How Shaquille O'Neal's height of 7'1" helped him dominate other centers like Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace in his 6 NBA Finals appearances
Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant players in NBA history. He stood at 7-foot-1 and weighed more than 320 pounds. Nobody was stopping him once he got the ball in the paint.
During his career, the big man won four championships and appeared in six NBA Finals. He faced some of the all-time great centers during his trips to the finals.
In this article, we will take a deeper look at how Shaquille O'Neal's height helped him dominate in his NBA Finals appearances.
Shaquille O'Neal's height played a huge role for the LA Lakers
As a member of the LA Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal made four trips to the NBA Finals. This included a three-peat, which meant he won a championship in three straight years. It's a rare feat that has only been accomplished three times in the modern NBA.
Shaq's first NBA Finals appearance with the Lakers was in 2000. The Lakers were up against the Indiana Pacers. O'Neal was primarily guarded by Rik Smits. Smits was a 7-foot-4 center who was playing in the final season of his career.
The Lakers superstar manhandled Smits. He averaged 38 points and 16.7 rebounds in six games. Shaquille O'Neal may not have been as tall as Smits, but he made up for it in sheer size. O'Neal shot 61.1% from the field during the series.
The Lakers faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals. The Sixers were led by superstar point guard Allen Iverson. They also had Dikembe Mutombo, one of the greatest defensive centers in NBA history.
Mutombo stood at 7-foot-2, but was completely stifled by Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers center averaged 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks in the series. He also shot 57.3% from the field.
The 76ers center, on the other hand, averaged 16.8 points and 12.2 rebounds. However, the Lakers were a much deeper team. It took them just five games to clinch their second consecutive NBA title.
Shaq and the Lakers faced the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals. The Nets were led by star point guard Jason Kidd and forward Kenyon Martin. However, they didn't have a quality big man to guard O'Neal.
Shaq took full advantage of the mismatch. He averaged 36.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in the series. The Lakers swept the Nets to win their third straight title.
Shaquille O'Neal's height gave him a huge advantage over Ben Wallace in the 2004 NBA Finals. Wallace was a fantastic defensive center, but he stood at only 6-foot-9.
O'Neal averaged 26.6 points and 10.8 against the Detroit Pistons. He also shot 63.1% from the field. The Lakers ran out of steam and lost the series in five games.
Shaq in Orlando and Miami
Shaq has also made an NBA Finals appearance with both the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. He was drafted by the Magic in 1992, and led the team to the NBA Finals in 1995. They went up against the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets had olajuwon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the greatest centers in NBA history. They were looking to win back-to-back titles. Shaquille O'Neal's height gave him an edge against 'The Dream', but Olajuwon's skillset proved to be too much. The Rockets swept the Magic to win their second straight title.
Olajuwon was an inch shorter than Shaq, but his footwork and discipline made him extremely dangerous. He averaged 32.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in the series. Olajuwon was also amazing on the defensive end of the floor.
This was Shaquille O'Neal's first NBA Finals appearance. He averaged 28 points,12 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.5 blocks.
Shaq's final NBA championship came with the Heat in 2006. The Heat faced the Dallas Mavericks, who had Dirk Nowitzki, DeSagana Diop, and Erick Dampier as their tallest players.
While Dwyane Wade carried most of the workload, O'Neal played his part in the series. He averaging 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds in six games.