“The Yao and me part is real, but I was the one who photoshopped Kevin,” O’Neal said in an interview with BeatBox. The picture that O’Neal is referring to made waves on the internet in 2015.

Despite the rivalry between them, O'Neal recognized Yao's skills and legacy. Like Shaq, his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Robert Horry also acknowledged how special Yao was as a player.