Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant players the league has ever seen. A combination of nimbleness and strength a la Shaq was previously unseen. The big man proved to be one of his kind for his era and was a perennial All-Star during his career.
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Superman, therefore, has been a constant associated with All-Star Weekends in the NBA from when he made his debut. O’Neal was one of the rare rookie All-Stars, and even beyond retirement has found himself amidst the thick of All-Star action as a pundit and a passionate member of the audience even.
Who can forget Shaq with his mouth wide open, handy cam in hand, when Vince Carter gave the NBA arguably the most legendary dunk contest moment of all time?
With the countdown for the All-Star game upon us, and with practice underway for 2023, throwbacks are trending yet again. Going with the trend in a Shaq-sized manner only seemed appropriate, therefore.
O’Neal utilized All-Star Weekend to display his repertoire of skills to his peers -particularly Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan.
Also read: “Don’t miss a dunk”: Shaquille O’Neal’s “Ingenious” Advice to Mac McClung Saved the Dunk Contest
Shaquille O’Neal showed off his skills one-on-one vs Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan at All-Star practice.
O’Neal is one of the true crowd-pleasers to have graced the league. And what better stage to show off your skills than the All-Star weekend? The one weekend in the official NBA calendar where schemes and plays are off the picture.
Phil Jackson‘s triangle offense and Brian Hill’s Penny Hardaway-led schemes didn’t need O’Neal to handle the ball. And with good reason. Shaq was a terror in the paint to which no team had answers to.
And to play to his strengths was a prerequisite for success.
Naturally, there isn’t a lot of footage of O’Neal with behind-the-back moves or making long jumpers off the elbow, from games. But, All-Star practice sessions and All-Star games did give us a glimpse of what he could do.
The footage here shows O’Neal demonstrating his moves one-on-one against two of the biggest names in basketball. Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan are pictured at the receiving end of some stellar O’Neal offensive moves. Footage from 1993 involves Zeke while His Airness features in the clip from 1996.
Of course, it was just the All-Star practice session and is incomparable to any in-game atmosphere. Regardless, O’Neal did have some moves to him. Credit where credit is due.
Ironically, this isn’t the first instance these three superstar names were tied together during the 1990s.
Shaq and Zeke were the high-profile absentees from the 1992 Dream Team.
The 1992 Dream Team, widely regarded as the greatest basketball team of all time, was a collective of the biggest names of 90s basketball. However, Shaquille O’Neal and Isiah Thomas, two incredibly influential NBA superstars, weren’t featured in the team.
O’Neal was just entering the league at the time and was expected to be the college basketball star to be included with the team. Instead, the honor went to Christian Laettner. Laettner had enjoyed a more successful collegiate career in comparison to O’Neal and edged him despite the obvious difference in individual talent.
Thomas had conspiracy theories and beef to deal with as reasons for his exclusion. There are stories suggesting that Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson didn’t want him on the team and that is what prompted his exclusion.
Zeke and Shaq certainly have expressed bitterness at their respective snubs too. And in Thomas’ case, probably once too many times too.
