David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, etc. went against Shaquille O’Neal consistently, but Tim Hardaway once dared to do that and regretted it instantly.
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Shaquille O’Neal was arguably the most unstoppable player in the game of basketball. Although the league already had a lot of great big men in the 90s, the 7’1 giant’s athleticism with over 300 pounds was really a mismatch for anyone in the sport since he came in 1992.
There was another guy who was also unstoppable for the most part of his career but was more than a foot shorter, weighed 100-150 pounds lesser than O’Neal, and played at the point guard position, mesmerizing everyone with his killer crossovers.
The most recent Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Tim Hardaway once recalled an incident where he attempted something really foolish which could have ended his career if Shaq went on like he used to go against big men.
When Tim Hardaway decided to take a charge from more than a foot taller and 150-pound heavier Shaquille O’Neal
The Big Aristotle on a whim was a career-ender. His highlight reels are some of the most terrifying clips of 7-footers getting humiliated in the paint and on the post like they are just cardboard cutouts.
Timmy did something similar with his crossovers. His career highlights will have some of the most outrageous moves that you would ever see and the number of ankles he broke doing those moves were huge as well.
But once, the Miami Heat guard took his coach Pat Riley’s instructions too seriously and went to get a charge against the Lakers big man in order to foul him out of the game.
Tim Hardaway once tried to take a charge from @SHAQ 😂 pic.twitter.com/GFfm1CqNsS
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 9, 2022
The result could have ended his career instead, the 5x All-Star realized it when he saw The Big Diesel running towards him. Here it, in his own words.
Also read: Allen Iverson Claims He Could Have Built His $1 Million Fortune With a Hall of Fame NFL Career
Jeez! We feel you, Mr. Hardaway Sr. You must have seen your whole life flash in front of your eyes with O’Neal tearing through them to take it all the way.
Congratulations on the enshrinement, though.