“She would find me after I messed up when I was a kid” - Shaquille O'Neal recalled his childhood memories with his grandmother when push came to shove in WCF Game 7 against Blazers in 2000
During his time with the LA Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal was one of the NBA's most dominant forces. After a short stint with the Orlando Magic to start his career, the All-Star center went to Los Angeles to pair with rising star bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kobe Bryant.
It did not take long for the duo to take the NBA by storm. Even if they may have had their differences, it did not affect how they took care of business on the court. During their time together, Bryant and O'Neal pulled off something that has rarely been done in the NBA: completing a three-peat.
Shaq’s MVP season in 2000
Scoring: 1st
FG%: 1st
REB: 2nd
BLK: 3rd
He also averaged 38 PTS, 17 REB, 3 BLK in the Finals.
https://t.co/cGj2goiyCB
Winning three titles in a row is not easy, and they certainly had their challenges. During the 2000 playoffs, the Lakers found themselves in a win-or-go-home scenario against the Portland Trail Blazers. Leading up to Game 7, O'Neal looked back on old memories he had with his grandmother to prepare.
In O'Neal's book, "Shaq Uncut," he wrote:
“She would find me after I messed up when I was a kid. ... When he was done hitting me, she’d sneak into my room and slip me a piece of pound cake and rock me and tell me, ‘It’s OK, baby. Everything is gonna be fine.'"
The Lakers went on to win Game 7 and advance to the NBA Finals. O'Neal played 46 minutes and posted 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Shaquille O'Neal started path of dominance for Lakers in 2000 playoffs
If Game 7 had not gone their way, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant would not have collected their first of three titles together. The 2000 playoffs sparked a run that ended with Bryant and O'Neal becoming one of the most unstoppable duos in NBA history.
While both were formittable in their own right, it was O'Neal who stole the show in the 2000 Finals. The Indiana Pacers had no answer for the Lakers center, and he made them pay for it.
Through six games, Shaq never scored less than 33 points. His best performance came in Game 2, when he recorded 40 points, 24 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
(2000) Shaq goes off for 41 pts & 12 reb in game 6 of the NBA Finals to secure the title. Friendly reminder of how dominant he was that series:
G1: 43 pts, 19 reb
G2: 40 pts, 24 reb
G3: 33 pts, 13 reb
G4: 36 pts, 21 reb
G5: 35 pts, 11 reb
G6: 41 pts, 12 reb https://t.co/7ZdDAivD6D
The 1999-00 season is arguably the most dominant of Shaq's entire career. In total, he secured the scoring title, MVP, won the finals and was named Finals MVP. Most players don't tally these kinds of accolades in their career, let alone one season.
Following this incredible run, Shaq went on to secure three more championship rings en route as one of the best big men to ever step foot in the NBA.