For any athlete, representing your country is the highest of honors. Especially when it comes to the Olympics.
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Perhaps one of the most prolific Olympic nations over the years has been the USA. The jewel in their crown is their consistently dominant basketball team.
Anyone would be proud to play for them. However, Shaquille O’Neal lost his interest in representing them after one disappointing Olympic run.
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Shaquille O’Neal quit Olympic basketball after he was dropped for David Robinson in a match
The 1996 Olympics were a huge deal for US Basketball. It saw the team continue the dominance that was established by the Dream Team in 1992. It included superstars like Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, and Gary Payton.
The team also had some talented big men. Of particular note was 24-year-old Shaquille O’Neal, who was expected to be the future leader of the coming Olympics. However, 1996 would be Shaq’s last. Why? Because then head coach Lenny Wilkens chose to give David Robinson more minutes.
Diesel revealed that he was very upset about this in his book, Shaq Uncut, which came out in 2011.
“Before the game Lenny Wilkens came up to me and said, “Shaq, you will go to many more Olympics, but this will be David Robinson’s last one, so I’m going to give him most of the minutes.” Lenny is a very smooth talker, and before I could say anything he just walked off. I barely played in the gold medal game. I played about five minutes total. Wilkens put me in for the final fifteen seconds. I think I had 2 points. It was David Robinson’s third Olympics and my first. So you can’t give me some time? I was really disappointed.”
#FBF to 1996 when these guys took Atlanta by storm! https://t.co/QQNxpjGyBb #USABMNT #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/aq1wCnzwoi
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) April 29, 2016
Shaq’s reaction was understandable. He was so frustrated that he decided that 1996 would be his first and last Olympic experience.
Shaq refused to play for the US team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney
It didn’t just say it. In the build-up to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Shaq was expected to be given a call-up to the squad. However, the big man flat-out refused, claiming he already has a gold medal.
It was a major blow. But, it had little to no consequence. Seeing as the team still managed to win gold that year.
