Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal expressed his surprise after being excluded from Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss's list of the top five most significant contributors to the franchise. Buss named Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and former coach Phil Jackson during an appearance on the "All the Smoke" podcast. O'Neal reacted to the omission with a single word: "Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy," accompanied by an Instagram post showing a graphic of Buss's selections and a photo of himself looking astonished.

The image shows Phil Jackson and Jeannie Buss with Shaquille O'Neal at his jersey retirement ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on April 2, 2013.

Buss's list generated debate, with former Lakers executive Jerry West calling it "one of the most offensive things I’ve ever heard." West questioned whether the Lakers would have achieved their success without his contributions. During his eight seasons with the Lakers, O'Neal played a pivotal role in securing three championships before moving to the Miami Heat, where he won his fourth title.

This photo captures Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and Julius Erving at the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal celebrate with their trophies after winning an NBA championship.