Even before leaving for LSU, Shaquille O’Neal had become a highly followed prospect. Many insiders believed he would be the next big thing. Standing at 7ft 1″ and still capable of agile displays of athleticism and power, the hype surrounding him wasn’t too surprising.
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However, being a top high school player is not the same as being the best on your college team. When Shaquille O’Neal finally reached LSU, he felt he had conquered the world. But he quickly realized that, as a freshman, he was just a supporting cast.
The LSU squad back then belonged to another 7ft center Stanley Roberts. Despite holding the keys to the team, the future Clippers player understood that Shaquille O’Neal was in LSU to devour anyone in his path and he would go to any lengths to do so. In one of their face-offs, the tussle for dominance turned violent and Shaq threatened his senior.
Shaquille O’Neal threatened to kill Roberts
In his 2011 biography Shaq Uncut, Shaquille O’Neal revealed how when he first reached LSU, the team belonged to another center named Stanley Roberts. Roberts was a naturally talented player who did not spend too much time honing his skills. This irritated O’Neal.
The irritation finally boiled over and spilled all over the LSU court after a random pick-up game. Roberts and O’Neal, who were naturally placed on different teams, went at each other with full force. Things turned heated quickly and O’Neal threatened to kill Roberts and then chased him around with a ‘metal’ trash can.
Shaq: “Tempers flared, elbows flew, and the two became tangled. For a split second, the big men squared off before Roberts regained his composure and stepped back. “I was thinking, ‘This really isn’t no big deal,’ ” Stanley said. “I was thinking, ‘I’m going to kill him,’ ” Shaquille said. O’Neal glanced around the dungeon for a weapon and settled on a metal trash can. He hoisted it with one hand and began chasing Stanley Roberts with it.”
O’Neal proved his worth to Stanley Roberts
Just a month after the brawl, Roberts left LSU to play basketball for Real Madrid. He later returned to the NBA but ended up playing just 8 seasons in the league. In fact, he debuted for the same team as Shaq. Both players started their careers with the Orlando Magic but that’s where the similarities ended.
Where O’Neal established himself as a force of nature, Roberts remained a mediocre role player never averaging more than 11.3 points per game in any season.
His LSU rival, however, averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks in his rookie season. Proving, once and for all, that he was in a whole different league than Stanley Roberts. His talents brought him a fortune of $400 million and 4 championships. Unlikely that Stanley could have ever matched this.
