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AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Shaquille O'Neal doubled down that LeBron isn't a 'ring chaser' for joining the 76ers
No matter where LeBron James decided to sign for the final years of his NBA career, there was going to be criticism for merely chasing a championship. He's 41 years old. His carer is winding down. He wants to leave the game on top.
There's nothing wrong with that, according to Shaquille O'Neal.
In the lead-up to LeBron's decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal, Shaq told Sports Illustrated that LeBron was "defining (his) legacy" rather than chasing rings .
In a SiriusXM appearance this week with Stephen A. Smith, Shaq doubled down on that take and said that LeBron didn't deserve the label of "ring chaser."
Shaq tells Stephen a smith it’s funny how people without rings are saying LeBron James is ring chasing by going to the Philadelphia sixers pic.twitter.com/uNkm3VvlzL
— NBA Hoops (@Thechat101) July 27, 2026 O'Neal said:
"It's funny to me that people that don't have rings and saying, 'He's a ring chaser,' No. He's continuance chasing. He's chasing the chance to continue to be great, to continue to add legacy to his book. Listen, he knows, well, he doesn't really know yet, but you know and I know when this thing is over, it's over. You can't come back. Once you retire, once your body says, 'I can't go no more.' It's over.
"This guy feels he has two, three more years left. Why not try to get another championship? I did it. I did it with Boston. After I won three in a row and then won one in Miami, hey, towards the end of my career, let me go play with Paul and KG and be like the fourth guy and rebound and set picks and see if I can win one. And that's what he's doing."
Shaq did add that he's anxious to see how the Sixers are going to work, and he said that he felt sorry for Tyrese Maxey who might need to take a step back in his role. But he had no issues with LeBron joining the Sixers.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Shaquille O'Neal doubled down that LeBron isn't a 'ring chaser' for joining the 76ers
Shaquille ONealLeBronShaqLeBron'sLeBron JamesNBATherePhiladelphiaSports IllustratedSiriusXMStephen A
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