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Shaquille O'Neal won four NBA championships during his time in the league. The 7-foot-1 center is widely considered to be the most dominant player the NBA has ever seen. For that reason, O'Neal included himself in his latest all-time NBA starting five when Jason and Travis Kelce asked him about it on New Heights. O'Neal's lineup has changed over time, including Stephen Curry and Tim Duncan in his latest edition, but LeBron James is a notable exclusion.
Kelce asked the former Laker about his all-time group, his move to ESPN and his time playing alongside Kobe Bryant on Wednesday's episode. Less than a year ago, O'Neal answered the same question with a different group. At the time, he put together a team featuring Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, Karl Malone, and himself.
In 2025, O'Neal made two key changes to his group, moving players up one position. He shared his new starting five with Kelce, impressing him and his brother with his choices.
“Curry at the one, Kobe at the two, Jordan at the three, Tim Duncan at the four, and me at the five,” O'Neal said. “Nobody is beating that team.”
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James' exclusion on the list is a surprise to fans. He is third on O'Neal's list of greatest NBA players ever, but couldn't crack the starting lineup. He explained to Kelce that he doesn't like participating in exercises like this. In his opinion, lists like that sour players against him unnecessarily.
While he has problems with the question, O'Neal has become more proactive with his answer. Players that retired before the modern era often tend to think that current players are soft. However, Curry and Duncan's inclusion in his starting five show over Erving and Malone show that his perception has evolved.
O'Neal has remained relevant in the basketball world thanks to his success in the media. However, Kelce's request might earn him some shade from the players he left out of his starting five. However, the former Laker has respect for all eras of NBA basketball and the legends who came before, during, and after his playing career.
