This week the NBA saw one of its biggest stars bid farewell to the game.
Diesel, Superman, the Big Cactus. Whatever name you chose to call him by they all refer to the same man. Shaquille O'Neal.
Shaq became one of the biggest and most dominant stars in the NBA, becoming the 5th highest all-time NBA points scorer and possibly the last true centre (or so he says so himself) able to dominate game of basketball.
Shaq began his professional career in 1992 having left LSU early to go to the NBA. Drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first pick of the 1992 NBA Draft it took Shaq took little time making his impact on the NBA scene winning the 1993 Rookie of the Year award and becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan to be voted to the NBA All-Star game.
His third season on the NBA saw Shaq lead the NBA in scoring for the first time, but despite the individual success found in Orlando O'Neal was unable to make it to an NBA finals appearance losing to the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls in his second and third seasons respectively.
In 1996 Shaq left the East Coast to hit Hollywood to join the highly touted rookie Kobe Bryant at the LA Lakers but it wasn't until the arrival of head coach Phil Jackson (1999) that Shaq managed to grab his first Championship Ring in 2000.
After the threepeat of 2000-2002 and three NBA Finals MVP awards (not to mention being one vote shy of becoming the first ever unanimous regular season MVP in NBA history in the 1999-2000) Shaq and the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2003-04 NBA Finals. After the loss Shaq fell out with the Lakers front office (the dismissal of Phil Jackson being one of many reasons) and asked to be traded.
Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat optimistic of bringing the franchise an NBA title with the help of rookie sensation Dwayne Wade but the Heat fell in the 2004-05 Conference Championship to the Detroit Pistons. However one year later the Big Man delivered on his promise to the city of Miami and with the help of Dwayne Wade brought the Heat their championship.
Diesel's time in Miami finished midway through the 2007-08 season jumping ship to the Phoenix Suns as Miami began the season with a league low 9-37 record. The Suns brought in Shaq in order to try and contain Tim Duncan should the Suns meet the Spurs in the Playoffs, but O'Neal was unable to prevent such a loss as the Suns were knocked out of the post-season in the opening round to Duncan's Spurs.
His final three seasons in the NBA included another season in Phoenix, a season at the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron and a final season joining Allen, Garnett and Pierce in Boston with all but his final year in Phoenix including playoff appearances (this is the only season Shaq hasn't appeared in the playoffs since his rookie year of '93)
Shaq will finish his career with:
4x NBA Championships
3x NBA Finals MVPs
1x NBA MVP
1x Rookie of the Year
15x NBA All-Star appearances
2x NBA scoring Championships
8x All-NBA First Team Awards
3x NBA All-Star MVPs
1x FIBA World Championship MVP
5th NBA All-Time Scoring Chart
A hugely impressive career that has been as big off the court as on it.
Shaq known as one of the games personalities as well as one of the games greatest ever players. A sure Hall of Fame member his personality will be missed throughout the game.
That is until he gets a job in the studio as a pundit.
Here are ESPN's and NBA.com's top 10 Shaquille O'Neal moments.
Diesel, Superman, the Big Cactus. Whatever name you chose to call him by they all refer to the same man. Shaquille O'Neal.
Shaq became one of the biggest and most dominant stars in the NBA, becoming the 5th highest all-time NBA points scorer and possibly the last true centre (or so he says so himself) able to dominate game of basketball.
Shaq began his professional career in 1992 having left LSU early to go to the NBA. Drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first pick of the 1992 NBA Draft it took Shaq took little time making his impact on the NBA scene winning the 1993 Rookie of the Year award and becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan to be voted to the NBA All-Star game.
His third season on the NBA saw Shaq lead the NBA in scoring for the first time, but despite the individual success found in Orlando O'Neal was unable to make it to an NBA finals appearance losing to the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls in his second and third seasons respectively.
In 1996 Shaq left the East Coast to hit Hollywood to join the highly touted rookie Kobe Bryant at the LA Lakers but it wasn't until the arrival of head coach Phil Jackson (1999) that Shaq managed to grab his first Championship Ring in 2000.
Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat optimistic of bringing the franchise an NBA title with the help of rookie sensation Dwayne Wade but the Heat fell in the 2004-05 Conference Championship to the Detroit Pistons. However one year later the Big Man delivered on his promise to the city of Miami and with the help of Dwayne Wade brought the Heat their championship.
Diesel's time in Miami finished midway through the 2007-08 season jumping ship to the Phoenix Suns as Miami began the season with a league low 9-37 record. The Suns brought in Shaq in order to try and contain Tim Duncan should the Suns meet the Spurs in the Playoffs, but O'Neal was unable to prevent such a loss as the Suns were knocked out of the post-season in the opening round to Duncan's Spurs.His final three seasons in the NBA included another season in Phoenix, a season at the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron and a final season joining Allen, Garnett and Pierce in Boston with all but his final year in Phoenix including playoff appearances (this is the only season Shaq hasn't appeared in the playoffs since his rookie year of '93)
Shaq will finish his career with:
4x NBA Championships
3x NBA Finals MVPs
1x NBA MVP
1x Rookie of the Year
15x NBA All-Star appearances
2x NBA scoring Championships
8x All-NBA First Team Awards
3x NBA All-Star MVPs
1x FIBA World Championship MVP
5th NBA All-Time Scoring Chart
A hugely impressive career that has been as big off the court as on it.
Shaq known as one of the games personalities as well as one of the games greatest ever players. A sure Hall of Fame member his personality will be missed throughout the game.
That is until he gets a job in the studio as a pundit.
Here are ESPN's and NBA.com's top 10 Shaquille O'Neal moments.
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