Shaquille O’Neal picks his top 10 NBA players; snubs Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain among others

Shaquille O’Neal recently revealed his top 10 NBA players, a list that notably excludes legends like Larry Bird and Wilt Chamberlain. Shaq’s picks include Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and himself as his first team. His second team features Stephen Curry, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, and Isiah Thomas, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also added, making it a top 11 list [[❞]](https://sports.yahoo.com/shaquille-oneal-lists-own-top-103043303.html) [[❞]](https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-shaquille-oneal-lists-his-top-10-greatest-nba-players-in-response-to-julius-erving-list/).

This selection has sparked debate due to the absence of other all-time greats such as Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Oscar Robertson. Shaq, however, emphasized that personal lists are subjective and defended Julius Erving’s similar top 10 list which also stirred controversy for omitting modern stars [[❞]](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/top-50-nba-players-from-last-50-years-shaquille-oneal-ranks-no-9).