LeBron James’ move to the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t draw only positive reactions. Some have even accused him of a supposedly mindless pursuit of a championship ring. The 41-year-old is now receiving support from his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal.
Appearing as a guest on the SiriusXM radio station, the Hall of Famer was asked about James’ decision and expressed his understanding: “I don’t blame him for chasing a title. People call it ‘ring chase.’ I call it ‘ring continuation,’” said the current TV analyst.
According to him, winning is simply the ultimate goal of every NBA player. Consequently, it’s only logical that a player would want to put himself in the best possible position to achieve that.
“He has four rings and is on the right track,” O’Neal said. “If you’re in the final stages of your career and have the opportunity to join a team like that to win one or two more championships, I’d do the same thing.”
The 54-year-old, who played alongside James for one season during the 2009–10 season, is thus also contradicting his TV co-analyst Charles Barkley. Barkley claimed—even before LeBron announced his move to Philadelphia—that any decision against James’s hometown of Cleveland would leave a bad taste in people’s mouths.
