In September 1995, Shaquille O’Neal was fresh off a disastrous loss to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. The then-23-year-old was powerless against Hakeem Olajuwon and Co., as his Orlando Magic were swept 4-0. Given the embarrassment of the defeat, Shaq was desperate for revenge. So, he challenged The Dream to a massive one-on-one match, with $1 million on the line. And, it nearly went through, but injuries derailed the event.
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The 1990s was an era dominated by Michael Jordan. That doesn’t mean to say there weren’t other great talents. The likes of Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Gary Payton all come to mind. And, in terms of big men, there was a plethora, with two of the best being Shaq and Hakeem.
So, when news came of a huge one-on-one event with the two big men headlining, fans were ecstatic. The bout, titled “War on the Floor” was meant to be spectacular. And, with all of the big names involved it was sure to go down in history. Sadly, disaster struck the night before the event.
Hakeem Olajuwon’s bout with Shaquille O’Neal had to be canceled after he suffered a back injury
There can be no denying that in 1995, Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon were the two best big men in the NBA. And, the 1995 NBA Finals was a battle between the two giants. A battle where Hakeem came out on top.
But, Shaq wasn’t satisfied. He was still a young gun in the NBA, eager to prove his worth. As such, a 4-0 sweep by the Rockets just didn’t sit right with him. How did he deal with it? Well, three months after the Finals, Big Diesel sent The Dream a letter, challenging him to a one-on-one.
However, the heavyweight bout, an innovation of Leonard Armato never saw the light of day. While it did have the backing of major names like Taco Bell, Donald Trump, and Spike Lee, the War on the Floor found its worst enemy in injuries. With the event all set to take place, disaster struck the night before, when Armato received a call from Clyde Drexler, informing him that Hakeem had injured his back. The event was cancelled, the money was refunded, and Shaq was left dissapointed. But, when asked if their was foul play involved, perhaps even cold-feet on Olajuwon’s part, he defended his opponent’s honor.
“When Leonard called me and told me Hakeem can’t do it, I was like, ‘Cool.’ Hakeem’s not the guy who I’d say, ‘Aw, he’s scared!’ One, I know he’s not scared. Two, I know if he could do it, he would do it. But if it was Christian Laettner, I would have said he’s scared.”
Leave it to Shaq to throw in an uneccessary jibe at someone who isn’t even involved. But, it is a shame the event never happened. That being said, this isn’t the first time such an even was attempted.
Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson tried to pull off their own “War on the Floor” much earlier
A one-on-one between Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal would have been special. But, they weren’t the first ones to try it. They were just the ones to get that far along in the process. In fact, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson attempted to pull of a similar event at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas in 1990.
It certaily would have been a clash for the ages. One that could have redefined the sport of basketball. But, it failed due to a variety of reasons involving David Stern, Isiah Thomas, and TV rights.
