- Shaquille O’Neal thought he could dominate in the NBA when he was 19
- O’Neal entered the NBA a year later and did just that
- Bill Walton thought he could be the greatest player ever
Even when he was just 19 years old, Shaquille O’Neal felt he had what it took to dominate in the NBA. Rare footage of an interview O’Neal did with CNN in 1991 shows the teenager speaking about potentially entering the NBA that year.
“I think it’s kind of up to me,” O’Neal said. “If I want to go in and dominate and take over, I think I would be able to.”
O’Neal would decide to stay at LSU for the 1991-92 season, but he then hit the NBA with full force in 1992.
The Orlando Magic selected him with the first pick of the 1992 NBA Draft, and Shaq hit the ground running, to say the least. He averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0,7 steals, and 3.5 blocks per game in the 1992-93 season to win Rookie of the Year.
Shaq also became the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1985 to start the All-Star Game, which tells you just how great he was.
By his third season, O’Neal had won a scoring title, and he also took the Magic to the NBA Finals. He was just 23 years old at that time and was an utterly dominant force.
Bill Walton Thought Shaquille O’Neal Could Go Down As The Greatest Ever
O’Neal was training with former MVP and future Hall of Famer Bill Walton at the time. Walton was so impressed by the youngster that he felt he had a chance to go down as the greatest ever.
“Shaquille O’Neal can become the best player ever to play basketball,” Walton said. “Whether he does, depends on him. He has all the ability, the physical skill, the mental skill, the family background, the discipline, the work ethic. Now it’s just whether he puts his time and mind to it.”
O’Neal had everything, as Walton said. He was an overwhelming physical force and while we always tend to focus on that, Shaq was very skilled as well.
He would go on to have a phenomenal career, winning four NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, and an MVP. He will always be regarded as one of the greats but fell short when it came to being in the conversation for the greatest player ever.
Why Did Shaquille O’Neal Not Become The GOAT?
Three men who got to see Shaq up close and personal gave their opinions on what was missing in O’Neal.
Long-time Lakers trainer Gary Vitti explained that O’Neal didn’t become the greatest of all time because that was never his dream. Vitti firmly believes Shaq could have been the greatest and thinks he underachieved.
Former Lakers coach Del Harris believes O’Neal could have been the greatest if he had Kobe Bryant’s mentality. It was a view echoed by Kobe himself.
Bryant said if O’Neal had a work ethic like his, then he’d be the greatest to ever play the game. Kobe wished Shaq was in the gym like he was, as then they would have won 12 championships.
It cannot be disputed that O’Neal had an incredible career, but it speaks to his greatness that you still feel he could have achieved so much more.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
