The NBA’s newest superteam has barely had time to share a practice floor before questions about its long-term chemistry started replacing conversations. For all the excitement surrounding Philadelphia’s blockbuster offseason, one concern refuses to go away: can four established stars sacrifice enough to make it work? Those doubts got louder after Shaquille O’Neal gave his take on the 76ers. His comments, which several NBA insiders have already raised, questioned how Philadelphia will balance the responsibilities of Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James over an 82-game season.

O’Neal shared why he doesn’t believe the experiment will last without difficult sacrifices.

“That’s why it’s not gonna work in my opinion,” Shaq said on The Big Podcast with Shaq, pointing to Maxey’s rise into superstardom. “Tyrese Maxey just worked his ass off to become the man. Jaylen Brown comes out, so now for Tyrese Maxey, do you back off? What do you say? No, I’m still gonna do what I do. Then Bron comes. Now we got Embiid. There’s too many egos. Three or four people gonna have to say…”

Even after Iman Shumpert argued that LeBron James no longer dominates possessions for entire games, O’Neal shifted the focus to Brown.

“When was Jaylen Brown’s best year?… Okay, when he had the ball… He’s not gonna have it.”

Shumpert admitted the adjustment wouldn’t be easy.

“It’s hard to say, man. Coming off my best year, I gotta put my ego down if Bron here.”

Interestingly, O’Neal’s concerns aren’t entirely new. Before James even signed with Philadelphia, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst stressed that the franchise’s biggest challenge after assembling its stars would be defining roles, particularly for Jaylen Brown.

“The 76ers have to do now is with Jaylen Brown, and explain to him what his role is. This is a guy who was sixth place in MVP last year… they gotta worry about making Jaylen Brown comfortable more than anything.”

At the same time, other insiders have reasons for optimism. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Maxey played the biggest role in recruiting James to Philadelphia, with Joel Embiid and Brown also heavily involved throughout free agency. Maxey’s close relationship with James through Klutch Sports and years of offseason workouts has been viewed as one reason the four-time MVP felt comfortable joining the Sixers.

Still, Shaquille O’Neal believes that talent alone won’t solve the problem. On paper, Philadelphia may possess one of the NBA’s most intimidating starting lineups. But until four players accustomed to having the ball prove they can consistently sacrifice for one another, the former MVP sees locker-room dynamics, not basketball ability, as the biggest threat to the 76ers’ championship hopes.