Shaquille O’Neal Labels LeBron James ‘Modest Arrogant’ In Quest to Put Points Record Out of Reach

Shaquille O’Neal makes blunt observation about LeBron James’ historic longevity.

Shaquille O’Neal Labels LeBron James ‘Modest Arrogant’ In Quest to Put Points Record Out of Reach

LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal (Image via FirstSportz)

LeBron James entered the league as the number one pick in the 2003 NBA draft. After completing 23 seasons and his last eight with the Los Angeles Lakers, he surprised everyone by becoming an unrestricted free agent for the fourth time in his career.

Following three weeks of speculation, James finally announced that he would be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. The decision was a shock to many as he did not have any prior affiliation with the franchise. The 76ers beat the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors to his signature.

Former NBA champion and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal had an unusual description of James’ staggering career, calling him a “modest arrogant guy”. He believes James could eventually push his scoring record beyond 50,000 points and put it out of sight for anyone trying to break it in the future.

LeBron is a modest arrogant guy. For example, he’s loving the fact that he’s the No. 1 scorer in the league. But guess what? I’m going to put this so far out of reach, nobody will ever do it. Like, I ain’t going to lie, when I was playing, looking at Kareem’s number, I was like, ‘Man, 36K, 38K, I’ll never get to that.’ I looked the other day, LeBron’s at 45K. Still averaging 20 , he going to mess around and be at 50,000 points.

Shaquille O’Neal on “The Old Man And The Three” podcast

While many have criticized James for “chasing rings” after his move to Philly, Shaquille O’Neal has supported the move. In his view, the King is only chasing the chance to keep adding to his legacy.

The 41-year-old is the All-Time scoring leader in the NBA. He broke the record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 2023, which had stood for nearly 39 years. James is currently on 43,440 career points. Considering he signed a two-year deal with the 76ers, O’Neal believes that he may end his career at around 50,000 points. Records are meant to be broken, but it is fair to assume that this record will not be broken for a very long time.

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Shaquille O’Neal did not expect LeBron James to join the 76ers

When James decided to become a free agent, a number of teams contacted his camp to sign him. The Cavs were strong frontrunners considering their history together, and even their head coach Kenny Atkinson revealed that they were in the hunt to sign him. However, James had other ideas as he embarked on a new journey by joining the 76ers.

O’Neal was one of the many left surprised when he found out that his former Cavs teammate was off to Philly.

Super unexpected. Knowing Bron, knowing how he thinks, the easy choice would have been Cleveland – started there, came back and won a championship. Then I said ‘He may surprise us and go play with Steph Curry and Draymond at Golden State.’ Then I said ‘No, he may go to Miami with Giannis.’ Those are my only three choices. I didn’t even know Philly was in the picture.

Shaquille O’Neal on “The Old Man And The Three” podcast

James will join a star-studded squad in Philly. With the likes of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown, this may be the most talented team he has ever played in his career. Hence, the expectations are going to be sky-high heading into next season.

Tyrese Maxey may have to sacrifice his role for LeBron James

Tyrese Maxey has grown into one of the best scoring guards in the NBA today. He shares a good relationship with LeBron James, and the two of them have practiced with each other in the past.

LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey
LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey (Image credits – Legion Hoops/X)

However, O’Neal feels that Maxey will need to take a step back after the arrival of the four-time champion.

The person I feel sorry for is Tyrese Maxey. Joel Embiid was hurt most of the year, and Tyrese rose up like, ‘Hey, I’m the star. This is my team now.’ You bring Jalen Brown in, is he gonna take a step back? Then you bring LeBron in, is he gonna take another step back? He was starting to make a name for himself. I think he made the All-Star team. He was a star. Four big-name guys, everybody can’t get off every night.

Shaquille O’Neal on The Stephen A. Smith Show

On paper, it is hard to argue against the 76ers having the best starting five in the NBA. But with so much star power in the lineup, they will need some time to build team chemistry as the franchise looks to win their first championship since 1983.

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