Among Shaquille O’Neal‘s most recognizable traits is his pettiness. His long-standing beef with Dwight Howard over the ‘Superman’ nickname is one of the prime examples of the Hall of Famer’s tendency to hold grudges. The big man’s beef with the broadcaster Fred Hickman, who passed away a while ago, was along similar lines. The affair even confused Shaq’s close friend, Charles Barkley.
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The conflict between the two commenced in 2000 after the broadcaster gave his first-place vote for that year’s MVP award to Allen Iverson over the then Los Angeles Lakers superstar, Shaquille O’Neal. That one vote cost the big fella his chance to become the NBA’s first unanimous MVP.
Barkley and Ernie Johnson discussed it on the latest episode of the Steam Room podcast. The Chuckster dismissed it as another example of Shaq letting his pettiness get the better of him. He then reminisced about his experience with Hickman,
“One of the best people I’ve ever met in this business, one of my favorite people, who passed away a few years ago, Fred Hickman. Shaq to this day, he says, ‘I got to stop hating on Fred Hickman. He the one that didn’t vote for me.’ Like he remembers stuff like that. I was like, ‘Come on, man!’ This dude makes me laugh so much.”
O’Neal’s vexation is slightly justifiable. During the 1999-00 NBA season, the Lakers superstar was in a class of his own. He played 79 games and averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, and led LA to a 67-15 record, the best record in the NBA that year.
The center was head-and-shoulders above his peers in terms of sheer dominance and was expected to become the NBA’s first unanimous MVP. Of the 121 voters, 120 gave him their first-place votes. However, Hickman gave his to Iverson, who finished seventh in the MVP race.
The Philadelphia 76ers guard had an exceptional year, averaging 28.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. However, O’Neal’s numbers dwarfed Iverson’s, and the 76ers finished fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, even failing to crack the 50-win mark. There’s no logical justification for Hickman choosing Iverson over O’Neal as the MVP.
That’s probably why 24 years later, Shaq continues to hold a grudge against the broadcaster. Steph Curry would become the NBA’s first unanimous MVP 16 years later.
Shaquille O’Neal despised Fred Hickman and made no effort to hide it
After inexplicably costing Shaquille O’Neal the chance to become the first unanimous MVP, Fred Hickman went on the offensive. Rather than explaining why he picked Allen Iverson, the broadcaster took exception to the questions about his vote. In an interview with Sports Business Journal, he said,
“I have no problem with anybody voting for Shaq. But why anyone has a problem with me, I don’t get it. I can sleep with my decision. If I’d voted for [Bulls backup C] Chris Anstey, I could understand the reaction.”
Hickman’s defiant response did little to end the controversy. Instead, it amplified the criticism, and in a 2013 interview with Fox Sports, he revealed that he had received death threats over his decision to pick Iverson over O’Neal as the MVP. The broadcaster also explained why he voted for the 76ers guard, saying,
“I certainly didn’t mean to be the lone one. I picked the guy who was the most valuable to his team. Philadelphia without Iverson was a CBA team, and if the Lakers didn’t have Shaq, they would have still been a pretty good team.”
Hickman’s rational explanation for picking Iverson over O’Neal wasn’t enough for the center to let go of his ire. In an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2015, the Hall of Famer lashed out at the broadcaster, saying,
“I played 79 games, MVP by far. I actually would have made history but some idiot in Atlanta – I wish I could say his name, because I would call him an idiot to his face – he messed up history. I would have been the first-ever unanimous decision MVP, but this idiot – Forgot his name. Yeah, Fred Hickman. Idiot. Gives two votes to Allen Iverson and he messes up history. Idiot. After all the hard work I put in, idiot Fred Hickman messes up history.”
Hickman death in 2022 ensured he and O’Neal would never be able to bury the hatchet. But even if he were alive, odds are the Hall of Famer wouldn’t have accepted any justification or apology from the broadcaster for costing him a shot at immortality.
