It’s been a long time since Shaquille O’Neal played a game in the NBA but no one has forgotten how special he was during his career.
O’Neal put up an average of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a game during his 18 years in the league.
Some of the things he did still stand the test of time and won’t be surpassed any time soon.
Most 30/10 games before turning 25:
97 — Shaq
78 — AD
59 — Giannis
56 — KAT, LeBron pic.twitter.com/o18YgjdPTY— StatMuse (@statmuse) September 7, 2022
For example, on a list of the most 30-point-10-rebound games before the age of 25, O’Neal leads the pack in the history of the NBA.
He has 97 such games before his 25th birthday.
Behind him is Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers with 78 games, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks with 59 games, and Karl-Anthony Towns and LeBron James with 56 games each.
97 is a lot more than 78 and this shows that being better than Shaq is seemingly impossible.
Superman Flies Again
Today, many people know O’Neal as a TV personality, someone who comments on games or sells products in commercials.
But there was a time when he was the most valued and accomplished player in the NBA.
He is a Hall of Famer, a 15-time All-Star, a two-time scoring champion, a four-time NBA champ, and a three-time Finals MVP.
He was also the 1992-93 Rookie of the Year and was named MVP in the 1999-00 season.
O’Neal’s form of physical play was second-to-none.
There are many great centers in the league right now but few of them are built like – or play like – Shaq.
The big man knew how to put a hurting on other teams and was able to shut down just about any form of offense.
And his 27 points a game say it all.
He really was one of a kind – and still is.
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