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Shaq: LeBron breaking Kareem's scoring record would make him GOAT

Andrew D. Bernstein / National Basketball Association / Getty

Shaquille O'Neal believes LeBron James will solidify his legacy as the greatest player in NBA history when he surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list.

In an interview with Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, O'Neal said he has no doubt James will break Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record in the next two years and believes him doing so would make him "the best player - ever."

"I know what he's doing," O'Neal said. "Championships are great, but he's trying to pass Kareem up. That's what he is doing. I know exactly what he's doing. 'Cause now if you pass Kareem up, it ain't no talk about who the best player ever is. Think about that? I saw he needed to average (25) points or something like that the next few years, which he will do. He can do that in two more years."

Following the Los Angeles Lakers' season opener Tuesday night, James sits third on the all-time leaderboard with 35,401 points, behind Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928).

Abdul-Jabbar said in September that he's excited to see James eventually break his record and "will be right there to cheer him on."

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