Who would you choose between Michael Jordan and LeBron James? Well, you’re not the only one who’d rather not dive into this never-ending debate. You’re in good company with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who said, “No comment.” Apparently, he is, however, willing to choose between other NBA pros and seemed quite in favor of one player: Shaquille O’Neal—more specifically, prime Shaq. The fun twist? He changed his pick to another player who has often been mentioned in the same line as Big Diesel.

During a fun segment with the Chiefs on X, Patrick Mahomes was asked to pick Who’s Better. He started by choosing prime Shaq over Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Dirk Nowitzki, before finally zeroing in on Rockets star Kevin Durant over the big man! And the reason for this loss of trust in Shaq?

Mahomes confidently said, “Longevity gives it to him.”

Uhm, not quite sure about that, since Shaq retired in 2011 at age 39, and KD, who is rightfully still playing, is 37 years old. Giving the benefit of the doubt, the Rockets veteran could easily play until 39–40 years old, unless he’s aiming to break LeBron James’ record. But that’s a different discussion altogether.

Kevin Durant has averaged 24.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in seven career games against Shaquille O’Neal, while Shaq boasts a 6-1 record over him. Looking at their overall careers, Shaq ended his career with a 819–388 win record (67.9%), and the Slim Reaper stands at 698–425 (62.2%). But here’s something even more striking: both NBA legends’ legacies were tested with the Phoenix Suns.

Before that, let’s compare the prime years of Shaq and KD (stats as per Basketball Reference):

Shaquille O’Neal was an exceptional center, a true force in the paint. His high shooting efficiency from the field demonstrates his sharpness, and his dominance on the boards, grabbing far more rebounds than prime KD, highlights the big man’s control on both ends of the court. Big Diesel’s prime was also decorated with championships, including the three-peat from 2000 to 2002.

Kevin Durant, meanwhile, shone with scoring versatility. Though his shooting was lower than Shaq’s numbers from the field, the Slim Reaper’s high 3-point clip shows he could score from anywhere. The Rockets veteran also contributed more in assists, demonstrating better playmaking.

We don’t know if Kevin Durant would be willing to go up against prime Shaq, but Yao Ming definitely considers himself lucky to have avoided the full force of Shaq at his peak. Ming did face the big man toward the end of 2002, when he was still in his prime but not as unstoppable as before.

“I’m just caught in lucky timing that when he is just, I don’t know if he’ll agree to that, passed his peak, and slightly falling down, and I’m still young enough to compete,” said Ming.

Interestingly, though, this wasn’t the first time Mahomes spoke about Shaq. The Chiefs star made an appearance on NBA on TNT in 2023, and subtly tried to flex his jumpshot, which was a ‘work-in-progress’ in front of the big man.

Big Diesel, however, caught on to that phrasing and perceived it as an open challenge between Kelce-Mahomes and Shaq-Kenny. While Mahmoes quickly said, “Free throws only,” the NBA legend insisted, “2-on-2 only.” The interaction continued, and the big man couldn’t believe that Mahomes called him one and a half. Good fun, but let’s pivot back to the Shaq-KD storyline that we were on.

Shaq, who has immense confidence in Kevin Durant’s Rockets chapter, might see a striking similarity in both their careers

If you look at Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Durant, their careers almost feel like twin stories. Shaq was drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992, and Durant went second overall to the Seattle Supersonics (later Thunder) in 2007. Both quickly became stars: Shaq led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995, and Durant took the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012. 

They both left their first teams to chase bigger dreams in California. Shaq joined the Lakers in 1996 and won his first championship in 2000, while Durant joined Golden State in 2016 and won his first title that very season. Even after all that success, both still wanted more and moved on to new challenges.

Fast forward to Phoenix, and history repeated itself. Both Shaq and Durant were traded to the Suns as the ‘missing pieces’ to bring a championship to the Valley, finally. But things didn’t go as planned. Shaq joined Phoenix for the 2007-08 season after leaving the Lakers, while Durant was traded there in 2023.

Injuries and challenging circumstances kept both from fulfilling their championship dreams. The high hopes of fans ended in disappointment, leaving a bitter chapter in the Valley’s history for two of the game’s greats.

Now, Durant has a fresh start in Houston, moving in a historic seven-player deal. Shaq shared his thoughts on the move, calling it potentially “very special,” especially pairing Durant with young center Alperen Sengun, nicknamed “The Turkish Terminator.” 

Shaq said, “I actually love his game and hopefully they can put something special together.” After tough breaks in Phoenix, Durant now has a chance to rebuild, chase a championship, and maybe even rewrite this chapter of his story—just like Shaq hoped he could when he moved teams.