It's official: Shaquille O'Neal is the second greatest NBA player, behind only Michael Jordan. Take that, Kobe.
According to the game show, "Family Feud."
Thebiglead.com reported Tuesday that a recent episode of "Family Feud" asked the question, "If Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all-time, who is second best?"
And of course, the top answer was ... Shaq?
The "Big Game Show Answer" beat out former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant and former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James, as well as ex-Laker Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and former Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Larry Bird.
The "Family Feud" polls 100 people at random with its questions. According to extramustard.si.com, a supposed West Coast bias shouldn't exist because the show is video recorded in Atlanta, having moved from Los Angeles in 2010.
Extramustard.si.com also reported that the show conducts surveys by phone, utilizing random-digit dialing to ensure a national sampling, as cited in a 2008 Wall Street Journal article.
Most NBA experts likely would have struggled with this question because missing from the list are luminaries Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, three answers were still covered, so their names conceivably still could've been on the list.
But O'Neal at No. 2? He helped the Lakers dominate at the turn of the millennium as the franchise won three consecutive NBA championships. Shaq also won a championship with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in 2006.
He is the No. 6 all-time leading scorer in NBA history with 28,596 points and 14th in rebounding with 13,099.
But it could be argued that O'Neal isn't among the top three centers in NBA history, if Wilt Chamberlain joins Abdul-Jabbar and Russell on the list.
It does give Shaq a last bit of bragging rights in his 21st-century fight with Bryant in the battle of Los Angeles.
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