Shaquille O’Neal Shows off His Patented ‘Black Tornado’ Move

Shaquille O’Neal is widely regarded as the most dominant player in NBA history. While Shaq’s dominance is mostly ascribed to his massive size and weight, the big man was so effective in the league because of his quick feet and surprisingly diverse skillset inside the paint. A skilled center with a variety of post moves in his arsenal, Shaq had a special place in his heart for ‘the Black Tornado’.

An avid social media user, the Diesel took to his Instagram recently to remind everyone of the “Black Tornado” move that he used to great effect during his playing days.

Shaq shows off his patented Black Tornado move pic.twitter.com/YmhMEXxmEo

— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) September 1, 2023

As seen in the video below, the four-time NBA Champion would post up against a defender, spin around him using his elbow to create more space, and then finish at the rim. Shaq has used this “Black Tornado” move, also known as the drop-step, on several instances.

The move looks like a ‘Dream Shake’ initially. But the big man never hesitates or fakes a turn. He just turns 360 degrees spinning off of defenders to either dunk the basketball or lay it in.

Some of the best defenders in NBA history have fallen prey to this move. The likes of David Robinson, Karl Malone, Arvydas Sabonis, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, among several others, haven’t been able to stop Shaq scoring buckets from this spin move.

Apart from being extremely commanding in the post, Shaq had pretty good balance with the ball in his hands. For a Center, Shaq was pretty nimble and quick with decent handles. In addition, he obviously had a significant size and weight advantage, which allowed him to run over defenders in the paint.

In today’s NBA of small ball and three-point shooting, the Black Tornado is a relic of the past. But many fans will feel nostalgic after watching Shaq dominating the post just like the good ol’ days.