Watch: Shaquille O’Neal Shares Incredible Collegiate Highlights As An LSU Tiger

Shaquille O’Neal fell in love with basketball after his father, Philip Harrison, took him to watch Julius Erving on the Philadelphia 76ers. O’Neal witnessed Dr. J defy gravity and play basketball with such elegance that he decided on the spot that he wanted to pursue basketball as a career. 

His father told him that if he listened to everything he told him then he would indeed make him the best ball player he could ever become. Shaq showed real promise from the get-go due to his staggering height and his skills. Him trying to emulate Erving however, would inadvertently be the day his dominant self fully took over. 

Shaq described this day as the time he tried to finger roll the ball into the hoop but missed. His father saw this and slapped him, telling him to be Shaquille O’Neal, not Julius Erving. Ever since then, he’s tried to put on a physical display of strength out on the court.

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Shaquille O’Neal put the nation on notice at LSU 

It seemed as though Louisiana State University was the choice for Shaquille O’Neal from the get-go as he had already built up a relationship with their head coach, Dale Brown. Shaq and his family had met Brown many pears prior to his collegiate years when Harrison was stationed in West Germany. 

UNC had a chance at snagging Shaq but he would ultimately choose to be an LSU Tiger at the end of the day. O’Neal played three seasons at LSU and dominated in his sophomore and junior years. After averaging 13.9 points his freshman year, he put up 27.6 points and 24.1 points per game in those two years, respectively. 

Shaq never once attempted a 3 in his college career and shot over 60% from the field in his 2nd and 3rd seasons. It was clear from the jump that he was a special athlete with him being able to move with a graceful agility while also being the size that he was. 

‘The Big Aristotle’ recently shared a compilation of his highlights from college on his Instagram to refresh everybody’s memory on just how good he was as a teenager. It truly is no wonder as to how he was selected 1st overall.

 

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