SHAQUILLE O’NEAL
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Sometimes we can go home. After all, home is where the heart is — so long as we know where our hearts lie. But what of the oft-traded, the mercenaries if you will, whose restive souls bounce from organization to organization in what many perceive as a self-serving quest for championships, and false reckoning?
To be sure, one of the most special honors an athlete can receive from his franchise is to be designated a keeper — a lifer if you will — for one’s entire career, and beyond.
Drafted as one of the most prized No. 1 picks in the history of the NBA, this future legend is now working for his fourth franchise in just over 15 years of service, leaving many to not only question what truly drives him, but also what organization he will call home when he retires from the game.
This is the still-evolving career of the Biggest Daddy of them all, Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal.
Shaquille O’Neal, affectionately referred to as “Shaq”, regards himself as the MDE (most dominant ever) in the history of the NBA. And save the great Wilt Chamberlain, he might be right.
Shaq received his early training from Lucas Bowman at Randolph-Henry High School. Standing 7 ft. 1 in. and 325 lbs, with a size 23 foot, Shaq is easily one of the most imposing forces to ever play NBA basketball.
O’Neal first gained national attention as a star at Linton Middle School. He led his high school team to an astounding 68-1 record during his two years there, and he helped the team win the state title in his senior year.
O’Neal attended Louisiana State University where he studied business. He first met Dale Brown, LSU’s men’s basketball coach at that time, years before in Europe, while O’Neal’s stepfather was stationed on a U.S. Army base in Wildflecken, West Germany. Then, with his godfather stationed as a First sergeant at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, O’Neal attended Fulda American High School, a DODDS school.
While playing for Brown at LSU, O’Neal was a two time All-American, and two-time SEC player of the year. He also received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men’s basketball player of the year in 1991. O’Neal holds the NCAA record for shots blocked in a game with 17 blocks against Mississippi State on December 3, 1990. O’Neal decided to leave LSU early to pursue an NBA career, but returned to college in 2000, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in General Studies. He was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame.
O’Neal’s enormous frame gives him a distinct advantage over most opponents. He possesses unbelievable quickness and explosiveness for a man of his size. His patented drop-step, (called the “Black Tornado” by O’Neal) has proven an extremely effective offensive weapon against unsuspecting centers who take O’Neal’s surprising agility for granted. In addition, O’Neal’s signature jump-hook has allowed him to score over many an opponent in the paint.
As a strategy, opposing teams often dedicate many fouls to O’Neal, which unfortunately limits the playing time of their own big men. O’Neal’s physical presence inside the paint has caused dramatic changes in many teams’ offensive and defensive game plans, the results of which can be seen over the course of his career. In order to defend the wide-bodied O’Neal, teams regularly put two, if not three defenders on him, resulting in uncontested shot opportunities for open teammates.
O’Neal has always been a capable defender. To his credit, he has been named All-NBA Second Team Defense three times. His shot blocking prowess is so intimidating that he has averaged 2.4 blocked shots per game over the course of his career. O’Neal, however, is a less effective defender on the perimeter, leaving him an easy target of pick-and-rolls.
Shaq is known for stepping up in big games, having been voted Finals MVP three times. However, his poor free throw shooting often relegates him to the bench in crucial late game situations. O’Neal is also noted for his ability to form close relationships with talented and impressionable sidekicks. Playing alongside O’Neal, talents like Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade blossomed into legitimate superstars. Eventually, however, his relationships with Hardaway and Bryant soured, but O’Neal managed to embrace his relationship with Wade, with the two becoming best of friends during their three years together.
Always his Achilles’ heel, O’Neal’s biggest weakness remains his free throw shooting. He has a lifetime average of 52.4% and once missed a record 11 free throws in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 8, 2000. To exploit O’Neal’s poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls against him, a Don Nelson-created tactic known as the “Hack-a-Shaq“, in hopes of pulling out close games down the stretch. O’Neal currently ranks fourth all-time in free throws attempted, having shot over 9800 in 1,039 career games.
O’Neal was drafted as the 1st overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. During that summer, prior to moving to Orlando, he spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. O’Neal had an exceptional rookie season, helping the Magic win 20 more games than the previous season, with the team ultimately missing the playoffs by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Indiana Pacers. O’Neal averaged 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the season and was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. O’Neal also played in the All-Star game, scoring 14 points. On two occasions during the season, each during a nationally televised game, O’Neal dunked the ball so hard that he broke the backboard support units. On the first occasion, in a game against Phoenix, the force of his dunk caused the entire goal to bend backward, then slowly sink to the ground. On the second occasion, in a game in New Jersey, the force of the dunk brought down the backboard and shot clock.
O’Neal’s second season was even better than his first. Teaming with newly-drafted Anfernee Hardaway, O’Neal averaged 29.4 points and led the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%. He was again voted to the All-Star game and he helped the Magic make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In a November 20, 1993 game against the New Jersey Nets, O’Neal registered the first triple-double of his career, recording 24 points to go along with career highs of 28 rebounds and 15 blocks.
In his third season, O’Neal led the NBA in scoring, helping Orlando win 57 games and the Atlantic Division crown. The Magic made it to the NBA Finals, but were swept by the Houston Rockets. By O’Neal’s own admission, he was badly outplayed by Houston’s more experienced superstar center Hakeem Olajuwon, despite putting up admirable numbers in the series. O’Neal stated that it was one of only two times in his life that he ever cried (the other at the death of his grandmother). His father also used the loss as motivation, saying to his son, “Maybe you shouldn’t have shook Mr. Olajuwon’s hand” (regarding O’Neal’s congratulating Olajuwon on the Rocket’s win).
O’Neal was injured for a large part of the 1995-96 season, missing 28 games. The Magic won 60 games and the Atlantic Division, but was swept by the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. Now a free agent, O’Neal contemplated whether his future would be best served by remaining with the Magic or by moving to a new team.
O’Neal was also showing interest in things other than basketball, including recording several rap albums and acting in films. O’Neal also began taking classes again at LSU to complete his degree, to fulfill his promise to his mother that he would graduate. That summer, O’Neal was named to the United States Olympic basketball team, and was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
After the 1995-96 season, O’Neal left the Orlando Magic to join the Los Angeles Lakers, enticed by the allure of a seven-year, $122 million contract.
O’Neal joined a young Lakers squad that had recently returned to the playoffs, but of which little was expected. O’Neal’s arrival vastly changed expectations, but he missed a significant number of games due to injury in the 1996-97 season. Making matters worse, several players had difficulty meshing with the new focal point of the Lakers’ offense. By 1997–98, key role players Rick Fox and Robert Horry had been added by Lakers GM Jerry West, and the group meshed well, winning 61 regular season games. However, in both of his first two seasons in Los Angeles, O’Neal suffered lopsided playoff defeats to the Utah Jazz, losing the 1997 conference semifinals 4-1 and 1998 conference finals 4-0.
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Nevertheless, the Lakers were clearly a team on the rise with the tandem of O’Neal and teenage sensation Kobe Bryant. However, the 1998–99 season was marked by nearly constant change within the Lakers organization. Long-time Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets after a dispute with O’Neal. His former backcourt partner Eddie Jones was packaged with back-up center Elden Campbell for Glen Rice to satisfy a demand by O’Neal for a shooter. Coach Del Harris was fired and former Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman was signed, but Rodman only lasted for 23 games before leaving. The result was no better as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Spurs would go on to win their first NBA title that year.
In 1999, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as their new head coach, and the team’s fortunes soon changed. Utilizing Jackson’s triangle offense, O’Neal and Kobe Bryant went on to enjoy tremendous success on the court, as they led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles (2000, 2001, 2002). O’Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times. He currently has the highest scoring average for a center in NBA Finals history.
O’Neal was also voted the 1999–2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, coming just one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Fred Hickman, then of CNN, was the sole voter who did not cast his first place vote for O’Neal, instead choosing Allen Iverson, then of the Philadelphia 76ers. O’Neal also won the scoring title that year while finishing second in rebounds and third in blocked shots.
After the Lakers fell to the 5th seed and failed to reach the Finals in 2003, the team made a concerted off-season effort to improve its roster. They sought the free agent services of forward legend Karl Malone and aging guard Gary Payton, but due to salary cap restrictions, could not offer either one as much money as each could have gotten from other teams. O’Neal assisted in the recruitment efforts and personally persuaded both men to join the team. Ultimately, each of them signed, forgoing larger salaries in favor of a chance to win an NBA championship, something neither had yet accomplished in his career (which neither would achieve with the Lakers). At the beginning of the 2003–04 season, with two years left on his contract at the time, O’Neal informed the team of his desire for a substantially larger extension to his contract. O’Neal remained persistently vocal about this desire, but Lakers management was hesitant to meet his demands amid concerns about his work ethic and about the possibility of further injuries, and a general decline in his game as he continued to age. It is widely believed that there was also concern about O’Neal’s relationship with Kobe Bryant, as the two had exchanged public barbs during the off-season. With Bryant scheduled to become a free agent at the end of that season, many believed he would not choose to remain with the Lakers as O’Neal’s sidekick.
According to published sources, the Lakers did eventually offer O’Neal a large contract in February 2004 under which he would have remained the highest paid player in the league, but he refused after feeling his services were not needed.
After the Lakers’ loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, O’Neal became angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O’Neal’s future with the franchise, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson at the behest of Lakers owner, Dr. Jerry Buss. O’Neal made comments indicating that he felt the team’s decisions were centered around a desire to appease Bryant, to the exclusion of all other concerns, and O’Neal promptly demanded a trade. The Dallas Mavericks and their team owner Mark Cuban were extremely interested in O’Neal and were willing to make a trade with the Lakers, but Kupchak wanted Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs’ superstar, in return. Cuban refused to let go of Nowitzki and the Lakers ended trade talks with Dallas. However, Miami showed interest and slowly a trade agreement was made.
On July 14, 2005, O’Neal was officially traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a future first-round draft choice. Upon signing with the Heat, O’Neal promised Miami fans that he would bring a championship to Miami. He claimed that one of the main reasons for wanting to be traded to Miami was because of their up-and-coming star, Dwyane Wade. With O’Neal on board, the new-look Heat surpassed expectations, claiming the best record in the Eastern Conference. Despite being hobbled by a deep thigh bruise, O’Neal led the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, losing by a narrow margin. He also narrowly lost the 2004–05 MVP Award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in one of the closest votes in NBA history.
In August 2005, O’Neal signed a 5-year-extension with the Heat for $100 million. Supporters applauded O’Neal’s willingness to take what amounted to a pay cut, and the Heat’s decision to secure O’Neal’s services for the long term. They contend that O’Neal was worth more than $20 million per year, particularly given that considerably less valuable players earn almost the same amount. Critics, however, questioned the wisdom of the move, characterizing it as overpaying an aging and often injured player.
In the second game of the 2005–06 season, O’Neal injured his right ankle and subsequently missed the following 18 games. Many critics felt Heat coach Pat Riley correctly managed O’Neal during the rest of the season, limiting his minutes to a career low. Riley felt doing so would allow O’Neal to be healthier and fresher come playoff time. Although O’Neal averaged near career lows in points, rebounds, and blocks, he said in an interview “Stats don’t matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score 0 points and we win I’m happy. If I score 50, 60 points, break the records, and we lose, I’m pissed off. ‘Cause I knew I did something wrong. I’ll have a hell of a season if I win the championship and average 20 points a game.” During the 2005–06 season, the Heat recorded only a .500 record without O’Neal in the line-up.
On April 11, 2006, Shaquille O’Neal recorded his second career triple-double against the Toronto Raptors with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career high 10 assists.
O’Neal finished the season as the league leader in field goal percentage; he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in league history to lead the league in field goal percentage nine times.
In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Miami Heat would go on to win their first NBA Championship. Led by both O’Neal and burgeoning superstar Dwyane Wade, the 2nd seeded Heat defeated the defending Eastern Conference Champion and top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a rematch of the 2005 Conference Finals, and then defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals.
O’Neal put up considerably lower numbers compared to those he recorded during the 2005–06 regular season, but he twice delivered dominant games in order to close out a playoff series: a 30-point, 20-rebound effort in Game 6 against the Chicago Bulls in the first round, and a 28-point, 16-rebound, 5-block effort in Game 6 against the Pistons. It was O’Neal’s fourth title in seven seasons, and fulfilled his promise of delivering an NBA championship to Miami. At the victory celebration Shaq declared another championship was on the way, saying, “We will see you again next year!”
In the 2006–07 season O’Neal missed over thirty games with a right knee injury. The Miami Heat struggled during his absence but with his return won seven of their next eight games. Bad luck still haunted the franchise, however, as Dwyane Wade dislocated his left shoulder, leaving O’Neal as the focus of the offense. Critics doubted if O’Neal, now in his mid thirties, would be able to put the team on his back and lead them to the playoffs. The Heat went on a much needed winning streak to keep them in the race for a playoff spot, which they finally secured against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 5.
In a rematch of the year before, the Heat faced the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat struggled mightily. Although O’Neal put up decent numbers, he was not able to dominate the series. The Bulls thoroughly outplayed the Heat, resulting in a sweep. It was for the first time in ten years that O’Neal did not advance into the second round.
In the 2006–07 season O’Neal reached 25,000 career points, becoming the 14th player in NBA history to accomplish that milestone. Despite the accomplishment, the 2006–07 season was the first in his career in which O’Neal’s scoring average dropped below 20 points per game.
With his production clearly in decline, O’Neal experienced a rough start for the 2007–08 season, averaging career lows in points, rebounds and blocks. His role in the Heat offense continued to diminish, as he attempted only 10 field goals per game, in comparison with his career average of 17. In addition, O’Neal was plagued by fouls: during one stretch fouled out five consecutive games. As a result of his poor performance and lengthy court absences, O’Neal’s 14 straight All-Star appearances ended this season, as he was neither selected as a starter nor as a reserve.
On February 8, 2008, the Phoenix Suns acquired O’Neal from the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. O’Neal made his Suns debut on February 20, 2008 against his former Lakers team, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in the process. The Lakers won, 130-124. O’Neal was upbeat in a post-game press conference, stating: “I will take the blame for this loss because I wasn’t in tune with the guys [...] But give me four or five days to really get in tune and I’ll get it.”
Today, flashing shades of his former dominant self, O’Neal has accepted an ancillary role with the high-powered Suns, who are looking to the finally capture the franchise’s first NBA championship. Although the trade that sent O’Neal to Miami was highly criticized at the time, O’Neal has managed to silence his critics, who also publicly chided Suns GM Steve Kerr for shipping the popular Shawn Marion to Miami in exchange for the aging O’Neal.
Nonetheless, here’s what we know.
Shaq led Anfernee Hardaway and the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals. He led Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to three championships. He clogged the lane for Dwyane Wade and delivered in the clutch for Pat Riley in helping lead Miami to the franchise’s first-ever NBA title.
Will he do no less for Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Mike D’Antoni, and Steve Kerr in Phoenix? If successful, it would move him ever closer to the pinnacle of the greatest centers to ever play NBA basketball. But whatever the outcome, we should appreciate Big Shaq’s game. He is the last of a dying breed.
Long live The Diesel.
Long live The American Center.
SUMMARY
|
G |
FG% |
3PFG% |
FT% |
Rebs |
RPG |
Asts |
APG |
Stls |
Blks |
Pts |
PPG |
|
1.039 |
.580 |
0.050 |
.524 |
11,901 |
11.5 |
2,789 |
2.7 |
659 |
2,518 |
26,242 |
25.3 |
Full Name: Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal
Born: 3/6/72 in Newark, NJ
High School: Robert G. Cole, San Antonio, TX
College: LSU
Drafted: Orlando Magic (1st overall), 1992
Transactions: Orlando Magic (1992-1996) LA Lakers (1996–2004), Miami Heat (2004–2008)
Nicknames: The Diesel, Superman, The Big Aristotle, The Daddy, The Big Cactus, The Big Baryshnikov, The Most Dominate Ever …
Height: 7-1 Weight: 325 lbs.
Honors: 2000 NBA MVP, ‘92-’93 NBA Rookie of the Year, 3-time NBA Finals MVP, 4-time NBA Champion, 2-time All-Star MVP, 14-time All-Star, 1994 FIBA World Championship MVP, One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Photos:
Top Photo: NBAE
2nd Embeded Photo (top): Duane Burleson/AP
3rd Embedded Photo (top): NBAE
Top Photo (bottom): NBAE
Embedded Photo (bottom): NBAE
References:
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaq
NBA.com - http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shaquille_oneal/index.html
Basketball-Reference.com - http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01.html
The League, Lord of the League, LOTL, THE ‘L’ © 2007 – 2008.
Hello friends,
Shaquille O’Neal’s profile represents the last in this edition of NBA PROFILES for 2007-08.
I hope you have enjoyed this year’s selection of stars.
There is no rhyme or reason to my selections, unless I’m specifically doing a profile requested by one of you.
It has been a pleasure bringing these athletes to you in their many complexities. All have in their own unique way added to the fabric of NBA basketball.
NBA PROFILES will see you again next year!
Until then …
Best!
MeanDovine
While appreciating all of Shaq’s accolades down the years.
And one can’t deny his place in the history of the game . There’ll be some who’ll remain dubious of some of his so called distinctions . I might add myself amongst those who do.
The truly great players’ll be judged by what they brought to the game in terms not only excitement but also the virtuousity of their skills. In O’Neal’s case there was a great deal about his game that was good but it also had its limitations. And whilst I appreciate what he bought I also think that he’s also do some criticism. And it primarily goes to his demeanor and the lack of self control and discipline. If he had that in larger doses then I do believe that you could place amongst the greats of the big men of alltime .
And just as an added bonus here’s my comedic look at one of Shaq’s former teams. Let me what you think as to the merits of the piece? I’ll look forward to reading your comments.
Let the other guys know about this piece as well .
http://realsportsbloggers.com/tophat/2008/04/11/this
-just-maybe-all-the-motivation-needed-for-the-lakers
-to-win-it-all-the-postseason/
tophatal …….
Left by tophatal on April 11th, 2008