Whenever an up-and-comer starts to turn heads in the NBA, fans and analysts are quick to draw comparisons between that player and someone who played in the past. Lonzo Ball was being compared to Jason Kidd, LeBron James to Magic Johnson, and so on. But what about if someone from the past like Shaquille O'Neal had a chance to play today?

The Los Angeles Lakers legend and Hall of Famer weighed in on this very topic. He told Sporting News' Sean Deveney that if he was playing today, he'd be a center who plays like Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo:

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“I’d have been a 5. I would have been the ‘Greek Freak,'” Shaquille O'Neal said. “I would be a guy that can dribble, can handle, can go to the hole with force, do that. Kick it to guards. I tried to do that every now and then, but my coaches wasn’t having it. Every now and then, I did it. I know you guys saw me do it. I would be him.

“However, I wouldn’t change my game because everybody else was shooting jumpers. I would still do what I do, and I would punish the bigs. When bigs shoot jumpers, that just tells me they don’t like the physical contact. I would definitely take advantage of that.”

Before Shaquille O'Neal turned into the behemoth he was with the Lakers, he was actually a fast, athletic player, especially during his time with the Orlando Magic. Had he maintained that type of physique, he would indeed have some small similarities with Giannis. Fortunately, Shaq was able to adjust his game when his body started to become bulkier and became one of the most imposing post presences of all time.