A sizable portion of basketball followers only know one Shaquille O’Neal, the hulking, occasionally overweight interior force who won four combined championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat during the early turn of the century.
That version of O’Neal was absolutely dominant – certainly one of the several best centers ever, and arguably a top-10 player of all-time. But the generation of NBA fans old enough to watch a younger Diesel remember a different player, too, one whose quickness and explosion accounted for his overwhelming success nearly as much as his sheer power and strength.
Thankfully, that less fortunate group of basketball junkies – of which we’re a member, regrettably – currently have a unique opportunity to learn more about O’Neal’s early-career exploits. For the next several days, NBA TV is hosting #ShaqWeek, a look back at the career one of the league’s most accomplished and unique players with a full schedule of games, highlights, features, and more.
And if this clip of a teenage O’Neal rampaging down the floor for a soaring slam in the 1992 McDonald’s All-American Game is an indication of the station’s coming coverage, #ShaqWeek is not to be missed – whether you simply need a refresher of Shaq’s formerly insane athletic ability, or an education on it altogether.
[Via NBA TV]