"What rank are you, soldier?"- When LSU coach Dale Brown confused a 13-year old Shaquille O'Neal to a military personnel
Shaquille O'Neal's frame made him look older than he was since he was a teenager. Former LSU coach Dale Brown was among the ones to fall for that back when O'Neal was 13. Brown met Shaq at an Army base in Wildflecken, West Germany, where the latter's stepfather Philip Harrison was stationed.
When Brown came across a 6'6" man-child like Shaq for the first time, he thought the future NBA champion was in the military. Brown ended up asking O'Neal his army rank in their very first meeting, saying (via SI Vault):
"What rank are you, soldier?"
"No rank. I'm 13 years old," O'Neal answered.
Surprised by Shaq's response, Brown had to meet with his stepfather to confirm what he revealed to him. Shaq's stepfather, who was an army Sergeant, was a 6'5," 280-pound drill instructor, so it isn't a surprise why Brown would think of the then 13-year-old to be in the army himself.
Click here to read SI Vault's archived article on Shaq's first meeting with Brown.
Shaquille O'Neal used his size and frame to his advantage on the court
Shaquille O'Neal embraced being a seven-foot, 300-pound basketball player. He used his size and strength to his advantage. O'Neal also had quick feat and tremendous athleticism for someone his size, which made him the most physically dominant player in NBA history.
O'Neal's journey started in college with the LSU Tigers under coach Dale Brown. Shaq was making opposing big men look silly for three years straight, dominating them in the post offensively and defensively. His size helped him become an efficient rebounder.
He led the NCAA in rebounds in 1991 and blocks in 1992. O'Neal finished his college career playing 90 games across three seasons. He averaged 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per contest, shooting 61.0%.
Shaq was a man amongst boys at LSU. Dominance.
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Just like his college career, Shaquille O'Neal's NBA career also took off from the get-go. He was second in the scoring title race in his sophomore year and won it in his third while finishing second in MVP voting behind Duncan Robinson.
#OTD in 1993, our very own @SHAQ took home the Rookie of the Year trophy. 🏆😤 https://t.co/wEh0Cuia0z
He was also the leading player on the Orlando Magic when they became the first and only team in the 90s to eliminate the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs with Michael Jordan. Although Jordan was coming back after a year-and-a-half abrupt retirement, it was still one of Shaq's biggest feats.
Shaquille O'Neal took his talents to South California, donning a Lakers jersey in 1996. He won the franchise's only three-peat as the finals MVP on all occasions. He would go on to win another chip in Miami as a second fiddle to Dwyane Wade in 2006. O'Neal retired as the 15x All-Star and a four-time champ.
He was named to the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary teams as well.