Before the Warriors took on the Knicks on their home court, the TNT crew showed some love to New York’s iconic arena. During the pre-game segment, Shaquille O’Neal revealed his personal connection to Madison Square Garden and how Patrick Ewing made it an even more hallowed place for him.
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Whether it’s Michael Jackson or Muhammad Ali, MSG has hosted some of the biggest names in pop culture. Apart from just being a staple of the Big Apple’s entertainment culture, the arena in Manhattan has a special place in basketball history.
Constructed in 1968, MSG is the oldest arena in the NBA. It has hosted some of the biggest college competitions of its time, including the Big East tournament, which has been held at Madison Square since 1983.
Shaq never got to participate in the Big East tourney of course, but the ‘Mecca of basketball’ held special significance to him for a different reason. He grew up idolizing the Knicks’ legendary #33 and even adopted his jersey number during his stint at Louisiana State University.
However, once he made it to the NBA, O’Neal’s respect for Ewing would fuel his competitive drive. Especially when he was playing on the Knicks’ home ground. “It was different for me because I was going up against my idol,” he said on ‘NBA on TNT’. “I just wanted to show him that I can play.”
Since being drafted in 1985, the Hoya Destroya had set a new benchmark for big men. By the time O’Neal made it to the league, Ewing was averaging 26.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3.2 blocks for the Knicks. His versatility and two-way dominance became something the Diesel could aspire to emulate.
But of course, this is Shaq we are talking about, the same man who made up a rumor about David Robinson just to fuel his own competitive drive. Even with all the respect and admiration he had for Ewing, O’Neal wanted to best him on the hardwood.
“For me, it was all about karate movies growing up. At some point, the student must kill the master to become the master. So, every time I went to New York, I wanted to kill him,” the four-time NBA champion explained.
Shaq’s first opportunity to ‘kill’ Ewing came just a few weeks into his rookie season. On November 21st, 1992, the Diesel suited up against his idol for the first time. And of course, that contest took place at Madison Square Garden.
The experienced Knicks, with John Starks, Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason easily routed the young Orlando Magic with a 92-77 win. However, O’Neal would successfully send Ewing a message by recording 18 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks in their first matchup. When he was told that he outscored and outrebounded Ewing, Shaq had said, “That’s all I need to hear.”
