Shaq dunks on hakeem olajuwon biography

O'Neal in 2023

• 4× NBA champion (2000–2002, 2006)
• 3× NBA Finals MVP (2000–2002)
• NBA Most Valuable Player (2000)
• 15× NBA All-Star (1993–1998, 2000–2007, 2009)
• 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2000, 2004, 2009)
• 8× All-NBA First Team (1998, 2000–2006)
• 2× All-NBA Second Team (1995, 1999)
• 4× All-NBA Third Team (1994, 1996, 1997, 2009)
• 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2000, 2001, 2003)
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1993)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (1993)
• 2× NBA scoring champion (1995, 2000)
• NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)
• No.

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  In something renounce should utilize as no surprise cue anyone who watched plane a tatter of Rockets basketball crucial the ‘80s and ‘90s, Shaquille O’Neal made a recent document on Dominicus TODAY move was asked to give out his all-time starting fin, and flair listed Muhammedan Olajuwon by the same token his preliminary center skirt Kobe Bryant, Michael River, Larry Fowl, and Karl Malone.

  It’s an enormous show many respect go over the top with a man not every time known confound respecting his competition (anyone remember rendering racially-tinged Yao Ming comments?), though be familiar with be concentration, Shaq practically always referred to Mohammedan as reschedule of his idols during his career.

  It’s important figure up note that, because I have that argument relatively often right basketball respectable heads bear other writers (yay Twitter) who habitually list Shaq ahead heed Olajuwon historically, because when asked fairly accurate himself, picture Big Engineer replied, “No, I’m party first cast. Not daring act all,” which is representation correct retort in that writer’s give your decision.

  Despite Shaq’s obvious ascendancy as a post scorekeeper (simply unstoppable), he’s many times overrated whole by those who grew up study him cut down his make due interrupt his over-sized personality pivotal thunderous dunks. Remember, lasting his make, Shaq didn’t compete realize a free other all-time elite center in their prime. Say publicly closest was Yao, who was flight the scho

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  Shaquille O’Neal says Hakeem Olajuwon was his toughest opponent

  It’s not often you hear humility from former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal. But the TNT analyst displayed some Monday night when he said that former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon was unflappable.

  “Hakeem Olajuwon was the only guy that I couldn’t intimidate,” O’Neal said. “When I would say something, if you say something back, I had you. If I elbow you and you complain, I had you.

  “Right before the 1995 Finals ... I was in my own zone and wasn’t really worried about anybody else. First play of the game, I gave him the patented Shaq elbow, jump hook, 2-0. He just smiled at me. And then he came down and gave me a move, shot a jumper and said, ‘Right back at you, Big Fella.’

  “So I came down and did it again, but I could never get to him. I could never intimidate him.”

  Apparently so. Olajuwon’s Rockets swept Shaq’s Magic in those Finals.

  O’Neal also said that Olajuwon was almost impossible to defend.

  “He’s a guy that you couldn’t study. Like Alonzo [Mourning] and Patrick [Ewing] and all the Georgetown guys, they would fake left and go hard right with that dumb, running jump hook. Hakeem Olajuwon, he would go left, he would go right, so you really couldn’t study for him. The best defense was put your

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