From his debut season with the Orlando Magic to his retirement with the Boston Celtics, Shaquille O’Neal was nearly always the man. The sole exception, according to his most recent claims, was the season he spent with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where a young LeBron James was already “The King.”

Shaq has consistently stated that he had a terrific relationship with LeBron. In a 2015 interview with Bleacher Report, the NBA great remarked that playing with James meant sharing duties.

Despite this, on a recent episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” O’Neal admitted that, in addition to admiring James’ leadership abilities and talent, he began to feel envious of how his old teammate was treated everywhere.

“LeBron was the best leader I’d ever seen, especially a young one. “And I was kind of jealous of him because he got to do things I could never do,” O’Neal revealed regarding his friendship with “King James.”

O’Neal said that part of his envy for James stemmed from the way he dominated the squad. He remembers being able to influence the coaches’ decisions: “Like, coach would be like, ‘Hey man, we practicing at 10.'” LeBron would say, ‘No, we’re practicing at 12,’ ‘All right, practice at 12.’ And I was like, “Goddamn.”

According to Shaq, James’ responsibilities extended beyond the team and the court. “He can bring his family members on the plane. So, I said, ‘I’ve been the man for a long time. I’ve never had so much power.”

The liberties James enjoyed with Cleveland were not free. The Cavs had 17 wins and 65 defeats the year prior to his arrival. LeBron was one step away from leading the team to the playoffs in his rookie season, and by the time Shaq came in 2009, they were already a contender.

Between 2003 and 2008, the Cavaliers competed in four postseasons, three conference finals, and one NBA Final, all led by “King James.” Perhaps O’Neal’s friendly envy is justified, but LeBron’s advantages were and continue to be earned.