Just as Shaquille O’Neal slammed LeBron James’ critics, his son has forcefully stepped in to defend the validity of his 2020 NBA championship. Now the creative brains behind the SHAQ brand, Shareef O’Neal, accompanied his dad to New York for the Fanatics Fest 2026. While there, he caught up with Nick from Nick Knows Ball, who had some burning questions for him. When asked what the one thing Shareef would debate until he lost his breath was, Shaq’s son came to the defense of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 title.

“The Bubble ring was the hardest ring to ever win,” is the stance Shareef will relentlessly defend.

“People who don’t play basketball call it a Mickey Mouse ring. But you gotta understand when these NBA players are in a place where they don’t have any fans, any hecklers, and it’s just them, that’s the best basketball that can ever be played.”

After permission from Nick, he declared, “That’s real f—ing basketball right there. So Imma defend that bubble ring that was the hardest ring to ever win. Any hooper really knows, that’s the truth.”

Just like Shaq, who also defends the 2020 Bubble championship, Shareef’s not just insisting on it. He’s willing to fight anyone who disrespects the legacy James built in Los Angeles.

When asked whether the lack of a typical arena atmosphere affected shooting depth perception, Shareef noted that the enclosed layout actually favored pure shooters.

“Hell yeah. That probably mattered too. They’re like they’re playing in a box. Now they’re not playing in a big a– arena. The backboard is see-through. When you have a wall behind you, it’s so much easier,” O’Neal explained. “So that bubble ring, I’m gonna defend. I’ll actually fight somebody if they want to argue about that.”

When Nick joked about someone calling the title fake to his face, O’Neal didn’t hesitate.

“I’m swinging. Y’all gonna see me get kicked off of Fanatics defending that ring.”

The line landed as an obvious joke between friends at a fan convention, not a genuine threat, but it captured just how personally Shareef takes any shot at the legacy his father’s former teammate left behind in Los Angeles.

With LeBron James leaving the Lakers this offseason to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, discourse surrounding his tenure in Southern California has resurfaced. Many casual fans continue to attach an asterisk to the 2020 title due to the unique, crowdless environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, O’Neal adamantly rejected that narrative, arguing that the pristine, distraction-free environment actually forced teams to play the purest brand of basketball imaginable.

Around that time, Shareef had just recovered from an open heart surgery and just transferred to LSU. He emphasized that true hoopers understand the insane level of talent displayed in those settings.

“Outside fans don’t see these summer runs and see how good every NBA player actually is… That’s real fucking basketball right there. So Imma defend that bubble ring that was the hardest ring to ever win. Any hooper really knows that’s the truth.”

O’Neal’s fiery defense comes at a time LakeShow debates if Bron is deserving of a statue outside Crypto.com Arena where Shaq has his own monument.

After eight seasons in LA that yielded the 2020 championship, a 2023 Western Conference Finals appearance, and the inaugural 2023 In-Season Tournament crown, critics point to missed playoffs in 2019 and first-round exits in 2021 and 2024 to downplay his tenure.

However, Shareef puts King James and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same air as athletes with the most “aura” for their unmatched careers and will stick to that stance.