Shaquille O’Neal was a player that was going to end up in the NBA one way or the other. His immense size and surprising agility made him a terrifying basketball player to face, and the league mostly failed to stop him from dominating for over a decade.
Larry Bird knew that Shaq was going to dominate in the NBA. He told Reggie Miller years before Shaq was drafted that the big man out of LSU is the best basketball player in the world.
Reggie Miller: “In 1989-1990, I had a show in Indianapolis called ‘The Reggie Miller Show’. I just happened to be interviewing Larry Bird. I was talking about Magic, Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, and all the guys we were currently going against. He was like, ‘I am just telling you, there’s a young kid, I have never seen anything like it before. Out of LSU and goes by the name Shaquille O’Neal and he is the next big superstar.
Larry Bird: I think the best player in the world right now is Shaquille O’Neal. I think once he gets into the league and gets established, he’s going to be the same type of player, right up there with the best right now.”
Shaq made an impact on the league almost instantly. He was an All-Star as a rookie and immediately propelled the Orlando Magic to contention status. He and Penny Hardaway would lead the Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995, beating Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls on the way.
O’Neal retired as a 4-time champion and arguably a top-10 player of all time. Everyone saw him coming a mile away and still couldn’t do anything to stop him.
Shaquille O’Neal Was A Force Of Nature
Shaquille O’Neal had a career full of glittering highs and some significant lows. Thankfully, most of it was littered with high points. His run in the early-2000s firmly established him as the most dominant player the league had ever seen, almost winning unanimous MVP in 2000 and winning three consecutive Finals MVPs ahead of Kobe Bryant in the Lakers’ three-peat.
He’d win another championship with the Miami Heat before age and injuries led to him regressing. He was solid with the Phoenix Suns but quickly trailed off in stature. He played his last few years in the league with the Cleveland Cavaliers and retired with the Boston Celtics.
He averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks over his career and is still regarded as one of the most dominant players to ever play. He is active in the NBA world still, continuing to entertain fans on Inside the NBA.
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