Shaquille O’Neal feeling bad for an opponent he beat on the court is a rarity. The fierce competitor that he was through his career, it is impossible rather. Shaq, no doubt, is a nice guy, but not nice enough to be feeling for someone who was a thorn in his path to the championship. But then… “There was one guy I felt sorry for and that was Dirk Nowitzki,” revealed the big fella in his 2011 memoir, while describing the myriad emotions he went through after earning his fourth ring with the Miami Heat, beating the Dallas Mavericks.
Advertisement
The first two games of the 2006 NBA Finals made it look like Dallas were running away with the title. Nowitzki, along with Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse had fire in their eyes and the confidence to win it all. Till Dwyane Wade turned up the heat for Miami, pun intended.
Dallas lost four in a row after that, giving O’Neal the championship bragging rights over his former teammate, Kobe Bryant, though that lasted only a few years. Shaq was ecstatic at the time, but he also felt pity for fellow big man Nowitzki.
O’Neal knew that the entire blame would fall squarely on Dirk, the face of the Mavericks at the time. This despite him playing like a man possessed, averaging 22.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the six games. Shaq’s empathy perhaps came from having been in the situation himself, at least twice in his career.
“We beat the Mavericks 95-92 to win the championship,” the big fella wrote in his memoir, Shaq Uncut: My Story. “There was one guy I felt sorry for, and that was Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk was no front-runner. He’s a great player. He’s always done what he’s supposed to do. He’s a good guy, a hard worker. I’m one of those people who understands you can’t do it alone”.
Nowitzki had to wait five long years before he led Dallas to the 2011 championship. In 2006, he fell short, despite having a stellar season. He had finished third in the MVP voting, averaging 26.6 points per game. That was nearly 10 points more than his next closest teammate, Jason Terry (17.1).
This disparity in the statistics within the team is enough to wipe off any blame on Nowitzki. The German’s heroics throughout the regular season and the playoffs were the reason why Dallas made it to the Finals. However, his leadership in the finale was questioned, among other flak flung his way by fans.
“I knew what was about to happen to the poor bastard. It was going to be all his fault, even though he had played great,” Shaq continued.
Dirk never got another chance at redemption in the Finals with Shaq in the opposition. However, the seven-footer managed to top The Diesel before retiring in 2019.
Dirk angered Shaq after passing him on NBA’s all-time scoring list
O’Neal retired in 2011 after his 19th season, while Nowitzki was enjoying his peak. Dirk added another three All-Star appearances and thousands of points after Shaq quit. He eventually passed him on the NBA’s all-time scoring list in 2015.
Shaq, understandably, wasn’t thrilled to be overtaken.
“Dirk I am mad at you,” Shaq had ranted upon hearing the news. “I didn’t know you passed me up until Adam told me. He was like your boy Dirk is about to pass you…I was f**king mad, because now what am I, number 9…I am going to be a fu**ing bum, I can’t believe it. I am about to be out of the top 10.”
Nowitzki’s longevity (21 seasons), his shooting range and relative health all contributed to him staying long enough, and playing well enough, to outscore Shaq.
While O’Neal did contribute to Nowitzki’s loss in his first NBA Finals appearance, the Mavericks legend had his say too. And Dirk also had the last laugh in at least one department in their legendary rivalry.
