Eras in the NBA are often defined by the success of the most dominant centers in the league. There was Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell first, then Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, followed by the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal for instance.
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It has always been a matter of pride for legendary centers also to see future dominance in their position. They did set the wheels in motion and define the importance of the position in the game, after all.
If such a continuation occurs within the confines of the same legacy-defining franchise, further connections are formed. Or at least, built, in the public eye. This was something that took place in the late 90s when Shaquille O’Neal joined the Los Angeles Lakers to fill the void left in LA by The Captain’s retirement in 1989.
However, while Shaq expected a relationship and guidance from his idol, no such bond was formed. Hollywood wasn’t as movie-like as Big Diesel expected. Kareem allegedly never reached out to O’Neal or even made attempts to form a relationship. O’Neal wasn’t a fan of the treatment either. But no beef is forever.
Also Read: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Once Wrote Open Letter Advising NBA Rookies To Educate Themselves
On the occasion of Kareem’s scoring record being broken, the big men made up.
Shaquille O’Neal, covering the occasion of LeBron James overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time top scorer, got a moment on-air with The Captain himself. And Kareem used the moment to show love to the Big Diesel and to kill all rumors of beef.
“You felt I was ashamed of you or ignoring you, and that would never be the case. You showed them what you were all about, the way you crushed all the centers in the league” said Kareem of how he perceived things in their relationship.
Shaquille O’Neal’s response was super wholesome and the place Kareem holds in his heart is evident from the big man’s reaction.
“You not speaking to me was the best thing that happened in my career. Because all I wanted to do, was impress you. I love you very much and I will never have beef with the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar” responded O’Neal. Lakers fans across the globe were certain to have gone through all the feels during this interaction.
While this was a beef that never existed, it has been well and truly put aside by the two legends. Not the only instance of a non-existent beef between Shaq and another all-time great center though. The narrative wasn’t to blame on that instance though.
Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson beefed because of a story Shaq cooked up.
NBA players often claim that they seek motivation in little things to drive them in match-ups. O’Neal and Robinson were two of the biggest figures in the game, quite literally, in the 1990s. And to one-up Robinson, for that added fuel to the fire, Superman made up a story.
The story involved a rejected autograph plea by Robinson to an NBA-aspiring O’Neal. Robinson naturally had no recollection of the incident. But the narrative fed to O’Neal’s interest of the increased spark.
Post-retirement, O’Neal did address the rumor and called it a cooked-up tale from his imagination. An apology was duly issued to David Robinson too. The story, however, leads one to wonder if there are many other such scenarios or whether it is just a Shaq phenomenon.
