Jermaine O’Neal entered the NBA straight out of high school in 1996 and was immediately thrown into the fire against one of the most stacked eras of elite big men. Early in his career, he had to defend legendary centers like David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Shaquille O’Neal, all in their prime. His first encounter with Shaq came shortly after the Hall of Famer had joined the Los Angeles Lakers, beginning what would become an unstoppable run in the league.
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Every opposing center found it nearly impossible to contain Shaq’s burly 7-foot-1, 300-plus pound frame. Even fellow superstar rim protectors were embarrassed by the four-time champion on occasion. For an incoming talent like Jermaine, though, guarding Shaq was unlike any defensive assignment he had been tasked with before.
Shaq was a force against every defender he faced, but Jermaine pointed out how nice of a guy he could be, as well. Despite many believing Shaq is the most dominant center the league has ever seen, he didn’t try to embarrass everyone he played. If he liked his opponents, there was simply a different vibe to the game.
“[Shaq] really cared about people, and sometimes he will pull up a little bit if he liked you in the game,” Jermaine shared on The Dan Patrick Show.
“It’s certain players you knew he didn’t like, and you could tell from start to finish. And then you get in games sometimes and see him talking and laughing with the guys he’s competing against.” The 46-year-old believes Shaq operated in this manner for multiple reasons.
“I think some of it was respect for other people. But also … I think Shaq understood how strong he was. I’ve never seen or played against a person that size, that nimble, and that strong … He could have really just dominated people if he really just wanted to destroy everybody,” Jermaine asserted.
The Diesel may be a feared figure for most centers who had to face him in his heyday, but he wasn’t unbreakable. Shaq once got honest on the 2020 airing of Inside the NBA, sharing his experiences facing off against the NBA’s superstars when he first entered the league.
Shaq was scared of certain players, too
There weren’t too many taller players than Shaq and even fewer that weighed more, but that doesn’t mean the former MVP felt invincible whenever he stepped on the court. During his early days with the Orlando Magic, Shaq was constantly afraid of being embarrassed by one of his fellow legends and having to hear about it afterwards.
“The statute of limitations was up, I was terrified out there,” Shaq admitted his fear of Michael Jordan.
“The whole game. One, he’s the greatest player. Two, I was worried about him dunking on me and having to go back and, you know, face the fellas. And then three, he was so hot, I was like, this dude … The stuff that I saw in college on TV, it’s like really real.”
The 15-time All-Star even admitted to fearing a handful of his fellow big men, naming David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and even his TNT cohost Charles Barkley.
Shaq may have looked like an impenetrable force in his prime, but the NBA has always had a funny way of humbling even the greats.
