Shaquille O’Neal has never been shy about reminding the world how unstoppable he was in his prime, and it’s hard to argue with him. Widely regarded as one of the greatest centers ever, Shaq redefined dominance in the NBA. But his game wasn’t just built on size, strength, and sheer force. It was about delivering results, night in and night out.
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Every now and then, Shaq drops receipts on Instagram to take his followers on a trip down memory lane. Most recently, he reposted a top 10 list of the most rebounds in a single NBA Finals game since 2000. Unsurprisingly, the big fella is all over the list.
O’Neal sits at the top with a jaw-dropping 24-rebound performance in Game 2 of the 2000 NBA Finals against Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers. And just to flex even harder, he poured in 40 points that night while shooting 61.1% from the field. That wasn’t an isolated masterclass either, as Shaq appears three more times on the list, landing at No. 6, 7, and 10.
The Lakers legend grabbed 21 rebounds in Game 4 of the 2000 Finals, 20 in Game 4 of the 2004 Finals, and another 20 in Game 2 of the 2001 Finals. He did it repeatedly, on the biggest stage, against elite competition, when the pressure was highest. That’s exactly why he was widely (and quite rightly) seen as the best player in the world at the time.
Shaquille O’Neal reminds fans of his NBA Finals dominance! pic.twitter.com/e2J3BHIr5F
— Top NBA Fan (@TopNBAFanToday) June 21, 2025
Right behind Shaq’s 24-rebound night against Indiana is Ben Wallace, who hauled in 22 boards in Game 5 of the 2004 Finals. The next three spots are held by Nikola Jokic, Kevin Love, and Dwight Howard, each with 21 rebounds.
That 2000 Finals series, in particular, was peak O’Neal. He averaged 38 points and 16.7 rebounds across six games and won Finals MVP, guiding the Lakers to their 12th title. The Indiana Pacers simply had no answer for him. Shaq controlled both the paint and the pace.
His other appearances on the rebounding list came during the 2001 and 2002 Finals, part of the Lakers’ iconic three-peat run. In those years, Shaq continued to outmuscle, outwork, and outsmart his matchups in the post, grabbing boards like it was second nature. In the 2001 Finals, he averaged 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over five games. The following year, he put up 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in four games to complete the three-peat.
