In a recent podcast appearance, former Nuggets star Kenyon Martin Sr talks about Shaquille O’Neal, calling the Lakers legend “impossible” to guard.
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When one talks about the greatest big man in basketball history, Shaquille O’Neal is the one name that is constantly brought up in that conversation. Standing at 7-foot-1 and weighing a whopping 325 pounds, Shaq was a nightmare for any player who had the duty to guard him. And because of this inhuman size of his, The Diesel was able to command over the paint on both sides of the court, night in and night out for nearly two long decades.
Shaq was very well aware of the huge size advantage he had over his opponents and used it relentlessly to bully several superstars in the league. And because of this, O’Neal managed to rack up one of the best-decorated resumes ever seen in league history.
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At the conclusion of his illustrious 19-year career, Shaq had 15 All-Star appearances, 14 All-NBA selections, 2 Scoring titles, 4 NBA Championships, 3 Finals MVPs, 1 MVP, 28,596 points scored, numerous posterizers and several shattered backboards.
“Trust me, there was no stopping Shaquille O’Neal”: Kenyon Martin Sr
Former Denver star Kenyon Martin Sr is just one of the many defenders in the league who has had the misfortune of guarding the Big Diesel. Recently, Martin appeared on Gilbert Arenas “No Chill” podcast, where he spoke about Shaq. Kenyon was asked:
“You said you could guard one through five. What was it like having to guard a guy like Shaq?”
Kenyon replied with a straight face:
“Impossible.”
“No guard here man like father time can guard Shaq. So trust me like there was no stopping that man, dog, just no. The only player ever did not shoot anything outside of the paint. Just think about it – they put in rules because of him.”
Here, have a look at the clip.
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Martin was considered to be one of the better defenders back in his era. However, despite his incredible defensive skill-set, Shaq would always get the better of him.
Hearing how his opponents would practically have nightmares of guarding him, there is no doubt that the 7-1 barbarian was a menace on the court. And by far, the most dominant athlete the league has ever witnessed.
