Shaquille O’Neal, never one to hold back, has spoken out strongly against Bleacher Report’s recent all-time NBA player rankings, particularly their placement of the late Kobe Bryant. In a fiery segment during a podcast episode and echoed on his social media, Shaq called the ranking “criminal” and an insult to one of the greatest to ever play the game.
“Whoever made that list needs to be drug tested,” Shaq said, clearly frustrated. “You put Kobe behind guys who don’t even have half his resume. That’s not just wrong—it’s disrespectful.”
Bleacher Report’s ranking placed Kobe Bryant at number 11 on their all-time list, outside the top 10, behind players like Steph Curry, Tim Duncan, and even some modern stars with far fewer accolades. That sparked a wave of backlash from fans and former players alike, but none louder than Shaq, who won three championships alongside Bryant with the Lakers.
“Kobe was a killer. Five rings. Two-time Finals MVP. Scored 81 in a game. The closest thing to MJ we’ve ever seen,” Shaq continued. “And you’re telling me there are ten guys better than him? C’mon, man.”
Shaq emphasized that what made Kobe unique wasn’t just his stats but his mentality. “He had that Mamba Mentality. He worked harder than anyone. He bled purple and gold. We went to war together. You don’t rank that man outside the top ten like he was just another player.”
The Hall of Famer also hinted that media outlets like Bleacher Report often lean too much on analytics and narratives, ignoring the intangibles that define legends like Bryant. “The problem today is people never played ball. They look at numbers and think they tell the whole story. Kobe’s impact goes beyond numbers. He inspired a generation.”
Fans online echoed Shaq’s outrage, with many sharing their own memories of watching Bryant dominate the league for two decades. Hashtags like #JusticeForKobe and #KobeTop5 trended on X (formerly Twitter) as users demanded a re-evaluation of the rankings.
Shaq finished his rant with a reminder of legacy. “Look around the league today. Every star took something from Kobe. You don’t get that from a number 11 player. You get that from a GOAT.”
Bleacher Report has yet to formally respond to the backlash, but the controversy has reignited the long-standing debates about all-time greatness in the NBA. For Shaq, and countless others, one thing remains clear: Kobe Bryant belongs at the top—not outside looking in.
