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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spot On All-Time Team Comes As A Surprise Even To O’Neal

From Wire Reports

The latest person to question the inclusion of Shaquille O’Neal on the list of the NBA’s top 50 players of all time is … Shaquille O’Neal.

When asked if he thought he belonged up there with Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Julius Erving, O’Neal said: “After just five years? Probably not.

“If you ask me after my 10th year, then I’ll probably say yeah, I should be there. But not now. I’d put on Alex English, and Dominique Wilkins should be there, too.”

Someone suggested that a good case could also be made for Bob McAdoo.

“What?” Shaq said. “Bob McAdoo’s not on that list? You serious?

“Then I’d take myself off and put Bob McAdoo on, and then Alex English and Dominique Wilkins. They can take me off if they want to so they can put Bob McAdoo on it.”

Then O’Neal, who kept shaking his head and lamenting McAdoo’s absence, was shown a copy of the NBA list. That’s when he noted that Joe Dumars wasn’t included.

“Joe Dumars isn’t on that list?” he said.

So now you can take O’Neal off the list and put him behind McAdoo, English, Wilkins and Dumars.