Watch: Shaquille O’Neal pulls off Hakeem Olajuwon’s “dream shake” on Michael Jordan, one year after losing to the Rockets
In just his third year in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal was able to lead the Orlando Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals but got swept by the Houston Rockets to fall short of a championship.
En route to his first-ever NBA Finals appearance in 1995, the 7-foot-1 center was able to beat the Chicago Bulls along with Michael Jordan who just came off from his first retirement in basketball.
As Michael Jordan is about to start his second three-peat, he and the young Shaq was voted as the 1996 NBA Eastern Conference starters along with Scottie Pippen, Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill.
This was one of the rare times that both players shared the basketball court as Shaquille O’Neal moved to the NBA Western Conference and join the Los Angeles Lakers the following year.
In their light moments during the All-Star Weekend, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal are having fun in practice at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas before the game tipped off.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard challenged the hulking O'Neal to a game of one-on-one before the game started.
At first, Jordan tried to lure O'Neal to play his game by guarding him outside. But when Shaq had the chance on offense, he lured the six-time NBA champion to post-up and gave him the 'dream shake' popularized by his then-rival Hakeem Olajuwon.
Shaquille O’Neal finished the 1996 NBA All-Star Game with 25 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks while Jordan tallied 20 points and four rebounds to take home the 1996 All-Star Game MVP award. The East won against the West, 129-118.
Later that NBA season, Jordan would lead the Chicago Bulls to a historic 72-win season. Shaq and MJ would then face each other in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals with the Bulls sweeping the Magic.
Shaquille O’Neal will never mess with Michael Jordan
Known as one of the most confident NBA players, Shaquille O'Neal doesn't back down to anyone. In an interview with Patrick Bet-David, the four-time NBA champion said that he would talk trash to anyone but Michael Jordan.
"You don't want to mess with God," said O'Neal. "You got to stay away from Mike. Leave that man alone."
Both NBA icons are major influencers in the sport and now are two of the top five richest NBA players that walked the face of the earth.