Getty Images Shaquille O'Neal reacts during the introduction of the NBA 75th Anniversary team during the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 20, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio
One week removed from the NBA All-Star Game, where the association honored those named one of the league’s greatest 75 players of all time, is still the topic of debate amongst the NBA’s alums.
The four-time champion, Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal, recently expressed his displeasure with the list, commemorating the league’s 75th anniversary.
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Shaquille O’Neal: ‘I Always Had a Problem w/Bill Walton’
During his latest episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” O’Neal said there’s only one name he would remove off of it; Bill Walton.
“You know who I always had a problem with, Bill Walton,” O’Neal said. “Because why? He only had 6,000 points in the NBA. Like, really?”
The two-time All-Star, 1986 Celtics champion is revered for helping Boston capture its franchise’s 16th title. Averaging 7.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks, Walton anchored the Celtics’ bench while earning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Entertainment Tonight host and Shaq’s co-host Nischelle Turner agreed with O’Neal’s stance.
“If you’re gonna pick Bill Walton or Tracy McGrady?” Turner asked. “It’s Tracy McGrady eight days a week, all day every day.”
Other former Celtics notables included Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and Nate Archibald.
Tracy McGrady: ‘Definitely Wasn’t Mad, I Was Shocked’
Shaq, whose guest was Hall of Fame forward Tracy McGrady, considers T-Mac a worthier option than Walton. McGrady, who wasn’t a part of the list, was asked if he was upset by the league’s recent snub.
“I definitely wasn’t mad; I was shocked,” McGrady said, per The Big Podcast. “I was definitely shocked.”
Who made it that shouldn’t have made it? Shaq asked the seven-time All-Star.
“There’s definitely some guys on there,” McGrady replied. “Some of the guys that’s playing in today’s game, I think they could have been on whatever the next list is going to be. The top 100, or whatever.”
Of the league’s active players: Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo were all included in the league’s 75 players list. The NBA also welcomed James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Damian Lillard, but McGrady failed to mention which current player should be off the list to make way for himself.
Still, T-Mac isn’t losing sleep over not being named of the league’s best 75 players. To him, there’s a much more critical accolade that’s cemented his legacy forever.
“I was shocked. I wasn’t upset,” McGrady added. “At the end of the day, being top 75 will never trump being a Hall of Famer. So, that’s how I see it.”
The seven-time All-Star joined the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020. Revered as one of the game’s elite scorers in the 2000s, McGrady netted 18,381 points throughout his career; he’s currently 76th on the NBA’s all-time list, per BasketballReference.com.
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