The Lakers star sharing a striking stat comparing their careers

JamesAshley LandisLAPRESSE

NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal has criticized LeBron James, suggesting that the Los Angeles Lakers fails to strike fear in opponents. In response, James subtly countered by sharing a striking statistic comparing their careers.

On O’Neal‘s podcast, the basketball legend discussed perceptions of James among players, noting a lack of fear compared to NBA greats such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

“I’ve heard players say – including myself, – ‘I feared [Michael Jordan].’ I’ve heard players in your generation say they feared Kobe [Bryant],” O’Neal said.

“I’ve never really heard any players say they fear LeBron.”

Former teammate Mario Chalmers echoed this sentiment, attributing James‘ universal likability to his less intimidating demeanor.

“I didn’t think players really feared LeBron like they did Jordan,” Chalmers noted.

“And it’s not that you shouldn’t fear Bron. I just think at the end of the day, Bron has been through so much that he wanted to be liked.

“So it was kind of like, ‘I’m gonna do things now where people like me and people will respect me.'”

James responds to O’Neal on social media.

O’Neal concurred, describing James as a “nice guy.” However, James responded indirectly on Instagram, sharing a stat highlighting his lengthy streak of 10-plus-point games, surpassing O’Neal‘s career total.

“Why is this so funny to me!!” James said.

Despite O’Neal‘s 19-season career compared to James‘ ongoing Year 21, the latter remains a dominant force in the league, unfazed by external criticism.