Shaquille O’Neal could make the argument that his NBA Finals performances from 2000 to 2002 were the most dominant run any superstar has ever enjoyed at the highest level.
And while he is mostly remembered for winning all those championships for the Lakers, his first trip to the Finals resulted in a loss. The Orlando Magic lost against Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals, something Shaq once said was his fault.
“That was my fault we lost,” Shaquille O’Neal said on All The Smoke. “Cuz as a leader, I didn’t lead. After we beat the Bulls, I let up. We beat Mike, we straight. We done played Houston before, I think it was 1-1, even series. Hakeem gonna get 30, Imma get 27.
And off the record, we had 8 days off. Me and Dennis Scott was doing stuff we wasn’t supposed to be doing. They had a parade and all that, we was celebrating. It taught me never to celebrate too early… My fault, I didn’t have the guys ready.”
(starts at 8:14 minutes)
The Houston Rockets swept the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals, winning some close games against Shaquille O’Neal and his team. Hakeem Olajuwon was the Finals MVP and outplayed O’Neal. He averaged an unbelievable 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.
Shaq’s numbers weren’t bad, he averaged 28.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game, but the difference between the two big men was obvious to anyone watching. Shaq used this as motivation for his next Finals runs, eventually resulting in him winning Finals MVP thrice.
Shaquille O’Neal Admitted Hakeem Olajuwon Was Better Than Him In The 90s
Shaquille O’Neal has a case against every big man to ever play the game in terms of dominance as well as accolades. He is in the running to be considered a Top 10 player of all time. But even he once admitted that Hakeem was better than he was in the 90s.
“At the 5 spot, Imma go Hakeem Olajuwon. I know I was coming in and emerging/already emerged. He’s the only guy I couldn’t figure out. He’s the only guy I couldn’t intimidate.”
Eventually, O’Neal’s achievements would go on to surpass Olajuwon’s, although there are people that would pick the Rockets star over Shaq still. In any case, Shaq’s story is an excellent example for everyone in terms of accepting responsibility and responding to it in an emphatic style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iKU6SObZQQ
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