Shaquille O’Neal was not on Lil Wayne’s Lakers Mount Rushmore, which he shared. O’Neal took offense at that.

It’s not simple to choose a Mount Rushmore for the Los Angeles Lakers, but rapper and Lakers fan Lil Wayne just gave it a shot, and this is what he came up with.

Wayne said, “Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Magic (Johnson), Kobe (Bryant), and Shaquille O’Neal,” initially. “Oh, I’m sorry, Kobe, LeBron (James).”

Both Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who guided the Lakers to five titles in the 1980s, should have a place on the list. Many people believe that Kobe Bryant is the best Laker ever, having won five titles with the team. Without him, it would be difficult to locate any Lakers on Mount Rushmore.

But Wayne’s final selection of LeBron James is up for debate, and Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t pleased to be left off the list after first being included.

“Damn, I was only up there for half a second, Why?”

You can only imagine O’Neal’s initial delight at seeing himself there, only to have it removed. Does he make a compelling argument for being there? Certainly, in my opinion.

LeBron James Is Not as Deserving as Shaquille O’Neal to Be on the Lakers’ Mount Rushmore

LeBron hasn’t done enough, according to many, to be regarded as a Lakers legend, but I genuinely think he is. In his six seasons with the team, he has been a powerhouse on the court and led them to a championship in 2020. For most teams, that might be good enough to be engraved on Mount Rushmore, but not for the Lakers.

Along with the Boston Celtics, they are the most successful team in NBA history, and James hasn’t done nearly as much for the team as so many greats have. Among them is O’Neal, who from 2000 to 2002 guided the Lakers to an unprecedented three-peat.

He averaged 27.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game during his eight seasons with the Lakers. During his tenure in Los Angeles, O’Neal was the most dominant player in the league and was awarded his lone MVP in 2000.

LeBron doesn’t belong there, but you may argue that someone like Jerry West should be there before O’Neal. Maybe he has a good case if he wins one or more championships before quitting the game, but not at this time.

Jeanie Buss Had Shaquille O’Neal Upset

It’s possible that the 51-year-old O’Neal is simply feeling that he isn’t receiving the credit he merits for all of his accomplishments while playing with the Lakers. He was left off of the list of the five most significant Lakers by team owner Jeanie Buss, who chose Magic, Kareem, Kobe, LeBron, and Phil Jackson instead.

O’Neal was shocked that Buss had left him off of her list of the five most significant Lakers of all time. He was obviously upset that he wasn’t on there, but she had a reason why.

Buss clarified that O’Neal was left off the list because it was comprised of the Lakers, who helped shape her career and equipped her for her current position. Jackson’s admission and O’Neal’s denial were due to this.