Shaquille O’Neal has very publicly feuded with teammates, coaches, and opposing players. With most remembering his back and forth with Kobe and former coach Phil Jackson, very few remember the Big Fellas beef with former Kings Center Vlade Divac, which began during the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
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The series proved to be quite the test for the Lakers as the teams played all seven games. During the series, Shaq even dissed Kings Center Vlade Divac, while rapping over a flip-phone beat. Dissing Divac, O’Neal rapped,
“Winning an NBA championship takes everything you got.
Sacramento, they thought it was their year, but I’m telling you it’s not…..
Guess what? Kobe dunked it in your face.
You need to go where people know your name.”
Recently, former Kings guard Mike Bibby was asked about the duo’s beef, as Bibby was part of the ’02 Kings squad. Recalling the beef between Vlade and O’Neal, Bibby revealed that Shaq was trying to recreate the ’02 beef many years later. Talking more about it, on the ‘Forgotten Seasons’ podcast, the former Kings guard revealed,
“I mean that’s just how Shaq is. He must have been in Cleveland or something and I was on the Hawks…he was like “Mike, let’s start that beef up again.””
O’Neal and the Lakers finally closed out Vlade and the Kings in seven games during the 2002 Western Conference Finals. Shaq silenced haters, especially Vlade, as the Big Fella averaged 30.3 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in seven games in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. The series also signaled the end of the beef, as Shaq and Vlade are good friends now.
Shaquille O’Neal had beef with Brad Miller too
Shaquille O’Neal is a ‘gentle giant’, as the 7’1″ center could have dolled out far more pain than he did. Having been raised by ‘disciplinarian’ parents, Shaq was taught how to control his anger from a young age. But even with him exuding ‘a happy-go-lucky attitude’, there were definitely times when he lost his cool.
One such instance happened when O’Neal faced off against the Bulls on January 12th, 2002. With less than three minutes left on the clock, Brad Miller fouled O’Neal, shipping down on him as the Laker Center went up to lay the ball. Miller’s foul was hard indeed, as O’Neal started throwing punches toward the Bulls Center.
Both Miller and Shaq came close to blows, as the duo was instantly kicked off the floor. Following the incident, O’Neal was fined $15,000 and suspended for three games, while Miller only received a one-game suspension for his action. Charles Oakley also picked up a two-game suspension, as the Bulls forward was found guilty as well.
