Shaquille O'Neal - "Shaq". Did you remember?

givayt · Post #1 » by **givayt** » Fri May 20, 2016 2:29 am

O'Neal and Michael Jordan are the only players in NBA history to win Finals MVP in three straight seasons. Shaq scored at least 30 points in every game of the 2000 and 2002 NBA Finals, and he is the only player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in every game of multiple NBA Finals.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2LMbjFa194[/youtube]

Post #2 » by **Slava** » Fri May 20, 2016 2:36 am

Alright Nguyen!

Sofa King · Post #3 » by **Sofa King** » Fri May 20, 2016 2:43 am

Marionettetc · Post #4 » by **Marionettetc** » Fri May 20, 2016 3:14 am

He is Legend my friend and my duty is just celebrate that.

jigga_man · Post #5 » by **jigga_man** » Fri May 20, 2016 3:32 am

Probably the most underrated 'great' player in NBA history. His run in the late 90's & early 00's is nearly unmatched. Could you imagine an 27/28 year old Shaq averaging 2.2ppg in the 4th quarter of an NBA finals? (would be in 00/01) Because the person who laid that egg is currently ranked 3rd all time by ESPN while winning less titles.

Imagine if ESPN made a heavy investment in Shaq while he was a teenager in high school like they did with Lebron. He would be regarded as the GOAT

oldschooled · Post #6 » by **oldschooled** » Fri May 20, 2016 5:06 am

jigga_man wrote:Probably the most underrated 'great' player in NBA history.

HE IS the most underrated "great" player in the history of the league. I can't think of anyone i would take over mid/late 90's - early 00's version of Shaq...including Jordan.

Mirjalovic · Post #7 » by **Mirjalovic** » Fri May 20, 2016 5:12 am

true.

He was the reason why i love the Lakers. When they feed him the ball down low i just imagine its automatic bucket.

Post #8 » by **Goudelock** » Fri May 20, 2016 1:38 pm

oldscho0led wrote:
jigga_man wrote:Probably the most underrated 'great' player in NBA history.

HE IS the most underrated "great" player in the history of the league. I can't think of anyone i would take over mid/late 90's - early 00's version of Shaq...including Jordan.

Kareem in his prime?

PKABOOICU · Post #9 » by **PKABOOICU** » Fri May 20, 2016 1:55 pm

He's the greatest center of all time to me. There's nobody EVER who could guard him. Not Bill Russell, not Kareem or Hakeem, not DRob, not Ewing, not Wilt. He would get every single one of them in foul trouble by the 3rd quarter.
All that said, he was a pure defensive ANCHOR. He laid guards and forwards down, flat on the hardwood. Theres a reason he was called THE WALL.
And the most underrated thing about Shaq? His passing ability. His ability to acknowledge not double, but TRIPLE teams and kicking it out. Hell, he could even make plays bringing the ball up. A 7 foot 330lb grown ass beast running the fast break. He's done it multiple times, even in the playoffs. Coast to coast.

There was only 1 real knock on him and that was Free throws, which he shot at a much better % when it mattered in the playoffs. Pound for Pound, Shaq is the greatest player of all time. He was just too unguardable and too efficient not to be.

Thats kind of what happens to legacies. When you become a ring chaser at the end of your career you dont realize you're damaging your rep. People tend to remember his latter days in Miami and bouncing around the league desperate for ring #5 with the cavs, suns, and celtics.

gts1 · Post #10 » by **gts1** » Fri May 20, 2016 2:26 pm

PockyCandy wrote:
oldscho0led wrote:
jigga_man wrote:Probably the most underrated 'great' player in NBA history.

HE IS the most underrated "great" player in the history of the league. I can't think of anyone i would take over mid/late 90's - early 00's version of Shaq...including Jordan.

Kareem in his prime?

For me, Kareem in his prime is the best player to ever play the game...

Spanish_Laker · Post #11 » by **Spanish_Laker** » Fri May 20, 2016 3:23 pm

A TOP 5 Laker in franchise's history, the best center I've ever seen.

A true legend!

TylersLakers · Post #12 » by **TylersLakers** » Fri May 20, 2016 5:15 pm

I became a Lakers fan right in the middle of the Kobe and Shaq era and gravitated to Kobe pretty quickly. So, after O'Neal left, I was extremely biased about his greatness just because of my allegiance to Bryant. However, now that time has passed, you have to be willing to admit just how great he was. There's no denying he was one of the most unstoppable players of all time.

Hopefully most of the Lakers fan base has done what I've done and come to praise him and cherish those moments we had.

PKABOOICU · Post #13 » by **PKABOOICU** » Fri May 20, 2016 5:26 pm

TylersLakers wrote:I became a Lakers fan right in the middle of the Kobe and Shaq era and gravitated to Kobe pretty quickly. So, after O'Neal left, I was extremely biased about his greatness just because of my allegiance to Bryant. However, now that time has passed, you have to be willing to admit just how great he was. There's no denying he was one of the most unstoppable players of all time.

Hopefully most of the Lakers fan base has done what I've done and come to praise him and cherish those moments we had.

Shaq was the better player though. I never parted with any of them but I probably was biased a little bit more towards shaq, only because he was more mature than kobe at the time, and he produced more efficiency on the court. Kobe is the greatest laker ever, partly due to his tenure with only 1 team for 20 years, but shaq was the more efficient of the 2, and if they were both playing in their prime together, and I had to pick 1 of the 2, id pick shaq 10 out of 10 times. dude was just too dominant. The game always revolved around him. He was always the target subject and he never disappointed.

Beethoven · Post #14 » by **Beethoven** » Fri May 20, 2016 5:33 pm

If you really ponder about it, there is really no one who plays similarly to how Shaq played since then.
A monster of a player and he ruled in Los Angeles and made the town a Force to be reckoned with for many years. I loved his leadership inside the game and outside in the public.

I so wish there is another monster of a player like him one day.

dirtymike · Post #15 » by **dirtymike** » Fri May 20, 2016 6:33 pm

Living here in Orlando and a Laker fan since '81 (Lakers, Sixers, Celtics were the only teams they showed on tv in FL), I was bias when the whole Shaq-Orlando-Laker fiasco was happening right here in town. Everybody was so upset because Shaq and Penny and the Magic WAS Orlando. That was the closest we ever got to feeling like a big city. But I was thinking at that time: I don't give a damn if he leaves...I am a Laker fan first. We gonna rule the world!

So needless to say, I kept my mouth shut! LOL

AcecardZ · Post #16 » by **AcecardZ** » Fri May 20, 2016 6:48 pm

I wonder what would happen to the league today if another Shaq came along? The league is sorely lacking dominant big men and it's showing in the types of offenses we're seeing played.

Against defenses like GS and OKC Shaq would score almost every time he touched the ball. Ibaka or Bogut are going to slow him down? Lol ya right! Adams? He'd send that guy crying for his mommy.

Point being teams would have to throw more size out there to slow Shaq down and these larger lineups wouldn't be able to run and gun the way the Warriors do.

Frank Dux · Post #17 » by **Frank Dux** » Sat May 21, 2016 5:32 am

I just remember how laughable every other pick in the league looked next to him. Everyone talks up KG, Dirk, and Duncan these days, but back then none of them compared. He was a man amongst boys.

kblo247 · Post #18 » by **kblo247** » Sat May 21, 2016 7:30 am

Frank Dux wrote:I just remember how laughable every other pick in the league looked next to him. Everyone talks up KG, Dirk, and Duncan these days, but back then none of them compared. He was a man amongst boys.

All I could ever think of was Hakeem who re3ally gave it to him but it's a shame their primes didn't really align