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7’5″ Yao Ming blocked 7′ Shaquille O’Neal thrice and scored 3 buckets during their first encounter

Jeet Pukhrambam
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Former NBA champion boldly claims 7ft 6' Yao Ming being MVP in the modern era, destroying players like Draymond Green

NBA scouts are drooling over the prospect of 7’3″ Victor Wembanyama but the prototype was Yao Ming, just ask Shaquille O’Neal!

It looks as though the NBA has somewhat of a goldfish memory. By the NBA, we mean everyone around the fraternity, including all the media, which includes us. Oh, how easily have we forgotten the best player to ever come out of China, Yao Ming!

Yes, it is true that he hasn’t left our memories entirely, but we are far more excited about a potential no.1 draft pick being 7’3″ than a 7’5″ legend.

While Victor Wembanyama might represent the next tour de force set to play in the NBA, it is time we look back at the monster that went by the name of Yao Ming.

A 7’5″ center, who was so good that he stunned Shaquille O’Neal. If you think Wembanyama is good, wait till you see the highlights of Ming, dominating the NBA.

Stereotypically nicknamed “The Great Wall”, Ming was nothing short of a juggernaut on the court. When he first encountered Shaquille O’Neal, well let’s say the Big Artistotle was too stunned to speak or play for that matter.

Also read: Shaquille O’Neal taxed an 11-year-old girl on a mere $20 bet to teach her a major life lesson

Shaquille O’Neal faces Yao Ming and gets his shots blocked, thrice!

How many players can say they blocked Shaquille O’Neal’s shot? A handful maybe? How can say they blocked his shot thrice, in the first quarter? Just one.

A young Yao Ming was nothing short of extraordinary. He was agile, dextrous, and had an arsenal of moves that were never seen at his size.

Looking back at 17th January 2003, it is the Rockets vs the Lakers in Houston and Yao is ready to make his debut. He is facing off against his idol and the most dominant player in the NBA currently, Shaquille O’Neal.

During the first quarter, Yao blocked Shaq and scored on the other end twice! He also scored the first 6 points for the rockets, displaying an array of moves, from a jumper to a skyhook to a p&r.

Shaq was baffled and confused, and he looked angry. The tenacity that Yao Ming displayed was something that shook the NBA.

Yao finished the game with 10 points and 6 blocks! As for Shaq? He did what he does best, dominate, he had 31 points with 13 rebounds.

No player who is 7’5″ or around that size has displayed the same level of athleticism or talent. However, 18-year-old 7’3″ Victor Wembanyama is showing flashes.

We hope that Victor can do the same things Yao did but in the same breath, we cannot forget a legend like Yao. The way he stunned Shaq is iconic and we don’t think a lot of players will ever live up to that.

Also read: Ernie Johnson’s ‘Boondocks’ reference had Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley in splits on ‘Inside the NBA’

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam

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Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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