In honor of Shaquille O’Neal‘s birthday, we put together a list of the six best games put together by Shaq, who retired as one of the most dominant players ever to play the game.
Shaquille O’Neal was a monster. Shaq was so big and forceful that many teams didn’t have anyone to match up against him. He stood 7-1 and weighed around 325 pounds and many experts in basketball believe that he’s the most physically imposing player since Wilt Chamberlain (please, research him as well).
Shaq’s 19-year career is one loaded with accolades that made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He finished with 14 All-Star appearances and four championships while taking home three Finals MVP awards. Also, Diesel boasted career averages of 23.7 points & 10.9 rebounds per game while shooting 58.2 percent from the field and 52.7 percent from the free throw line.
6: Jan. 23, 1993 vs. Dallas Mavericks
When O’Neal was with Orlando, he was in his athletic prime, and that added to his game and made him a premier shot blocker. In this contest against the Mavericks, which the Magic won 127-106, Shaq tallied 38 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocked shots on 14-of-16 shooting.
View box score here.
5: Apr. 23, 2000 vs. Sacramento Kings
The Shaq and Kobe duo in the early 2000s was one that cemented itself as one of the best in history. During this time, the Lakers were almost unstoppable, and in 2000 captured the first of three straight titles. The Kings, however, seemed to have the only man who could physically match up with Shaq — 7-1, 250-pound Vlade Divac. It didn’t phase Shaq too much, and he went for 46 points, 17 rebounds and five blocked shots while shooting 21-of-33 from the field in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.
View box score here.
4: Mar. 21, 2004 vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The 2003-04 season was when O’Neal started to fall out of his prime. His scoring average fell six points from the year prior, and he only averaged 21.5 points for 2004. However, Shaq was still able to put in some dominant efforts and recorded 31 points, 26 rebounds and seven blocked shots against the Bucks; Shaq shot 14-of-16 in that game.
View box score here.
3. June 19, 2000 vs. Indiana Pacers
The 2000 Finals featured the Lakers matching up against the Indiana Pacers, with Los Angeles winning in six games. In the series clincher, Shaq put in an all-time great effort. With Kobe struggling (26 points but on a measly 8-of-27 shooting), O’Neal pulled enough weight for the both of them and put in 41 points, while hauling in 12 rebounds and blocking four shots. The 116-111 victory gave him his first of four titles.
View box score here.
2. Mar. 6, 2000 vs. L.A. Clippers
This game right here showed how truly dominant Shaq was. Back in the early 2000s, the Clippers were the NBA’s laughing stock. O’Neal took note of this. On his birthday, the Shaqtus dominated the Clippers by putting up 61 points and 23 rebounds. The 61 points were a career-high for Shaq, and playing 45 minutes had almost no impact on his game. He still shot 24-of-35 from the field. However, the free throw line was a different story, and he went just 13-of-22.
View box score here.
1. Nov. 20, 1993 vs. New Jersey Nets
I put this game at number because it’s one of the most impressive triple-doubles ever recorded in league history. Shaq, in just his second season in the NBA, had a field day against the New Jersey Nets, recording 28 rebounds, 24 points and a record-tying 15 blocked shots in the Magic’s 87-85 win. At the time, O’Neal became just the second player to record a 20-20-10 triple double.
View box score here.
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