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“Wilt Chamberlain being considered more dominant than me pissed me off”: When Shaquille O’Neal revealed the 3 regrets he had with his NBA career

Samir Mehdi
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“Wilt Chamberlain being considered more dominant than me pissed me off”: When Shaquille O’Neal revealed the 3 regrets he had with his NBA career

Shaquille O’Neal let it be known that he wasn’t appreciative of Wilt Chamberlain being considered a more dominant force than the Lakers legend.

Shaquille O’Neal has had one of the most illustrious careers in NBA history and unlike other legends like Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, seems to be quite content with how it all panned out. Kobe, one several occasions, has stated that he always regretted not passing Jordan in total ring count while the latter claims to have wanted a 7th championship.

Shaquille O’Neal, though he does not have as many rings as the two aforementioned superstars, enjoyed a bevy of success over a 19 year career. Everything from consecutive Finals MVPs to regular season MVPs, the ‘Big Aristotle’ has come close having a resume that could be up for the ‘GOAT’ title.

Also read: “Michael Jordan was unnecessarily harsh and I didn’t like being around him”: Luc Longley reveals he wasn’t too fond of the ‘GOAT’ during his days with the Bulls

However, according to Shaq himself, he has no interest in being labelled as the greatest of all time. To him, the title of ‘most dominant ever’ was more lucrative.

Shaquille O’Neal wanted to be considered more dominant than Wilt Chamberlain.

There’s no denying that Wilt Chamberlain got what he wanted on the offensive end of the floor. Sure, the argument could be made that Shaquille O’Neal had to play against more imposing forces than Wilt as the latter pitted himself against big-men who didn’t exactly go down as the most athletic players in NBA history.

Regardless of the competition they faced, the topic of ‘most dominant ever’ usually delves into a Shaq-Wilt debate. During an interview with Graham Bensinger, Shaquille O’Neal revealed that one of the biggest if his career was him getting injured during his stint with the Boston Celtics, resulting in him not being able to pass Chamberlain on the all time scoring list.

Also read: “Thank you, Kobe Bryant, for calling me ‘soft’”: Dwight Howard remains appreciative of the Lakers legend for berating him during the 2013 season

The Lakers legend fell a couple thousand point short of catching up to ‘The Big Dipper’ and claims that having him considered to be the most dominant force in league history irks him.

Well, at least Shaq can take solace in the fact that he, not only has more championships than Chamberlain, but won them with twice as many teams residing within the NBA.

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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