Shaquille O’Neal will be inducted by Julius Erving, Bill Russell, Isiah Thomas, and Alonzo Mourning into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. O’Neal took the time to reflect on his NBA career with Shams Charania of The Vertical:
“I only played 30 percent of my real game,” O’Neal told The Vertical. “I had a great career, but I didn’t get a chance to showcase what I can really do. That’s because the double- and triple-teams were coming so quick, I had to dominate, dominate, dominate inside. I had the ability to step out, go around defenders, dribble by people, but I never got to show that.
“I had to focus on being the most powerful, dominant player to ever play the game.”
Well, that’s certainly something. Could Shaq have been even greater if he used these other skills that he claims to have had? In my opinion, the answer is probably not. Even if he did have these other abilities, O’Neal was able to be (arguably) the most dominant player ever by pounding the ball inside. Nobody could match O’Neal’s blend of size and athleticism. Even if he could dribble a little bit, or shoot a little bit, those abilities would have pulled him out of the paint, and Shaq was at his best, most dominant self when he was in the paint.
