Shaquille O’Neal has been pretty consistent in his role of enriching his fans with daily lessons on NBA history. One of the videos he just shared on Instagram shows a battle between NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving. In the video from 1992, the two icons can be seen facing off against each other in a one-on-one battle.
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Shaq shares Dr J vs Kareem 1v1 from 1992 pic.twitter.com/3pkMLvB95a
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) September 25, 2023
The video showcased Abdul-Jabbar completely dominating his good friend Dr J from start to finish. The lopsided nature of the contest may surprise many but there’s a reason why KAJ is a legitimate GOAT contender.
Using his incredible height, strength, and skill set, Kareem had a huge lead early on. Erving’s silky smooth layups and speed just could not get the better of Abdul-Jabbar, who initially blocked every shot that came his way.
Although they were both way past their prime, it was an entertaining spectacle nonetheless.
The 1992 battle was made available to the public for the price of just $19.95, of which $6 went to charity. It took place in one of the biggest entertainment hubs in the United States, Atlantic City. As for the match itself, it ended in Abdul-Jabbar’s favor, as he bested Erving 44-21.
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Despite being aged 46 and 42 at the time, Abdul-Jabbar and Erving put on quite the show. One that the audience in attendance will probably never forget. And one that many tried to replicate soon after but to no avail.
Shaq had a 1v1 battle lined up with Hakeem Olajuwon
The Big Diesel was also meant to replicate the KAJ vs Dr J battle against Hakeem Olajuwon. But, sadly it never came to fruition.
The two were slated to go up against each other with $1 million on the line. The reason for the bout being Shaq’s inability to best Olajuwon in the NBA Finals.
After all, he and the Orlando Magic were swept 4-0 by Olajuwon’s Rockets. Therefore, hoping to regain his pride, Shaq issued a challenge to the Dream and it was accepted. However, the match never went down as Hakeem pulled out the day before citing a sore sacroiliac.
