"He needs to stick to churchgoing" - When Shaquille O'Neal gave an ultimatum to David Robinson after the Spurs star humiliated Shaq
David Robinson was already an established superstar when Shaquille O'Neal came into the NBA in 1992. “The Admiral” was a three-time All-Star in Shaq’s first season with the Orlando Magic.
O’Neal’s Magic was winless against Robinson’s San Antonio Spurs in his first two years in the NBA. Shaq had been insisting that the only reason he couldn’t win against Robinson was because the Spurs had a better roster.
The 1991-1992 Defensive Player of the Year responded that he couldn’t care less what O’Neal thought and that “he has nothing we want.”
O’Neal replied to Robinson’s words in an interview with Sports Illustrated:
"You tell David Robinson the next time he plays me, I'll be on his ass. If there is ever a day David dominates me, it's because he has help. He would never play me one-on-one. … He needs to stick to churchgoing, and not trash-talking."
The exchange between the two happened the season after Robinson pipped Shaquille O'Neal for the scoring title. San Antonio’s big man led the NBA in scoring during the 1993-94 campaign after erupting for 71 points on the final day of the regular season. Shaq “only” had 32 points.
This meant David Robinson averaged 29.8 PPG while O'Neal ended his season with 29.3 PPG.
27 years ago today, David Robinson scored 71 points to win the scoring title over Shaq 💪
➤ 71 Pts
➤ 14 Reb
➤ 5 Ast pic.twitter.com/VZ2AQMeoUZ
In Shaq and Robinson’s first meeting during the 1994-95 season, the San Antonio Spurs won yet again. The crowd at the AlamoDome serenaded the Spurs' franchise player with MVP chants but endlessly trolled O'Neal.
Nine days later, the rematch was on the Orlando Magic’s home floor. O’Neal led his team to a 110-104 victory, his first win against Robinson in his career. Shaq had 28 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal. “The Admiral” had 34 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one block.
That season, Shaquille O'Neal won his first scoring title after averaging 29.3 PPG. David Robinson normed 27.6 PPG but was named the NBA’s MVP.
Here's the full SI interview with Shaq
Shaquille O'Neal once apologized to David Robinson for making up a story about the San Antonio Spurs legend
Shaquille O'Neal became a basketball sensation in his stint at San Antonio’s Robert G. Cole High School. O’Neal’s team lost just once in 68 games in two years and won the state championship in his senior year.
Shaq’s popularity, however, was swept aside when David Robinson started playing for the San Antonio Spurs. Robinson was drafted in 1987 but didn’t play until the 1989-90 season as he served for two years in the US Navy.
Spurs fans couldn’t wait to see “The Admiral” play and he didn’t disappoint. San Antonio was his while O’Neal became an afterthought.
In their rivalry, the then-Orlando Magic centered spread rumors that Robinson didn’t sign his autograph when he was only 13 years old.
Years into their retirement, Shaquille O'Neal regarding that story about David Robinson:
“David [Robinson], I wanna say, I apologize for making up that rumor. David took all my style when he came to San Antonio so I hated him for that. [The] first couple of years, he used to kill me, so I had to make up a rumor to get mad.'"
"I had to make up a rumor to get mad." - Shaq
@SHAQ apologizes to David Robinson (@DavidtheAdmiral) for making up a rumor about him not signing an autograph when he was younger that he used for motivation. pic.twitter.com/DOmqTmPcqG
Also read: “I covered all the clippings, then David came to town” — Shaquille O'Neal says he was the first great big man in San Antonio