Hesitating to Snub Shaquille O’Neal Over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Coach K’s Successor Names All-Time Lineup

Published 10/14/2023, 6:51 AM EDT

The NBA has seen its fair share of heated debates. One of these is over who deserves the title of the greatest all-time center in NBA history. It has raged on for years, and two iconic figures, Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, are central to this timeless discussion. These championship big men have left an immeasurable impact on the league during their respective eras, making it a compelling challenge to definitively declare one as superior to the other

Meanwhile, Coach K’s successor recently revealed his All-Time lineup. However, he was tasked with choosing either Shaquille O’Neal or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And, oh was it a difficult decision to make!

Coach K’s successor reveals his NBA All-Time lineup

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Mike Krzyzewski, or Duke’s renowned Coach K reigned the basketball courts of the university for 42 years. Elevating Duke’s status as a basketball powerhouse, Coach K helped bring home over 1,000 victories. He dominated the Atlantic Coast Conference holding 15 ACC titles. And when it was time to step down as a coach, he passed down the scepter to Jon Scheyer.

Jon Scheyer took over as Duke’s head coach in the 2023 season. Notably, Scheyer is no stranger to Duke. Being a former Duke captain and an assistant coach to Coach K, he’s learned from the best. With the No. 1-ranked recruiting classes secured for the upcoming season and the following one, Scheyer has already bagged an impressive haul of nine five-star recruits, laying the foundation for a promising future.

The head coach recently made his appearance on an episode of ‘The Brotherhood Podcast.’ During his appearance, he was dealt with a choice: Shaquille O’Neal or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

Revealing his NBA All-Time list, Scheyer said, “MJ, LeBron, Kobe, Steph… are we saying I’m putting a five together? Okay, so Steph’s shooting is …I think anybody would want that. And then I would say uh Shaq…” However, he backtracked on his choice.

He continued, “Uh, I’m going Kareem… Kareem. Overall that would be my five.” While an almost impossible choice to make, Scheyer ultimately settled on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

After “Gut-Wrenching” Loss to Coach K’s Duke, NBA Star Recalls Questioning His Basketball Career

Meanwhile, what has Scheyer been up to recently?

Jon Scheyer has his eyes set on top basketball recruits

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Duke’s head coach, Jon Scheyer, is avidly targeting premier basketball players for the 2024 recruiting class. His recruitment efforts are currently focused on Dylan Harper, a highly regarded guard prospect. Harper, who is ranked No. 2 overall in the 247Sports 2024 Composite rankings, is expected to commit to Rutgers, according to several recruiting prediction sources like The Rivals and On3 Recruiting Prediction.

But things are now less certain as Duke recently traveled to New Jersey to watch Dylan Harper play for Don Bosco Prep. The Blue Devils remain a strong contender for his commitment. Harper comes from a long history of basketball players, being the son of 5x NBA champion Ron Harper and the younger brother of recent Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. Dylan Harper, the highly coveted five-star guard, paid Duke an official basketball visit in October of last year, but there has been no official word of a follow-up trip. According to Rob Cassidy of Rivals, Harper’s recruitment is reportedly in limbo right now since the prospect is keeping a low profile and not disclosing his preferences or intentions for upcoming visits.

Along with Dylan Harper, Duke is heavily pursuing Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) guard VJ Edgecombe, who has scheduled a visit at the upcoming Countdown to Craziness event. Duke is actively recruiting in the cutthroat world of college basketball with Coach Scheyer working hard to maintain the program’s high standards of excellence.

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Watch This Story: Magic Johnson Drops the Hammer on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as LeBron James Nears Iconic NBA Scoring Record

Do you agree with Coach Scheyer’s choice of putting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar over Shaquille O’Neal? Let us know in the comments below!

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Written by:

Ranjitha Ramesh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Ranjitha has a strong foundation in reporting and writing. Her passion for basketball, particularly the Lakers and LeBron James, fuels her desire to delve into the lifestyle and off-court activities of NBA stars.

Edited by:

Bilal Handoo

Hesitating to Snub Shaquille O’Neal Over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Coach K’s Successor Names All-Time Lineup

Coach K’s successor reveals his NBA All-Time lineup

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