Shaq didn't hesitate when asked who would win 1v1 between prime LeBron James and Michael Jordan

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal was once asked to give his thoughts on how a one-on-one game between Michael Jordan and LeBron James would play out.

When it comes to discussion points in the basketball world, nothing quite matches the LeBron vs MJ debate.

For many, five-time Most Valuable Player winner Michael Jordan is the best ever to lace them up after winning six NBA titles, while others believe LeBron James and his four titles and four MVPs are deserving of the GOAT title.

So, who would win in a one-on-one? Speaking in 2015, Jordan was asked that very question. "If I was in my prime, could I beat LeBron in a one-on-one game? No question," he said.

James was also asked the same question during an interview with the Today Show's Willie Geist. "Oh, I take myself," he said without much hesitation. "I will take myself for sure. I'm going to take myself versus anybody."

The former Cleveland Cavaliers man added: "They're going to have to have a few wheelchairs and a couple of ambulances there to get us off the floor."

Shaquille O'Neal, meanwhile, was prodded for his take on how a one-on-one game between Jordan and LeBron would end as he spoke at a promotional event in Hong Kong in 2015.

"It would be an interesting game," O'Neal said, as per ESPN.

"Young LeBron was more like Magic Johnson. He was sort of like Magic with Jordan's abilities. He liked to pass, and he liked to get it up. But Mike was Mike. He was just special—like no one else. He always did things no one else could do and things you couldn't compare to anyone else. So, he was special, and he'd win."

O'Neal's would also namedrop NBA legend Julius Erving as someone who doesn't get the credit he deserves whenever people bring up the 'greatest of all time' topic.

"I've seen young Mike and young LeBron, and I must say Dr. J is still my favourite player," the former Lakers and Miami Heat center said.

"A lot of people today don't even mention his name, but to me, I still think he was the best. But these are questions that we'll never know the answer to."

LeBron James and Michael Jordan attend the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Image credit: Getty

O'Neal added: "It's a bit like if I met Bruce Lee in an alleyway. Who would win? You'll never know. Some people say, 'Well, Bruce would kick Shaq's ass.' Some people say, 'Well, Shaq is two times bigger than Bruce Lee.' It's a good question, a good conversation, but we'll never know."