Shaquille O’Neal was a nightmare to play against for most of his opponents in his prime. More than a decade after his retirement, Shaq still holds a level of respect among the players who competed against him. On The Real Talk, New York Knicks legend Marcus Camby had some high praise for the big fella.
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During the sit-down, the 50-year-old was asked to name his toughest competition and his favorite rival in his years playing in the NBA. Although Camby had a lot of great battles in his playing days, he placed the crown for ‘toughest competitor’ on Shaq’s head.
He said, “Well, the toughest competitor I went up against was definitely Shaq.”
6-feet-11 Camby was a dominant post-defender in his time. Widely regarded as one of the best defensive players of his era, he even won the DPOY honors in 2007. Camby also made four All-Defensive Team appearances in his career and led the league in blocks four times.
Despite his stacked resume and talent, Camby had the toughest time guarding the Lakers legend. He went as far as claiming that the answer would be the same for every athlete who played in the Shaq era, “I mean, that’s probably everyone’s answer for that.”
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Camby named Tim Duncan as his favorite rival and recalled the 1999 NBA Finals matchup between the two.
Going back to Camby’s statement on Shaq, the big fella was very well aware of his reputation as an ‘unguardable’ player in the league. He liked being feared and had a hilarious anecdote about who could guard him one-on-one.
Shaquille O’Neal once bragged about punishing players
Shaq’s giant-like presence on the floor gave him an advantage over other players. However, it also made him the most easily noticeable player on the floor in the eyes of the referees. To avoid being booked constantly, Shaq had to keep making changes to his game to stay effective. At a press conference during the 2001 NBA Finals, the big man bragged about being invincible.
He said, “I’m the only player in the league that has to change my game day in and day out. And that’s why I enjoy punishing people, especially people that think they can play me one-on-one because I can’t even stop myself one-on-one.”
Shaq moved with the ‘If I was you, I’d hate me too’ attitude and had a belief that he couldn’t be stopped by anyone.
This not only allowed him to be more confident in his skills but also brought him laurels that most could only dream of. Shaq retired from the game as one of the greatest players and centers of all time.
