Shaquille O'Neal doubled down on his belief that his duo with Kobe Bryant would beat the Los Angeles Lakers' current one-two punch of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Appearing in the most recent episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the 19-year NBA veteran and TNT analyst had to hairs on his tongue when discussing this comparison.
Fallon wouldn't take long to ask The Diesel for his take on two of the Lakers' high-octane duos, asking him if he thinks him and Kobe in their prime could out-duel the duo of James and Davis .
Shaq's response was to be expected.
Fallon: “In your prime, do you think you can beat LeBron and AD? You and Kobe.”
O'Neal: “Do I think or do I know?” asked a confident Shaq. “I like having this conversation because of course, it can never be answered, but yes. The answer is yes. Hell yes. Hell yes. Of course. Because there's only one contributing factor — who is going to guard me?””
.@SHAQ says he & Kobe Bryant could beat LeBron & Anthony Davis at their prime 🏀 #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/k7CspbzHQC
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) January 7, 2020
Shaq has never been shy of self-confidence, and this brash interview with Fallon has him exuding that same ego that made him one of the most remarkable players of his era.
O'Neal was a game-changer in all senses of the word, a ruthless force unlike any other the NBA has ever seen.
Lakers talent Anthony Davis is a great shot-blocker in his own right, but the 250-pound forward has no way of stopping The Diesel from getting his way in the paint. Shaq's arguments might be ego-driven, but that doesn't make them any less true.
While the James-Bryant debate can be somewhat even, Davis just has a lot more to prove before the comparison can be rightfully made, but even if he does, there's likely no way the star forward can matchup against one of the most dominant forces the game has ever seen.
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