"I've probably been swept the most" - Shaquille O'Neal calls himself 'the biggest superstar to ever play the game'
Shaquille O'Neal reckoned the LA Lakers had no chance of coming back from a 3-0 deficit against the Denver Nuggets. O'Neal, who has been swept six times during the playoffs, even called himself the biggest superstar to play the game, ahead of Game 4 on Monday.
In a video uploaded by Inside the NBA, the crew of O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson previewed Game 4 between the Lakers and Nuggets. They discussed LeBron James' postgame comments about having a chance despite the odds and history not favoring the Lakers.
"I'm the biggest superstar to ever play the game," O'Neal said. "I've probably been swept the most. When you're down 3-0, you have to say that. You can't say, 'Well, we tried.' You have to say, 'We'll beat the odds' and all that. You may win one, but you're not gonna beat the Denver Nuggets the way they are playing."
The Big Fella believes the WCF is over 😅 https://t.co/z0MI0S10Xk
Shaquille O'Neal was right. The LA Lakers didn't beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 on Monday night. The Nuggets survived a 40-point game from LeBron James, most of which was scored in the first half.
Denver swept the Lakers following q 113-111 win at the Crypto.com Arena. Nikola Jokic had his eighth triple-double of the postseason, breaking the record for most in a single playoff held by Wilt Chamberlain. Jokic finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists.
Jamal Murray added 25 points, three rebounds and five assists, while Aaron Gordon contributed 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Murray and Gordon also combined for one defensive stop on "The King" in the final play of the game. Murray bothered James enough to give Gordon the timing to block the final shot of the Lakers' season.
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How many times has Shaquille O'Neal been swept in the playoffs?
Shaquille O'Neal was swept six times during his career in the playoffs. O'Neal is tied with Pau Gasol for most in NBA history. The Hall of Fame big man was first swept by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of 1994 playoffs.
The next sweep was against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Finals. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls also swept Shaq's Orlando Magic in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals.
At the start of his LA Lakers career, O'Neal was swept in back-to-back years by the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. The Jazz swept them in the 1998 Western Conference Finals, while the Spurs did it in the 1999 Western Conference semifinals.
In his final full season in Miami, Shaq and the Heat were swept in the first round by the Chicago Bulls. Nevertheless, O'Neal won four NBA championships during his career — three with the Lakers and one with the Heat.
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