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Having Once Boasted About Michael Jordan Knocking at his Door, Shaquille O’Neal Compares His Playoffs Performance with Bulls Legend on IG

Nithin Joseph
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Having Once Boasted About Michael Jordan Knocking at his Door, Shaquille O'Neal Compares His Playoffs Performance with Bulls Legend on IG

In 1992, Shaquille O’Neal was the talk of the town. He was the dominant force from LSU that got drafted No.1 overall by the Orlando Magic. Everyone wanted to meet him and he even claims in his book Shaq Talks Back that the great Michael Jordan once knocked at his door. Quite the brag, especially since it came from one legend to another.

Speaking of which, Shaq recently compared himself to His Airness on Instagram. The Hall of Fame center shared a story comparing his Playoff performances with that of the GOAT. Clearly reminding his fans and his followers of the kind of player he was back in his day as the most unstoppable player the NBA has ever seen.

Shaquille O’Neal shares an IG story comparing himself to Michael Jordan, who once knocked on his door during his rookie season

There can be no denying that Shaquille O’Neal is one of the greatest of all time. And, one platform where his greatness was on display was the Playoffs. Shaq was a great Playoff performer and he recently shared an Instagram story, flexing his amazing post-season game.

The Big Aristotle is one of the top five players with the most points per game in a Finals series. He averaged about 38 points per game in the 2000 NBA Finals. On that esteemed list are some other greats such as Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Rick Barry, and of course, to no one’s surprise, Michael Jordan.

Shaq truly is great to be in the same vein as the GOAT. In fact, his greatness was acknowledged early on in his career by Jordan himself. Coming out of LSU, O’Neal was hailed as the next big thing. And, as he revealed in his book, MJ wanted to get a look at him, so back in 1992, when he was in Orlando, His Airness actually came knocking at his door.

“I left college for the NBA in 1992, and signed the largest rookie contract in the history of sports: $41 million for seven years. Michael Jordan had come knocking on my door in Orlando, to see if I was home before he played a round of golf on the course next to my new lakefront home.”

The four-time NBA Champion was quite obviously honored to have had Jordan knock on his door. After all, he has time and time again been acknowledged as the greatest player in the history of basketball.

Shaq routinely claims that Michael Jordan is the GOAT

The GOAT debate has been raging for quite some time, and the two names that are constantly mentioned are Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Well, another great, Shaquille O’Neal has shared his opinion on this argument quite a few times. And, if there is one thing he has consistently stated, it is that MJ is the greatest.

But, there are times when Shaq’s takes are horribly wrong. It’s true, that as things stand, Michael is the GOAT, but for there to be five other players after him not named LeBron James is criminal, and that’s exactly what O’Neal insinuated when he shared his “GOAT pyramid”.

One thing is for certain, when it comes to ranking NBA players, Shaq’s lists are always all over the place. He may have Jordan at the top now, but given his tendencies, that could change, even by tomorrow.

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin Joseph

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Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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