,” wrote one fan.
“did shaq even watch Lakers games last year? asked one fan.
While most fans disagreed with Shaq, one user backed his decision.
Last season, James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds at 51/38/78 shooting splits. The consistent showing earned him a spot in the All-NBA Second Team, making him the oldest player to earn the accolade. The honor also essentially established James as a top-10 player at the age of 40 — unprecedented in NBA history.
While most fans disagreed with Shaq, one user backed his decision.
Doncic put up better counting stats than James in the playoffs, averaging 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists, but the latter shot the ball more efficiently. However, the Slovenian guard was once again a defensive liability, much like he was in the regular season, which soured many analysts about Doncic’s desire to win an NBA title.
If James does prove to be better than Doncic in the 2025-26 season, it would bode well for the Lakers’ chances to hang Banner No. 18.
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