Lakers News: LA Hall Of Famer Omitted In Pau Gasol's List Of Top 11 All-Time Players

A unique selection of names to say the least.

Asked about his all-time NBA list upon his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame, former Laker great Pau Gasol curiously left off one name from his list of the NBA's best ever. 

In an interview with the LA Times, Gasol left off fellow Laker big man Shaquille O'Neal from his list of the 10 (or in his case 11) best players to ever grace the hardwood. 

He smiled before answering, gathering his thoughts. “It’s a tough question,” Gasol said. “It’s very personal, subjective, or both, I guess.” A few seconds later, Gasol came up with his top-10 list of all-time NBA great players, in no particular order. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Stephen Curry. Yes, that’s 11, Gasol was told. He just shrugged and smiled.

via Broderick Turner, LA Times

Though some Lakers legends are on the list in Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and teammate Kobe Bryant, leaving Shaq off of his list may be controversial to some. 

Even if Gasol played the power forward position, it seemed as though his pick were off of personal preference and influence on his own game or the NBA at large. 

Both are fair assessments to make when compiling any list as these types of comparisons are all subjective to any fan, player or pundit. 

Some debaters might agree with Gasol's assessment of his top names in the history of basketball, while others may cite Shaq's overall accolades and resume much better than some Gasol chose. 

No matter what you think, it seems as though O'Neal is paying no mind to such a comparison in his off days. 

Maybe it's time we followed suit and just appreciate greatness for what it is. 

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