Throughout NBA history, there have been few players who enjoyed the peak success that Shaquille O’Neal enjoyed during his prime. O’Neal went on to have a run during the late 90s and 2000s that many call the most dominant run in NBA history. O’Neal bullied his way to an MVP award, 4 NBA championships, and 3 Finals MVP awards in his career. O’Neal’s big build and big personality created many rivalries over the years in which he lost some and won most.
Today, we are going to focus on the matchups that O’Neal dominated over the course of his career. Just as we did for Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant, we will take an in-depth look at the undefeated records that O’Neal holds against different NBA platters throughout his career. These are not necessarily players who shared the same position as O’Neal, although we will be covering his records against notable centers as well. There is, of course, luck and matchup involved in accumulating an undefeated record against a certain player in your career, and it makes for great conversation with your peers.
During his MVP or near-MVP seasons, O’Neal was the most feared and dominant player across the NBA. He obliterated his opponents with brute strength and flawless finishing around the basket. Most opponents couldn’t do anything to slow him down with his 7’1’’, 325-pound frame. O’Neal made his best case for being one of the greatest players to play in the NBA during the early 2000s from 2000 through 2002. In 3 straight seasons, O’Neal led the Lakers to 3 championships becoming just the 3rd team to 3-peat in 56 seasons.
Not only did O’Neal take over the NBA for those 3 straight seasons, but he also did when he was eventually traded to the Miami Heat. O’Neal finished 2nd in MVP voting during his first year in Miami in the 2005 season. He averaged 22.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. The following season, O’Neal helped lead the Heat to their first NBA championship alongside a young Dwyane Wade. Although the comparison before you pales in comparison to what Shaq has accomplished in his career but nevertheless, it is an impressive feat that should be acknowledged.
These are Shaquille O’Neal’s best-undefeated records against different NBA rivals.
Rule: Players must have played at least 9 games against Shaquille O’Neal to qualify for this list
Shaquille O’Neal’s Best Record vs. Individual Opponents
16-0 vs. Chucky Atkins
15-0 vs. Michael Redd
14-0 vs. Dan Gadzuric
14-0 vs. Jerome Williams
13-0 vs. Michael Doleac
12-0 vs. James Robinson
11-0 vs. Tyrone Nesby
9-0 vs. Etan Thomas
9-0 vs. Obinna Ekezie
Of all the undefeated records that Shaq holds against his opponents, he dominated Chucky Atkins like no other opponent. Atkins was an 11-year veteran of the NBA who made appearances with 8 different teams during his career. Of the 16 games that O’Neal and Atkins faced off, Atkins started in 7 of them and averaged 10.2 PPG and 3.1 APG. O’Neal faced off with Atkins when he was a member of the Magic, Lakers, Heat, and Suns. In these 16 games, Shaq averaged 24.9 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG, and 1.4 BPG.
The next player that Shaq dominated the most in his career, and maybe the most notable we will speak about today, is Michael Redd. Michael Redd is perhaps one of the most underrated players in NBA history who could score and make plays at will. Redd started 11 of their 15 meetings and averaged 18.9 PPG on 43.6% shooting from the field. Shaq made all 15 starts, including 2 games when he was well past his prime. He averaged 22.5 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 2.6 BPG across these 15 games while shooting 58.0% from the floor.
The 3rd player Shaq beat up on the most in his career was Dan Gadzuric. Dan Gadzuric is the first big man on this list who also happened to enjoy a 10-year NBA career. He played most of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks but also made appearances with the Warriors, Knicks, and Nets. Gadzuric made 4 starts against Shaq but only averaged 13.0 minutes per contest. He poured in a whopping 3.7 PPG and 2.6 RPG. Shaq enjoyed playing against Gadzuric due to the undefeated record but also because of his 22.6 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 2.2 BPG.
Another player that O’Neal finished with a perfect 14-0 record against was none other than “Junkyard Dog” Jerome Williams. Williams enjoyed just a short 9-year career in the NBA but was a respected teammate and folk hero in the cities of Toronto and Detroit. Williams made just 4 starts against O’Neal in his career and averaged 4.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG. O’Neal, on the other hand dominated the competition with 28.1 PPG, 12.9 RPG, and 2.1 BPG on 60.0% shooting. O’Neal had 10 of his matchups against Williams during his peak seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The fifth and final opponent that we will speak about today is Michael Doleac, and the 13-0 record Shaq had against him. Doleac is a 10-year veteran of the NBA who actually won the 2006 NBA title with Shaq as a member of the Miami Heat. In his 13 games against Shaq, Doleac made 3 starts against him and averaged over 20.0 minutes of playing time. Doleac was able to record 8.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG in those 13 games. Shaq also enjoyed playing against Doleac, as he averaged 25.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 2.2 RPG. Shaq’s performances against Doleac include a game in which he recorded 37 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks when he was with the Lakers in 2001.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Records Against Notable Big Men
During his NBA career, Shaquille O’Neal went up against some of the greatest big men in NBA history. One of these big men he played against was Vlade Divac, who most notably went at it with Shaq during the Lakers-Kings rivalry during the early 2000s. Shaq has a career record of 27-21 record against Divac, which includes an 11-5 record against him in the playoffs. In those playoff games squared off against each other, Shaq averaged 30.8 PPG, 15.7 RPG, and 2.7 BPG, making this matchup quite one-sided.
Another big man that used to give Shaquille O’Neal nightmares every time they matched up was Ben Wallace. Their matchup during the 2004 NBA Finals is the most notable matchup of these 2 players’ careers which ended up with Wallace coming out on top. For his career, Shaq finished 21-24 against Wallace. One comparison we always hear about is the one between Shaq and Hakeem Olajuwon. Hakeem embarrassed Shaq during the 1995 NBA Finals, so much so that it still haunts Shaq to this day. However, what I never hear about is Shaq’s 17-11 overall record against Hakeem. Sure, it isn’t the NBA Finals, but it is a winning record.
Credit The Source: Basketball Reference
