Shaquille O’Neal, the Hall of Fame basketball player and one of the most accomplished big men in NBA history, was notably absent from Los Angeles Lakers owner and Phil Jackson’s ex-girlfriend Jeanie Buss’s list of the top five all-time contributors to the franchise. Buss listed Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and former coach Phil Jackson as her top five.
In response to the omission, O’Neal took to Instagram with a post featuring a graphic of the five individuals mentioned by Buss. He captioned the post with a single word: “Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.” The second photo in the post showed O’Neal looking shocked.
Buss’s list was revealed during an interview on the “All the Smoke” podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. When asked to name the five Lakers she considered most important in the franchise’s history, Buss mentioned the aforementioned individuals. It is worth noting that Buss previously dated Phil Jackson and later became engaged to him.
The exclusion of O’Neal from Buss’s list caused some controversy. Former Lakers executive and player Jerry West expressed his disagreement with the list, calling it “one of the most offensive things” he had ever heard. West, who had a successful tenure with the Lakers and played a significant role in their success, questioned whether the franchise would have achieved the same level of success without his contributions.
During his eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers, O’Neal played a pivotal role in the team’s three championships. He later left the Lakers to join the Miami Heat, where he won his fourth NBA title.
