Top 3 seasons where Shaquille O'Neal recorded more than 13 rebounds per game
Arguably the greatest big man of all time, former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Shaquille O'Neal dominated the NBA unlike any player ever had. The big man, being drafted as the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, had huge expectations coming into the league and he ended up living up to the hype created.
Shaquille O'Neal won four championships and picked up three Finals MVP awards en route while also playing with some of the greatest players of all time, like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.
What made Shaq the most dominant player ever was his size and girth and the way he dominated the paint. Shaq's footwork for such a big frame was impeccable, and that, along with his mentality to dominate on a nightly basis, saw him record some of the most ridiculous stat lines in NBA history.
With that said, we look at the top three seasons where Shaquille O'Neal recorded more than 13 rebounds per game.
#3 1993-94 Orlando Magic - 13.2 rebounds
In just his second year in the league, Shaquille O'Neal averaged 13.2 rebounds per game along with 29.3 points and 2.9 blocks while shooting the ball nearly 60% from the field. It was incredible numbers for a kid who was just in his second year in the NBA.
Shaquille O'Neal turns 45 today
4 NBA titles
3-time Finals MVP
7th in NBA history in points
14th in rebounds
Basketball HOF 2016 https://t.co/GJBo2D4YBw
In terms of rebounding, Shaq's best game of the regular season came in a win against the New Jersey Nets (Brooklyn Nets), where the big man amassed 28 rebounds with 10 of them being on the offensive side of the floor. Shaq also dropped 24 points in this game against the Nets on better than 63% shooting from the field.
#2 1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers - 13.6 rebounds
After signing with the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of years prior as a free agent, the onus was on Shaquille O'Neal to take this historic franchise back to the promised land. Shaq did exactly that as he led the Lakers to their first championship in over a decade with the help of Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Shaq also won the first of his three Finals MVP awards this season.
En route to winning the championship, Shaq averaged 13.6 rebounds during the regular season along with 29.7 points, and 3 blocks while shooting the ball better than 57% from the field. Diesel's best performance of the season came in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 where he recorded 24 rebounds while dropping 40 points in a seven-point win.
#1 1992-93 Orlando Magic - 13.9 rebounds
Shaquille O'Neal's best ever rebounding season came in his first year in the NBA as the rookie center averaged 13.9 rebounds per game while scoring 23.4 points and shooting the ball higher than 56% from the field on a nightly basis. The rookie center from Louisiana State University immediately made his presence felt around the league.
🗓 This Day in Stats, 2004: @SHAQ grabs 26 rebounds against Milwaukee, his most in a regular season or playoff game while with the @Lakers. https://t.co/G8lzvN0suT
Shaq's best rebounding performance of the season came against the Washington Bullets (Washington Wizards) as the big man dropped 20 points and grabbed 25 rebounds in a blowout win for the Orlando Magic. Out of these 25 rebounds, 7 of them were on the offensive side of the floor.