Shaquille O'Neal revisits history asserting bold statement on modern NBA stars: 'Nobody ever really played me straight up'
Shaquille O'Neal, one of the most dominant forces in NBA history, recently reignited conversation around the changing nature of basketball across eras. Appearing on episodes of The Big Podcast and New Heights, O'Neal reflected on his toughest battles, shared vivid memories of his legendary dunks, and sparked debate by pointing out which current players could have survived and thrived in his bruising, physical era.
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His comments cut through nostalgia and bravado, offering a rare window into how he views greatness then and now.
Shaquille O'Neal asserts that his era wasn't for the faint of heart
Shaquille O'Neal. Image via: Getty Images
Shaquille O'Neal admits not every game was a cakewalk. When Brandon Jennings asked about the toughest era he faced, Shaq replied without hesitation, 'That's a really unfair question because nobody ever really played me straight up,' he began. But he singled out the early 2000s, when the league introduced the 'Shaq Rules' as particularly challenging.
'When you can do the front and back, it got difficult for a while… with a guy in front of you, I really couldn't get the ball a lot.
'
He also revealed how rugged the game was when he entered the league: 'It was the end of that 'Bad Boy' era. The Knicks would f*** you up. Detroit will still f*** you up.' He even admitted, 'Rik Smits used to embarrass me… Hakeem [Olajuwon] was the last one to give me work.' Though he eventually surpassed his contemporaries, saying he 'got Robinson out of there, I got Ewing out of there, I got Hakeem out of there,' Shaq acknowledged the mental and physical demands of the era.
And yet, his peak came in this very stretch, when he led the Lakers to a historic three-peat from 2000 to 2002. The irony? His dominance grew in the very era he calls the toughest.
Shaq didn't mince words when asked which current players could hang in his time: 'LeBron, of course—well, he did play in our era. KD also played in our era. That's about it.' But he made a bold addition, the Timberwolves' young star
. 'Ant Edwards, big and strong,' he said, signaling that Edwards' physicality reminds him of a bygone era.
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No conversation with Shaq is complete without revisiting his iconic dunks. He singled out two as his favorites, including the infamous poster over Knicks center Chris Dudley. 'He was all over me, and I was like, 'Get the fu** off me,'' Shaq recalled. He laughed about it years later, even joking with Dudley, 'Are you trying to fight or you trying to give me a hug?'
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The Hall of Famer's contribution to basketball has certainly been top-notch, while he enjoys the modern NBA game, in fact being an analyst in the Inside the NBA crew, he will never leave an opportunity to hail the old-school glory, especially of his time.
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