Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming are among the biggest players to ever grace the hardwood floors of the NBA. Weighing in at 325 pounds and standing at 7’1″, Shaq is a massive human being. On the other hand, Yao was almost twice his size. While he doesn’t weigh as much, coming in at 310 pounds, he stands at a whopping 7’6″. So, when he fell on his own teammate Tracy McGrady, the latter was never going to be too happy about it. Looking back on it with Shaq on Open Court, he could not help but laugh.
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The Beast from the East is one thing, but Big Diesel himself is no stranger to falling on others. His big-bodied self caused plenty of havoc on and off the court. In particular, his time with the Phoenix Suns was filled with multiple moments where both his teammates and the fans feared for their lives. On one occasion, he even leaped over a group of kids to save the ball, crashing into the crowd. Great hustle and even greater wariness on his part, as he refused to crush some innocent children with his body.
Tracy McGrady was livid with Yao Ming after he fell on him during a match against Shaquille O’Neal and the Suns
On November 12th, 2008, the Phoenix Suns took on the Houston Rockets in a heated match-up. While it wasn’t a very intense scoring game, tempers flared between both teams. This inevitably resulted in a fight that Rockets star Tracy McGrady tried to break up. That is until he was stopped by his own teammate, Yao Ming, who pushed him to the ground and then fell on him.
The game ended 82-94 in the Rockets’ favor, as T-Mac and Yao scored 27 and 17 points respectively. On the other hand, the Suns were led by an aging Shaquille O’Neal who managed to score 18 points. But, the highlight of the match was the fight that resulted in some hefty fines and suspension being doled out.
Suns player Steve Nash was suspended for one game, while Matt Barnes and Rockets guard Rafer Alston were suspended for two. Additionally, Shaq and McGrady were handed $35,000 and $25,000 fines respectively for their role in the scuffle. Now, fast forward 15 years, and both men laugh at the whole situation. Especially when McGrady loses it with Yao, screaming at him to get off.
(2008) From Shaq shoving Rockets players, to Yao Ming falling in slow motion on T-Mac, and everyone backing away from Shaq – this video is hilarious.
“Yao, get yo big ass off me man.” 😭
— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) September 4, 2023
It was a hectic end to what was a hectic game. One that even now, brings a smile to T-Mac and Shaq’s faces. After all, it’s rare for The Big Aristotle to hear someone else getting called out for their size. However, then again, the fact that it was Yao Ming only makes all the more sense.
T-Mac once claimed he was as good as Kobe Bryant and would have won titles if he had Shaq or Kobe to help him
Tracy McGrady has always had confidence in his abilities. So much so, that he once claimed to be on equal terms with Kobe Bryant. This hot take received a lot of attention, resulting in T-Mac being subjected to a ton of hate. Nevertheless, he justified his claims by suggesting that he also would have had a number of titles if he had the likes of Shaquille O’Neal or LeBron James.
“My talent level was definitely up with the great players that have played this game. I didn’t play with Shaq. I didn’t play with no LeBrons. Yao was my best teammate and we couldn’t stay healthy.”
Tracy McGrady on his talent level
(via @ringernba)pic.twitter.com/5uMzgszBP1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 30, 2023
It’s a fair justification from T-Mac, but as he suggested injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential. On the other hand, Kobe, although he was injury-prone towards the end of his career, proved his worth when it mattered most, winning five rings. Nevertheless, McGrady was an incredible player, even if the fans do not agree.
