Random Greatest Shaq Career Highlights (20 items)

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  (#1) Shaq vs. Charles Barkley

  In an incident typically ranked with the NBA's most intense on-court fights, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Brkley faced off during this Fall 1999 Lakers vs. Rockets game. Barkley had attempted to bounce the ball off of Shaq's head, which you should really avoid doing whenever possible.
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  (#8) Shaq Diesel

  • Band/Musician

  "Shaq Diesel" was the debut rap album from O'Neal, released in October of 1993. Shaq would release a total of 4 solo rap albums in total, followed by a compilation featuring his "Super Friends." He also guested on a number of popular hip-hop songs, such as the Fu Schnickens "What's Up Doc." "Shaq Diesel" spawned two singles - "(I Know I Got) Skillz" and "I'm Outstanding."
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  (#17) Swearing on Live TV

  To be fair, Shaq let loose with profanity on live television on more than one occasion. But most memorable was this outburst following a 2004 Lakers victory over the Toronto Raptors. In a message intended for then-NBA Commissioner David Stern, Shaq argued that the officials were being too aggressive in calling fouls. Referring to the officials, he said "People pay good money to watch these athletes play; they're trying to take over the f**king game." The reporter then informed Shaq that the broadcast was going out live, to which he replied "I don't give a s**t."
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  (#12) Ali G Interview

  In 2005, TNT ran a series of basketball promotional spots in which comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G character visited the NBA and did sit-down interviews with popular athletes. During his chat with Shaq, Ali G debates the meaning of the term "NBA." Is it really the National Basketball Association? Or is that just Shaq's opinion?
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  (#16) Dubs Himself "The Big Aristotle"

  Shaq's had a lot of self-applied nicknames over the years. Examples include "Hobo Master" "Shaq", "The Diesel", "Shaq Fu", "The Big Daddy", "Superman", "The Big Agave", "The Big Cactus", "The Big Shaqtus", "The Big Galactus", "Wilt Chamberneezy", "The Big Baryshnikov", "The Real Deal", "Dr. Shaq" (after earning his MBA), "The Big Shamrock", "The Big Leprechaun", "Shaqovic." and "The Big Conductor." But we'll always remember him as "The Big Aristotle."

  Shaq chose the name for himself in 2000 because of his tendency to speak philosophically during interviews, and because he's a big fan of one Aristotle quote in particular: "Excellence is not a singular act, it's a habit"
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  (#2) 2000 NBA Finals

  In 1999, Phil Jackson joined the Los Angeles Lakers as head coach, and the success of his "triangle offense" (not to mention the presence of fellow All-Star Kobe Bryant), propelled Shaq and the team to the NBA Finals, and eventually to victory over the Indiana Pacers. It was the Lakers first championship since 1988, and the first championship of a 3-peat. Shaq was named MVP of both the Finals and the regular season.

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