Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal were two of the most era-defining players in the NBA. For many fans, Jordan was the face of the NBA in the 90s. And no one represented the dominating physical play of the NBA in the 2000s better than Shaquille O’Neal. The two are considered all-time greats and legends in the game. Both Jordan and Shaq got their big chances in the NBA under Phil Jackson, who helped develop them into championship-caliber superstars.
Under Phil Jackson, Jordan and Shaq had three-peats, with Jordan having two respective three-peats across his career. But what happened when these two players went one-on-one?
We got our first glimpse of Jordan vs. Shaq in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Michael Jordan had just made his return to basketball a few months ago and was trying to get the Bulls back into the title picture. Whereas, a young Shaquille O’Neal was forming an impressive tandem with Penny Hardaway in Orlando.
The duo also had a strong supporting cast with Nick Anderson and Horace Grant, who was Michael’s old teammate. Shaq and the Magic went on to defeat the Chicago Bulls in an upset, getting past MJ and company in six games. Shaq was dominating the series, and MJ couldn’t do anything about it.
Fast forward to the 1996 All-Star game. Jordan and Shaq are representing the Eastern Conference in the game as starters. Before the game, MJ and Shaq decide to play a little one-on-one as a warm-up. Both decide to take it easy initially, taking and making mid-range jump shots. But when MJ tried playing some stricter defense on Shaq, he used his size, speed, and agility to confuse MJ with a spin move before making a basket. It appeared as though things were still friendly, as MJ and Shaq shook hands later.
A few months later, Jordan would get his revenge on Shaq for the previous year’s NBA Playoffs and their All-Star game encounter. In the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan and the Bulls swept the Orlando Magic en route to the NBA Finals. Jordan would go on to win the NBA championship, a win that would begin the second three-peat of his career.
