In 2015, Shaquille O'Neal claimed that the Los Angeles Lakers' all-time team would beat the Chicago Bulls' best-ever lineup. In an Instagram post, O'Neal boasted that a quintet of Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Elvin Hayes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and himself would win in a hypothetical matchup against Derrick Rose, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Horace Grant.
According to Shaq, not only would the Lakers win the game, but they would blow out the Bulls by 50 points. Of course, his comments didn't sit well with Scottie Pippen.
Pip and MJ led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in eight years, from 1991 to 1998. During that span, the two dominated the league, which is why Pippen responded to Shaq's comments by flexing the Bulls' hardware.
O'Neal fired back using the Batman-Robin, Puffy-Mase comparison. Pippen then went on to remind Shaq that he, too, was a sidekick to Dwyane Wade in Miami, Steve Nash in Phoenix, and LeBron James in Cleveland.
The Bulls' do-it-all legend also criticized Shaq by saying that he wished the Lakers legend was as good at making free throws as he was at talking smack.
However, O'Neal was the one who had the last laugh.
"See what happens when Michael Jordan ain't protecting you. You lose a 17 pt lead in the fourth quarter. And this happens," Shaquille responded next to a video of his iconic alley-oop slam against Pippen's Trail Blazers.
After the Last Dance in Chicago, Pippen moved to Houston, where he teamed up with Charles Barkey. However, that partnership did not last long, and Pip found himself looking for a new home before the 1999-2000 NBA season.
The Rockets ended up trading Pippen to the Portland Trail Blazers, which, according to Kerry Eggers, was his preferred destination.
"This is far more talented than any team that has been assembled in the league … as far back as I can remember. We're far more talented than the Lakers and far ahead of where the Lakers are trying to get to. I would probably have chosen this team [over the Lakers] because I feel it is more on the verge of winning a championship," Pip said, per "Jail Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball."
Scottie was correct, as the Blazers were on the verge of playing on the NBA's biggest stage. In Game 7 of the 2000 WCF, they were up by 71-58 on the Lakers but suddenly went cold and missed 13 consecutive shots.
The Lakers hit three crucial three-pointers and then capped off their epic rally with the alley-oop play that Shaq posted. They went on to win the game and the first of three NBA titles.
