Sport fans and the public at large will remember Shaquille O’Neal because of how he combined athleticism, skill, and charisma on and off the court. From his first season in 1992 until his seventeenth in 2009, the Big Cactus remained an impact player in the Association. Sustaining his place atop the pyramid of post players required the Big Aristotle to develop his game constantly, growing from a powerful force inside to a well-rounded basketball player.
Shaq-Fu may have been initially known for breaking backboards (compelling the Association to reinforce the basket supports) as a rookie and losing a memorable battle in the post with Hakeem Olajuwon during the 1995 Finals but since then he has made significant leaps. The Big Shamrock may have lost some speed, strength, and explosiveness as he aged but he added technique to complete his game.
L.A. Shaq • Hook Shot
Shaq pivots towards the middle and realizes that a double-team awaits him so he pivots to the baseline. Subsequently, he uses a shoulder fake to get the defender in the air, waits and scores with a hook-shot.
Miami Shaq • Shot-Fake and Dunk
Shaq steps into the paint and seals his defender with his front foot so he can receive a pass from the top of the key. The Heat have spaced the court to inhibit double-teaming; when the defender drops down from the top of the key, Shaq pivots away from him. Although he misses the first dunk, he remains balanced and grabs the rebound. Shaq gathers himself, executes a shoulder fake to get the shot-blocker out of position and dunks again.
L.A. Shaq • Cross-Step Dunk
Pivoting towards the middle and keeping the ball high, Shaq forces the defence to react. When David Robinson and the help defenders overplay the first shot fake, Shaq cross-steps and dunks.
Cleveland Shaq • Baseline Spin
Sensing that his defender is off-balance, Shaq leans towards the middle to increase his advantage in position. Immediately, he spins to the baseline and finishes.
L.A. Shaq • Alley-Oop
After communicating with the passer on the wing, Shaq spins around the defender. Once he cross-steps with his left foot, he is past the defence and ready to receive and alley-oop pass.
L.A. Shaq • Jump Hook
The ball is at the top of the key so Shaq seals his defender with his front foot to establish a clear passing lane. After receiving the ball, he pivots towards the baseline using his forearm – within his own body space – to create room for a hook shot.
L.A. Shaq • Seal and Three-Point Play
As the battle in the post moves away from the block, Shaq shifts slightly towards the baseline so that his front foot seals David Robinson. There is a great deal of room and the weak-side defender is too far away to help. Shaq reverse pivots with his left foot in order to cut off the defence, protect the ball and score the three-point play.
Phoenix Shaq • Offensive Rebound
Shaq assumes a position along the baseline on the weak-side of the wide key. After jumping high for a long rebound, he protects the ball with his body. Stepping with his left foot allows Shaq to gain space and his athleticism permits him to explode and finish with a powerful dunk.
Lessons to be Learned
Although the Diesel has announced his retirement from basketball, his desire to improve should remain an example to young players for years to come. The Big Baryshnikov could have remained satisfied with his status of a number one draft pick and member of the United States Olympic game but he was determined to improve in order to help his teams win.