Shaquille O’Neal was quite nearly the epitome of what you would expect an ‘unstoppable’ force to be during his prime. ‘The Big Aristotle’ weighed anywhere between 320lb to 420lb during his time in the NBA but moved with a certain level of agility that made it impossible to guard him in the open floor or in the post.
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‘Hack-a-Shaq’ rose to prominence solely because it was a safer bet to foul him and send him to the free throw line than to let him devour the opposing team’s center in the paint and lead to a guaranteed bucket.
One thing about Shaq’s dominance over the league however is the fact that he never truly had to go up against the best of the best in the paint while in his prime. Hakeem Olajuwon was the best big-man he went up against but after him, guys like Dale Davis, Dikembe Mutombo, or Todd MacCulloch simply couldn’t be compared to him.
Also read: Shaquille O’Neal aka DJ Diesel is Getting A Whole Stage on Tomorrowland!
Could Steven Adams stand his ground against Shaquille O’Neal?
JR Smith posed an interesting question on social media. He pondered over whether or not Steven Adams could successfully hold his own over Shaquille O’Neal in the post. Of course, the internet reacted the way they would and claimed that Shaq would treat him the same way he treated centers of his time.
Would Adams stand @shaq up in the post if #Shaq posted him up? @ESPNNBA
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) January 21, 2023
However, with the recent scuffle that has taken place between Shannon Sharpe and the Grizzlies, an interesting video has surfaced. The video shows a multitude of men trying to hold Steven Adams back from Sharpe and all of them failing to do so.
not a single person in that skirmish made Steven Adams move an inch pic.twitter.com/WsgE2LCVd0
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 21, 2023
There have also been a bevy of players across the league who have stated that Adams’ screens are some of the hardest screens that have ever been set against them, analogizing it going up against a brick wall.
So perhaps Adams would stand a chance against a prime Shaq. But that’s all it could ever be. A ‘chance’.
Shannon Sharpe and the Grizzlies get into it
Shannon Sharpe has long been an avid LeBron James supporter. The two have linked up on several occasions and Sharpe’s primary purpose on his show alongside Skip Bayless is to defend ‘The King’. So, when he yelled out at the Grizz that they couldn’t guard him, the youngsters got heated.
It started off with Dillon Brooks chirping at the NFL Hall of Famer but soon divulged into Ja Morant, Steven Adams, and Ja’s dad (Tee) yelling at Sharpe. Security would have to get involved and would escort Shannon to the locker room.
Also read: Having Donated $15,000, Shaquille O’Neal Remodeled A Van To Help Deliver Meals To Seniors