During their playing days, Shaquille O’Neal was a key rival to Chicago’s iconic duo of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. In their respective positions, the three men excelled for numerous years. While Shaq was one of the NBA’s greatest ever centers, Jordan and Pippen revolutionized Bulls basketball. However, things have come to a heated stage, with Scottie now taking multiple digs at MJ for not being a team player. Now, O’Neal has come to Jordan’s rescue.

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Quite obviously, the Lakers and Bulls were rivals. Although the 49-year-old powerhouse never got to play alongside his counterparts, he has always had huge respect for them. Years ago however, Shaq sparked a fire by claiming that former coach Phil Jackson didn’t want him to beat Jordan’s scoring record. However, he has come in the 14-time All-star’s defense against Pippen, who has laid out that he believes he was just as talented as ‘His Airness’.

Shaquille O’Neal destroys Scottie Pippen over Michael Jordan statement

With his new memoir ‘Unguarded’ coming out, questions were raised as to whether this was all a promotional act from ‘Pip’. In response to the Last Dance series, Pippen called Jordan as selfish and hypocritical, and dished out that the 14-time All-star ruined basketball. In addition, he claimed elsewhere that he was ‘just as good as Jordan’, and that the 58-year-old was never a team player. But Shaq was having none of it.

“You got two alpha males on the same team, you’re gonna have these problems.” When the interviewer proceeded to tell Shaq about Pippen’s claims of being better than Jordan, the former NBA champion couldn’t believe what he had heard. “He didn’t say that. He never said that. If that man say that in front of me, Imma hit him right in the esophagus. Yeah Imma drop him, do not finish that sentence,” he said.

It is quite clear what Shaquille O’Neal thinks of Scottie Pippen’s statements. Safe to say, the 7-time All-star should stay clear of Shaq, especially if he plans on making any further comments to degrade MJ.

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