Shaquille O’Neal Reverses Field On Kobe Bryant, Drops LeBron James Bombshell

Shaquille O'Neal Kobe Bryant is better than LeBron James — Twitter

Apparently Shaquille O’Neal never wanted to murder Kobe Bryant. As refreshing as this revelation should sound, O’Neal wasn’t yet done making shocking statements.

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According to the Washington Post, O’Neal told Dan Patrick on Monday that if given the choice between Bryant in his prime and LeBron James, O’Neal would go with the Black Mamba. O’Neal pressed further:

“You know, Kobe has that killer instinct, and I’ll probably have to go with Kobe,” O’Neal told Patrick. “That’s not a knock against LeBron, it’s just that I know Kobe, I played with him longer and I’ve seen what he can do.”

Asked if James had that killer instinct, O’Neal responded, “Yes, he does, but a lot of people try to compare him to [Michael Jordan], when he’s more like Magic [Johnson]. But you know, when he needs to take over a game, he will, but he’s really, really smart, he’s very intelligent, he lets the game come to him and he relies on others.

“You know, Magic relied on others, and it worked out well for him,” O’Neal continued. “LeBron has relied on others these past five years, and it’s working out for him. Hopefully, it works out for him in the Finals.”

Saying James has “relied on others” brims with subtext, especially since it’s appended to the high-compliment “he’s really, really smart.” You can like both players, but when you’re gonna knock ’em, this is usually how it’s done.

Jerry Landry is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Jerry on Twitter at @Jerry2Landry, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on Google.