Shaq on LeBron's leadership: 'Was 1st time I didn't have to do anything'

[Lebron23]

Shaq on LeBron's leadership: 'Was 1st time I didn't have to do anything'

By Ananth Pandian | NBA writer

June 7, 2015 2:36 pm ET


Shaquille O'Neal was at the end of his storied NBA career when he joined LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2009-2010 NBA season. At the time, it seemed like a solid move by the Cavs as they were desperately trying to build a championship roster around James. O'Neal was expected to provide the Cavs with a low-post presence but injuries got the better of him, forcing Shaq to only suit up for 53 regular season games.

O'Neal was able to play in the playoffs and helped the Cavs get to the second round where they lost to the Boston Celtics. While the James/O'Neal pairing didn't live up to their championship expectations, Shaq was quite happy to play with LeBron. Mainly because James was a great leader and did the heavy lifting as he told Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick.

"It was the first time I didn't have to do anything."

In his prime, O'Neal was perhaps the most dominant player to ever play in the NBA, imposing his will on opponents with ease. Shouldering the burden with players like Anfernee Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade, O'Neal was able to lead the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat to the NBA Finals. As a go-to player, Shaq was able to win three championships with the Lakers and one with Heat.

But by the time he got to Cleveland, he was on the tail end of his career and became more of a role player. Thanks to LeBron's leadership, it seems like this transition went smoothly. Shaq knew that the Cavs were LeBron's team so he could sit back and provide his veteran insight when needed.

Shaq's comments echo what Delonte West recently said about James. While James has many detractors, it seems like players genuinely enjoyed playing and being led by him.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story was based on Skolnick's tweet that O'Neal had said "everything" instead of "anything."

Shaq is a funny man. Shaquille O'Neal appreciates LeBron James' leadership skills. (USATSI)

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25207783/shaq-on-playing-with-lebron-in-2010-it-was-the-first-time-i-didnt-have-to-do-everything

It sucks that Shaq was past his best when he played for the Cavaliers.

[Prime_Shaq]

Well of course, despite his haters and what he has done and how much I dislike his playstyle, he is after all one of the best the game has seen.

[keep-itreal]

that's because Shaq was too old to do anything when he went to the Cavs

[NZStreetBaller]

You dont have to do much when the ball is in lebrons hand 90 percent of the time

[SexSymbol]

it was also the first time that he couldn't do anything on the court too.
If it was a 2000s shaq, it's Lebron who'd be giving these kinds of quotes.
Doesn't take a genius to understand this.

[sportjames23]

that's because Shaq was too old to do anything when he went to the Cavs


You dont have to do much when the ball is in lebrons hand 90 percent of the time


it was also the first time that he couldn't do anything on the court too.
If it was a 2000s shaq, it's Lebron who'd be giving these kinds of quotes.
Doesn't take a genius to understand this.

:applause:

Hell, the GM and coach didn't have to do anything either and look at the results. :oldlol:

[Im Still Ballin]

It's crazy because now Lebron is above Shaq on the all time list

Man.. Imagine if they were on the same team in both their primes

B-R-U-H.

[ImKobe]

It's crazy because now Lebron is above Shaq on the all time list

Man.. Imagine if they were on the same team in both their primes

B-R-U-H.

Lebron has nothing but regular season MVPs on Shaq lol..

4/5 vs 2/6

peak Shaq never layed an egg in the Finals

have fun trying to make a case for Lebron over Shaq.

[Im Still Ballin]

Lebron has nothing but regular season MVPs on Shaq lol..

4/5 vs 2/6

peak Shaq never layed an egg in the Finals

have fun trying to make a case for Lebron over Shaq.
2006?

The consensus is already in kid

ESPN, Sports Illustrated agree

Lebron is already there

[aj1987]

2006?

The consensus is already in kid

ESPN, Sports Illustrated agree

Lebron is already there
'06 wasn't peak Shaq.

Shaq at worst is top 5 and LeBron at best is top 7. Shaq >> LeBron.

1. MJ
2. KAJ
3. Shaq
4.Magic
5. BR
6. Duncan
7. LeBron
8. Kobe
9. Bird
10. Hakeem

[Prime_Shaq]

It's crazy because now Lebron is above Shaq on the all time list

Man.. Imagine if they were on the same team in both their primes

B-R-U-H.
Not yet

[Disaprine]

is hard to do anything when your stuck in the 3 point line all game.

[riseagainst]

You dont have to do much when the ball is in lebrons hand 90 percent of the time


this. He can't do anything even if he wanted to or was capable of it, because Lebron had the ball all the time.

[Im Still Ballin]

'06 wasn't peak Shaq.

Shaq at worst is top 5 and LeBron at best is top 7. Shaq >> LeBron.

1. MJ
2. KAJ
3. Shaq
4.Magic
5. BR
6. Duncan
7. LeBron
8. Kobe
9. Bird
10. Hakeem
Shaq's too high here

Kobe's within his range of 8-12, but I wouldn't put him above a perennial champion like Bird

Also; this list lost all credibility when you didn't list Wilt in the top 10

Here's a good list

1. MJ
2. KAJ
3. Magic
4. Wilt
5. Russell
6. Duncan
7. Lebron
8. Bird
9. Shaq
10. Kobe

[aj1987]

Shaq's too high here

Kobe's within his range of 8-12, but I wouldn't put him above a perennial champion like Bird

Also; this list lost all credibility when you didn't list Wilt in the top 10

Here's a good list

1. MJ
2. KAJ
3. Magic
4. Wilt
5. Russell
6. Duncan
7. Lebron
8. Bird
9. Shaq
10. Kobe
Shaq at 9 below Wilt, Duncan, Bird and Lebron? :facepalm

[Indian guy]

Shaq has a ridiculous amount of respect and belief in LeBron. It's most telling in his post-retirement book, Shaq Uncut, which came out right after the 2011 Finals. Shaq talks about all the perimeter superstars he had played with in his career - Penny, Kobe, Wade and LeBron. By the time he came on LeBron, it would've been oh-so-easy to sh!t on him, given the nature of how the 2010 and 2011 playoffs ended. But the guy had nothing but praise for him, displaying a ridiculous amount of confidence in LeBron's abilities. Saying he already had "everything figured out about the game" (paraphrasing), and that he was a player who absolutely can and will take over a game when required. The latter in regards to LeBron's passiveness in the 2011 Finals, which he expressed some mild surprise over. Shaq could've easily said that he noticed LeBron lacked something which would prevent him from winning the big one in the future. But he totally went the opposite way in fact, saying he had absolutely no doubt LeBron would do plenty of winning in the future, because he possessed all the right ingredients. And he was right.

[Im Still Ballin]

Shaq at 9 below Wilt, Duncan, Bird and Lebron? :facepalm
Yep

This is where most professional lists rank Shaq.. He's closer to the tail end of the top 10.

But you not even listing Wilt in the top 10? The biggest of travesty. You're too caught up in Kobetard finals record narratives. He's a consensus top 10er on any sane list.

[aj1987]

Yep

This is where most professional lists rank Shaq.. He's closer to the tail end of the top 10.

But you not even listing Wilt in the top 10? The biggest of travesty. You're too caught up in Kobetard finals record narratives. He's a consensus top 10er on any sane list.
:oldlol:

Those dudes are ****ing morons. How the **** is a 4x champ, 3x FMVP, 1x MVP, with a career average of 24/11/3/1/2 on 58% and 24/12/3/1/2 in the PO's over a 19 season career be any lower than #6 all time? Dude averaged 30/15/3/1/2 over a 3 year stretch in the PO's while 3peating. Has any player ever come close to that kind of dominance?

[guy]

Well maybe he should've done something that year since they lost in the 2nd round as heavy favorites with HCA with Lebron playing like shit the last few games. :oldlol:

[fragokota]

'06 wasn't peak Shaq.

Shaq at worst is top 5 and LeBron at best is top 7. Shaq >> LeBron.

1. MJ
2. KAJ
3. Shaq
4.Magic
5. BR
6. Duncan
7. LeBron
8. Kobe
9. Bird
10. Hakeem

Shaq ahead of Magic? Sorry bro but you trippin. Also Larry ****in Legend way too low.

[jbryan1984]

Lebron has nothing but regular season MVPs on Shaq lol..

4/5 vs 2/6

peak Shaq never layed an egg in the Finals

have fun trying to make a case for Lebron over Shaq.

Shaq is 4/6

Also, I thought he played well for us for his age. We really only got him because it was believed that the Orlando Magic were the only team causing us problems. 09, we swept through the first and second round. Then we got Orlando and Dwight just killed us. If we double teamed, all those guys were waiting to bomb us with threes, especially Hedo. So, that is why we got him. He stood up to Dwight when we played them in the regular season but of course we all know, we never made it back to face Orlando again.

[aj1987]

Shaq ahead of Magic? Sorry bro but you trippin. Also Larry ****in Legend way too low.
No doubt. Magic's teams were loaded beyond comprehension (same with Bird's).

Once again, Shaq averaged 30/15/3/2/1 on 55% over 3 STRAIGHT Playoff runs while 3peating. No one in the history of the sport has does that. The only other one who's close is MJ, who averaged 34/6/7/2/1 on 50%.

[Steven Kerry]

Shaq is 4/6
The point still stands.

[Dresta]

Shaq was never a good leader, especially to young guys, who he's always helped give bad habits and a bad attitude. A good leader leads by example, doesn't half-arse most of the season, turn up completely out of shape, and excuse terrible ft shooting by saying "I make them when they matter."

Just more self-serving tripe from the biggest man-child of all time. Guy has burned bridges and ridiculed every team and player he's played with (when he was any good), and then has the gaul to lecture other people about leadership.

[Klay 3D]

Shaq was never a good leader, especially to young guys, who he's always helped give bad habits and a bad attitude. A good leader leads by example, doesn't half-arse most of the season, turn up completely out of shape, and excuse terrible ft shooting by saying "I make them when they matter."

Just more self-serving tripe from the biggest man-child of all time. Guy has burned bridges and ridiculed every team and player he's played with (when he was any good), and then has the gaul to lecture other people about leadership.
:applause: :applause: :applause: (*gall)

[riseagainst]

Shaq was never a good leader, especially to young guys, who he's always helped give bad habits and a bad attitude. A good leader leads by example, doesn't half-arse most of the season, turn up completely out of shape, and excuse terrible ft shooting by saying "I make them when they matter."

Just more self-serving tripe from the biggest man-child of all time. Guy has burned bridges and ridiculed every team and player he's played with (when he was any good), and then has the gaul to lecture other people about leadership.


:lebronamazed:

[Rooster]

Shaq was never a good leader, especially to young guys, who he's always helped give bad habits and a bad attitude. A good leader leads by example, doesn't half-arse most of the season, turn up completely out of shape, and excuse terrible ft shooting by saying "I make them when they matter."

Just more self-serving tripe from the biggest man-child of all time. Guy has burned bridges and ridiculed every team and player he's played with (when he was any good), and then has the gaul to lecture other people about leadership.

I agree on this take. Shaq was very insecure too. I don't think him and Lebron would have have coexist when Shaq was on his peak unless Lebron took a back seat.

[Stringer Bell]

that's because Shaq was too old to do anything when he went to the Cavs

Yeah lol

Shaq actually had a good 2008-09. Playing in Phoenix surely helped, but he was looking so old, slow, and fat in those last 2 seasons with Cleveland and Boston.

[Stringer Bell]

It's crazy because now Lebron is above Shaq on the all time list

Man.. Imagine if they were on the same team in both their primes

B-R-U-H.

They would never be able to co exist. Too much ego, Shaq always hated it when others got too much shine. He was bothered by the attention Hardaway was getting and that played a role in him leaving to LA. Then there was the thing with Kobe. Then after he left Miami he would take shots at Wade and Riley thru the media.

It wouldn't last.

[Smoke117]

This is funny since there's no way this insecure, giant sized infant was ever a good leader.

[Big164]

It's crazy because now Lebron is above Shaq on the all time list



4 Rings > 2 Rings

3 fmvps > 2 fmvps

[Magic 32]

'Was 1st time I didn't have to do anything'

including winning.