India, June 8 -- Shaquille O'Neal has never been shy about offering his opinion, and on a recent appearance on the New Heights podcast, the Hall of Famer dropped one that's bound to spark debate. When asked to name his all-time NBA starting five, O'Neal delivered a powerhouse lineup - but with one glaring omission: LeBron James.

"[Stephen] Curry at the one," O'Neal said. "Kobe [Bryant] at the two. [Michael] Jordan at the three. Tim Duncan at the four and me at the five. Nobody's beating that team."

With that list, Shaq left out James, a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, four-time league MVP, and the league's all-time leading scorer. The omission didn't go unnoticed, and O'Neal addressed the likely backlash right away.

"I do...