In a candid 1993 Rolling Stone interview, a young Shaquille O’Neal spoke extensively about his relationship with the legendary Michael Jordan. The sit-down revealed the wide range of emotions displayed by Shaq upon learning about Jordan’s retirement. During the interaction, he also paid MJ a special compliment.
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Shaq and Jordan had a complicated relationship. They were rivals on the court but also had mutual respect.
The big man’s rookie season in the NBA was nothing short of remarkable. The towering center quickly established himself as a force in the league and went on to win the Rookie of the Year award as well. In that period, Shaq had also formed a sense of reverence for His Airness because of his recently concluded three-peat run with the Bulls.
Therefore, when the news of Jordan’s retirement reached Shaq, he was hurled into a whirlwind of emotions. His admiration and respect for MJ were evident in the following statement.
“Michael [Jordan] was special. I’m just happy that I can tell my children, if I have them, that their daddy had the opportunity to play one season against the great Michael Jordan,“ Shaq said during the interview.
It’s worth noting that at the time of the interview, Shaq’s eldest child, Taahirah, had not been born yet. Despite this, he expressed a heartfelt sentiment that encapsulated the impact that Jordan had on the basketball world. It was the best send-off that MJ could have expected from the Diesel.
MJ’s return and his battles with Shaq
Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA after the brief retirement hiatus marked a pivotal moment in basketball history. During this period, Shaquille O’Neal found himself at the center of a unique battle with MJ and the Bulls. As their teams faced each other in several memorable matchups, Shaq and Jordan built a mutual respect for each other’s skills and competitive spirit.
It is noteworthy that Shaq holds the distinction of being the leader of the last team to defeat Michael Jordan and his Bulls in the playoffs. His Orlando Magic beat the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 1995.
Shaq and Jordan faced each other 20 times in their careers. Jordan won 11 of those games, but Shaq did have one playoff series win over Jordan. In addition to the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals, Shaq also beat Jordan in a regular season game in 1993.
