Shaquille O'Neal Says Jordan Would Beat LeBron, but Dr. J Is Better Than Both

Retired NBA legend turned TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal has created some serious buzz this offseason.

First off was his iconic virtual spat with former Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen. The Big Aristotle dropped bomb after bomb on the man he called a "sidekick," but that war has since fizzled out.

Now the Diesel has ignited another fire, this one over the never-ending debate of who the game's all-time greatest player is.

For the most part, fans argue over whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the best in basketball's history. Recently, both MJ and LBJ have gone on record saying they would beat the other in a game of one-on-one, per Scott Stump of Today.

During a recent interview with AFP (h/t Yahoo Sports), Shaq took Jordan:

"

It would be an interesting game. Young LeBron was more like (Lakers Hall of Famer) Magic Johnson. He was sort of like Magic with Jordan's abilities. He liked to pass, and he liked to get it up.

But Mike was Mike. He was just special, like no one else. He always did things no one else could do, and things you couldn't compare to anyone else. So he was special, and he'd win.

"

O’Neal believes neither Jordan nor James is the greatest, though. His choice? Julius "Dr. J" Erving.

"I've seen young Mike and young LeBron and I must say Dr. J is still my favorite player," Shaq said. "A lot of people today don't even mention his name but to me I still think he was the best. But these are questions that we'll never know the answer to."

Shaq donned many nicknames during his playing days. Perhaps "The Big Pot-Stirrer" is an appropriate post-retirement moniker.

[h/t Yahoo Sports, AFP Services]