Shaquille O’Neal never forgets to recognize the best talents in basketball or to praise the players who deserve the same. He loves giving his flowers to former and current players through public statements or in front of his 34,000,000 Instagram followers. Through one of his recent Instagram story reshares, Shaq gave a shoutout to former Denver Nuggets All-Star Antonio McDyess, who gave a tough time to Shaq during their playing days.
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Shaq and McDyess have faced each other 30 times in their career, with Shaq holding a 16-14 record. However, the Big Diesel has decided to keep the 14 losses aside to shower his praises on the former All-Star.
Shaquille O’Neal praises former Nuggets All-Star Antonio McDyess on his Instagram story
Antonio McDyess was a phenomenal player during his hooping days in the NBA. The former Denver Nuggets star was selected as a 1st round pick in 1995. He was a 6’9″ and 245 pounds power forward with an insane 40-inch vertical. This allowed him to score crazy dunks and make blocks which would leave the audience blown away. Shaq shared the video embedded below, which displays the insane skills and talents McDyess possessed during his playing days.
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During their playing career, Shaq and McDyess faced each other 30 times. Cumulating these matchups, Shaq has a record of winning 16-14 against the former Nuggets All-Star. However, Shaq decided to keep his 14 losses aside to praise one of the best players he had played against in the league. In the video uploaded by Coachhillbball, McDyess is described as a ‘problem’ for the opponent teams. Perhaps, Shaq resonates with that statement, which made him share the post with his 34 million followers.
In his 16-season-long career, McDyess has played for five NBA teams, averaging 12 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 1.1 blocks per game. McDyess made his first and only All-Star appearance in 2001 and had previously featured in the All-NBA Third Team and All-Rookie First Team.
Shaq once lost a pickup game against Antonio McDyess in 1998
Aside from the 14 league losses, Shaq lost a pickup game against Antonio McDyess during the 1998 lockout. Alongside some other All-Stars, this pickup game allowed the NBA players to have fun as friends and colleagues.
A team led by Ramone Veal and Antonio McDyess smoked the team consisting of Shaquille O’Neal, Otis Thrope, Mark Davis, and Rodney McCray. While this is not counted in official records, Shaq does have enough experience and evidence to conclude that McDyess was a generational player of his time.
