The Most Unstoppable Center of All-Time: Shaquille O’Neal

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SteemSports Presenter:@hogan22

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SteemSports Editor:@scottybuckets

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The current NBA is filled with freakish, seven-foot athletic forwards that can shoot from anywhere on the court. “Big men” like Kevin Durant, Krisaps Porzingas, and Kevin Love dominate today’s game. This is a stark contrast to the game that was played 20 years ago where players 6’9” had only one job, dominate the paint. Players like Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Alonzo Mourning on offense had a plethora of post moves that never spanned further than fifteen feet from the basket, and on defense, were responsible for protecting the rim from any players that got past their defender and headed for the rim. Of all big men on the 90s and early 2000s, none were as dominant as multiple backboard-breaking center, 7’1”, 350 pound, Shaquille O’Neal aka “Shaq”.

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O’Neal grew up in Texas and attended Robert G. Cole High School in San Antonio. It was clear from an early age that he was extremely agile for a player of his size. His junior and senior season, he helped his team compile a 68-1 record and one state championship while he earning All-American honors which included a state-record 791 rebounds his senior year.

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While his father was stationed in Germany, the U.S. Army, Shaquille met Dale Brown, Louisiana State University’s head coach which led him to play his college ball at Louisiana State University. For three years, O’Neal dominated the Southeastern Conference, averaging 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game, earning him All-American honors and SEC Player of the Year, twice, as well as NCAA player of the year in 1991.

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Showing his consistent dominance in the post, the Orlando Magic selected him as the first overall pick in the 1992 draft. O’Neal did not disappoint in his rookie season, averaging 23.4 PPG, 13.9 RPB, and 3.5 BPG earning the title of Rookie of the Year, the first of many NBA awards. In his second season, the Magic drafted Anfernee Hardaway in hopes to pair Shaq with a strong wing player. They led the Magic to their first playoff appearance in franchise history behind Shaq’s 29.4 PPG on 60% shooting from the field which ranked second best in the NBA in scoring behind a fore mentioned David Robinson. During the season, he also recorded career highs with 28 rebounds and 15 blocks against the New Jersey Nets.

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O’Neal’s third season he led the league in scoring with 29.3 PPG besting Robinson in the category, only to fall short of him in the MVP voting finishing second. The Magic posted a 57-25 record, won the franchise’s first playoff series, and making their first appearance in the Finals against the Houston Rockets. In a big-man dominated Finals, O’Neal and the Magic would fall to the, a fore-mentioned, Olajuwon and the eventual back-to-back champion Rockets in a four game sweep.

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After an injury plagued fourth season, the Magic and O’Neal parted ways and Shaq set his sights on the West coast where he signed a seven-year, $121 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. In his first season with the Lakers won 56 games backed by their new leader who carded 26.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game and headed to the postseason eventually losing to the Utah Jazz in the second round in five games. In the subsequent season, with O’Neal, once again, leading the league in field goal percentage with 58.4% shooting helping him amass 28.3 PPG along with his 11.4 RPG, the Lakers met the Jazz in the conference finals with a similar result, losing the series in a four-game sweep.

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Fast forward to the 99-00 season, the Lakers hired coach Phil Jackson, a six-time champion with the Chicago Bulls. Jackson implemented his “triangle” offense which helped O’Neal and teenage start, Kobe Bryant, work well together. In their new offense, the Lakers would reach the NBA Finals, ultimately, defeating the Indiana Pacers in six games behind Shaq’s 38 PPG, 16.7 RPG, and 2.7 BPG earning him his first of 3 Finals MVPs to go along with his only regular season MVP in which he won in unanimous fashion. O’Neal and the Lakers would win the next two NBA championships, defeating the Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and the New Jersey Nets in a four game sweep.

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After Los Angeles completing the league’s first “Three-peat” since 1998, O’Neal and Bryant began to drift apart. In the season following, the Lakers made their fourth consecutive trip to the Finals, only to lose to the eventual champion Detroit Pistons.

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In 2004, with their championship years, seemingly behind them, the Lakers chose to make a change, sending O’Neal back to Florida to join the Miami Heat. There, Shaq would team up with another young star, Dwayne Wade. O’Neal seemed rejuvenated with the change of scenery. It took only two seasons Shaq would return to the Finals against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat took down the odds on favorite Mavs in six games, earning O’Neal his fourth and final NBA title.

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O’Neal played one more season with the Heat before departing. For the next four seasons, , O’Neal bounced around the league, making stops in Toronto, Phoenix, Cleveland, and Boston, having issues with injuries for the remainder of his career, ultimately retiring in 2011 after 19 seasons. Over his career, O’Neal amassed 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 15 All-Star selections, three Finals MVPs, two NBA scoring titles, and one NBA MVP awards. Although his career numbers are staggering, he will forever be remembered for his ability to dominate every player that every dared defending him in the post, and the most dominant big-man of all-time.

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Thank you for following @steemsports and you can find me @hogan22

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