Fear, dominance, and disrespect were all attributed to Shaquille O’Neal when he was on the court. Very few could say that they did not fear Shaq in his prime. If any player could be said to have equal dominance on the court, it would be Wilt Chamberlain. Scottie Pippen was one of those high-quality players who knew how dangerous Shaq was on the court. Scottie and O’Neal joined forces for the 1996 Olympic basketball team. Guess who else was on the team, Charles Barkley. Having Chuck in the vicinity of Shaq would always end in comedy. Scottie and Chuck made fun of Big Diesel for overestimating himself in the free agency market. However, Scottie knows better, and 25 years later, he admitted on TV how much he feared Shaquille O’Neal.
Advertisement
Shaq felt mistreated by Magic and wanted a bigger deal of $115 million from the team. However, Magic declined the demand for their star player. During the 1996 Olympics, a poll was conducted to determine whether O’Neal should get the money and 91% of the fans said no. Barkley and Pippen both made fun of the four-time champion, saying that his own fans did not want him. Later, Shaq signed a $121 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Scottie Pippen says Shaquille O’Neal was one of those players that he feared on the court
Scottie Pippen was one of the most complete players during his prime. He could score and could easily defend the best player on the opponent’s team. It might seem like Robin didn’t fear anyone, but that is not true. Every player has a fear on the court, and Shaq in his prime was that fear for most of the players. In an interview with ESPN, 25 years later after making fun of Shaq, Pippen said that during his playing years, the former Lakers star was one of those players that he feared. On facing Shaquille O’Neal, Pippen said,
“It wasn’t fun. It was not fun playing against Shaq. I didn’t fear too many players during my career, but Shaq was one of those guys that I feared. He had the speed, the power, the spins.”
Scottie later explained why he feared the former NBA player and why it was so difficult for him to defend his former Olympic teammate. According to the former Bulls star, even double-teaming the big man was very difficult. You can’t defend him one-on-one but if a team had to double-team him, the other player had to come to his aid before Shaq got the ball. If the double team was late, Shaq would put them on the poster. Period!
Shaquille O’Neal threatens to punch Scottie Pippen in the esophagus
There is no denying the fact that Scottie Pippen was a first-ballot Hall of Fame player. He was a great defender and an offensive player. Scottie is still known to be one of the best on-ball and perimeter defenders that the NBA has ever seen. However, things haven’t been as cordial as they used to be between Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen since The Last Dance. In a recent interview with GQ Sports, Pippen said that he was as good a player as Michael Jordan was. Just like any other Jordan fan, Shaq didn’t take Scottie’s statement well. On “The Big Podcast with Shaq” said,
“He didn’t say that. He never said that. If that man said that in front of me, I’mma hit him right in his esophagus. Bro, do not finish that sentence. He’s trying to, well, I don’t wanna put words in his mouth, I think he’s trying to sell his book.”
It is not far from the imagination that many players and NBA fans would take Pippen’s statement as being offensive to His Airness. Shaq also added later that Scottie Pippen would always be under him because he was not even a better player than Shaq was.
