Shaquille O’Neal has often had to face the disrespectful claim that he wouldn’t survive in the modern ‘shooter-friendly’ NBA. The source of this accusation lies in Shaq’s poor shooting form from distance. The Big Diesel shot only one three-pointer in his entire career and maintained an underwhelming conversion rate from the foul line. However, he once made it clear to the young NBA fans of this generation that his limitations in shooting wouldn’t stop him from dominating today’s NBA. In fact, Shaq went on to say that he is dominating the league currently, in the form of two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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Widely touted as the most dominant NBA superstar ever, Shaquille O’Neal was known for his backboard-breaking dunks. Despite his struggles with shooting the ball, the 7’1 center was a nightmare in the paint with his bully ball. However, Shaq recently shared a clip from decades ago which showcased how the big man had lots of fancy moves in his arsenal, even though he rarely used them.
Shaquille O’Neal shares a clip of his fancy moves from decades ago
Shaq took the NBA by storm immediately after his draft in 1992. He started dominating the league from the very first day in office, earning his first All-Star appearance in his rookie season. The then Orlando Magic star seemed unstoppable on the court, even defeating the legendary Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls squad to lead his team to the 1995 NBA Finals in his very third year in the NBA.
Shaq recently posted this clip from his Orlando Magic days to shut down outrageous claims that he would be a bust in the modern NBA. In the clip, the 15-time All-Star can be seen baffling defenders using some shifty moves outside the paint. The video starts with Shaq putting Isiah Thomas in skates with a behind the back dribble followed by a slam dunk.
The next play is undoubtedly one of the most iconic moments in NBA All-Star Game history. The famous move showed Shaq completely dumfounding Michael Jordan with a swift Dream Shake before scoring an easy mid-range jumper on him during the practice session of the 1996 All-Star game. The brilliant play even managed to force a smile out of Jordan which displayed his acceptance of defeat and applause for the brilliant move.
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The purpose of Shaq posting the video on his Instagram was to remind NBA fans of the unique skillset at his disposal in his prime years. “y’all lucky i’m not playing in this era. #luckyashell,” he wrote in the caption. The 51-year-old intended to put any argument about his competence in today’s context to rest with the clip.
Shaq doesn’t hesitate to polish his legacy with his Instagram posts
Social media wasn’t a thing when Shaq dominated the hardwood. Therefore, a lot of his plays have been obscured from the collective consciousness of the NBA fandom.
However, Shaq always tries to preserve the receipts of those plays by documenting old clips on his Instagram. This has surely allowed many young fans to witness Shaq’s magic from bygone days.
