Shaquille O'Neal: One of the Greatest Players and Personalities Ever

There are good basketball players; there are great basketball players; there are special players; and then there is Shaquille O'Neal.  

There are basketball players that smile a lot, basketball players who have good PR people, basketball players who have a once-a-year charity event—and then there is the movie-starring, rapping, gracious, giving person that was and still is Shaquille O'Neal. 

When Shaquille O'Neal retired this afternoon, the basketball community came to the sad realization that they were not only losing one of the greatest centers of all time but that they were also losing one of the greatest personalities in the history of the NBA. 

Shaq is a unique player in league history because when he retired, we felt like we were not only losing one of the greatest basketball players ever but one of our greatest friends.  I do not think any other player in basketball history can say that, but there was no one in NBA history who had a journey quite like Shaq's.

LSU (1989-1992)

When O'Neal played at LSU, it was like time stood still.  In a football town, there were only two players in the history of LSU basketball who were able to make time stand still: Shaq and "Pistol" Pete Maravich. 

When people at LSU saw Shaq play, they described it as "more than just a basketball game and more like a cultural phenomenon." To say Shaq was someone who fans might want to see play was a complete understatement, as fans felt like he was the first college basketball player since Michael Jordan at North Carolina that they had to see. 

Seeing Shaq play became as essential to a college student's routine as spitting bad pickup lines and pulling all-nighters.  This is because Shaq became one of the few players that we knew would become one of the greatest NBA players even when watching him as an amateur.

Shaq's awards and accomplishments at LSU were endless.  He became college basketball's player of the year (in the UNLV and Laettner eras, this should receive more praise); he was a two-time All-American; he was a three-time all-SEC player; he was known as one of the greatest freshmen in the history of college basketball.

But more importantly, he was one of the greatest personalities on the LSU campus.  To say that Shaq's three years at LSU set the tone for his career in the NBA perfectly would actually be sort of an understatement.

Orlando (1992-1996)

When you give a guy as much hype as the sports media was giving O'Neal prior to his rookie season in the NBA, most guys would fail to meet expectations and may even pull a Ryan Leaf-like breakdown under the immense pressure. 

O'Neal's personality and competitiveness refused to allow him to break down under pressure or allow him to be content with being just one of the NBA's greatest prospects of all time.  From his rookie season in Orlando on, we knew that O'Neal was destined for greatness and the only thing that could really stop him were freak injuries or something tragic.

By O'Neal's third game in Orlando, he was not only the most dominant player on the Orlando Magic but one of the more dominant players in the entire league.  He scored 35 points in his third game and was already earning double-teams. 

By the end of his first season, Shaq put in one of the greatest statistical seasons for a rookie we have ever seen when he averaged over 23 points and over 10 rebounds.  Shaq even had eight games with over 20 rebounds as a rookie. 

Just giving O'Neal the Rookie of the Year Award was almost a slap in the face

In his second season, Shaq led a team that just two years earlier had the No. 1 overall pick to the NBA playoffs.  O'Neal also started 81 games in this season and had an amazing 65 double-doubles on the season.  Shaq became even more of an intimidating force and added some new moves to his already-lethal arsenal. 

In O'Neal's third season, he led the Magic to an NBA Finals appearance—an incredible turnaround.  O'Neal turned in what was arguably one of the best seasons of his career, shocking the world by winning playoff series against Boston, Chicago and Indiana, who were three of the most powerful Eastern Conference teams of the time period.

In Orlando, Shaq and Penny Hardaway took what was the NBA's doormat and laughingstock and turned them into a perennial playoff team and even took the Magic to the NBA Finals.  Even though Shaq had accomplished all of this in Orlando, it can be argued that even the city who relied on Mickey and Minnie Mouse for tourist dollars did not have enough of a personality for "The Big Diesel." 

Shaq needed the bright lights of Hollywood.  It can be said that Hollywood needed him just as much.

Lakers (1997-2004)

The Lakers were stuck in "Showtime."  Before O'Neal started a new chapter in one of the greatest traditions in NBA history, all the Lakers really had was their history; a history that was marked by great draft picks; a history that was marked by the most hilarious and competitive of personalities; and a history that was now rewritten with the acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal.

For his first two seasons as a Laker, it can be said that Shaq was single-handedly carrying the team while he was still suffering through some of the most nagging injuries of his 19-year career.  Even though Shaq was hobbled by injuries, he was still able to put up 50-point games, he was still able to carry teams to the Western Conference finals and he was still somehow able to not point out the ugliness of Kobe's afro.

After all the physical and growing pains were finally over, Shaq and Kobe (who were commonly know as KoShaq in many households—wait, actually just my household) were able to form one of the greatest and most entertaining dynasties in NBA history starting in the 2000 season. 

That year, Shaq turned in one of the greatest regular seasons and postseason in the history of the NBA.  In the regular season, he was able to turn in an amazing 63 double-doubles (including 10 20-plus rebounding games).  O'Neal also had 39 games with over 30 points.  He was even able to clock in 47 40-plus minute games. 

In the playoffs, he routinely posted 40-point games while getting fouled just about every possession.  It ended with Shaq being the MVP of the NBA Finals and beginning to cement his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.

While Shaq may not have had as spectacular of a regular season in 2001, he led the Lakers to one of the most impressive postseason runs in the history of the NBA.  The Lakers went 15-1 in the 2001 postseason and were one historic Allen Iverson performance away from finishing the entire 2001 playoffs undefeated. 

Shaq and Kobe combined to become one of the greatest statistical playoff duos in NBA history (based on a combination of their points per game, shooting percentage, defensive efficiency and by how much they blew the crap out of other teams) and Shaq was making the game look almost too easy, as he had even added a hook shot to his repertoire. 

The 2002 season was much more of the same, as the Lakers became the second Phil Jackson team to three-peat.  KoShaq had put together a remarkable three-year run and a lot of this was because Shaq was becoming arguably the greatest center of all time right before our very eyes.

In the 2004 season, everything began to fall apart for the Los Angeles Lakers.  Kobe Bryant thought he was Michael Jordan just because he shaved his head and did not want to be Shaq's Robin anymore.  The two clashed on and off the court and began an awkward feud. 

The Lakers also believed that their team would be drastically improved by signing the corpses and massive egos of black Republican Karl Malone and Gary Payton.  In what should not have been a surprise at all, the Detroit Pistons ended up beating the Lakers in five games and the KoShaq era came to a sad end.

When Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for a package that was basically just Lamar Odom Kardashian in the summer of 2004, we felt like Kobe was putting an end to one of the greatest marriages in NBA history. 

The way Shaq interacted with the city of Los Angeles was better than any celebrity, any personality, any preacher or anyone in general could even dream of.  To see this marriage come to an end was depressing not only as a basketball fan, but as someone who liked to be entertained and occupied. 

Damnit Kobe!

2004-2007 Miami

One of the more underrated chapters in the entire Shaquille O'Neal legacy has to be his time with the "Pre-Decision" Miami Heat. 

In 2005, Shaq should have been voted the MVP of the NBA; he completely changed the culture in Miami from losing to "we should win a title" and put up spectacular numbers.  He was able to play in a lot of games considering the injuries he had suffered towards the end of his time in Los Angeles.

Right when he gave D-Wade the nickname "Flash," he immediately turned into a superstar and people even showed up to watch the Heat play!

Even though that award was given to Steve Nash, Shaq was still able to help Miami somehow win a championship. 

In what has been discussed ad naseum over the past two weeks, Dwyane Wade turned in one of the greatest Finals performance of all time by essentially "falling down and knowing that he would get a call" and led the Heat to an improbable NBA championship over the fighting Dirks of Dallas.  It was one of the biggest accomplishments of Shaq's career and one of the things we will always remember him for.

Sadly, Shaq was traded from Miami after he continued to suffer injury after injury and could not control his weight.  Instead of keeping Shaq, the Heat decided to give Wade a really awful supporting cast for two years and then sign LeBron James and Chris Bosh.  It is safe to say that they would be a lot better if they would have decided to keep Shaq around for those two years but it is even safer to say that Wade and O'Neal still formed one of the most fun and at times most successful duos in recent NBA history. 

This was really all O'Neal came to Miami to do.  Well, I guess he came to Miami to get away from Kobe as well.

2008-2011: Phoenix, Cleveland, Boston, and Retirement

This is what we should call "The Wonder Years" of Shaq's career as Father Time slowly began to catch up with O'Neal.  In Phoenix, he named himself "The Big Cactus," instantly brought toughness to one of the softest teams in the entire NBA, made Steve Nash look really small and white, but really slowed the Suns down. 

It is tough to say that Shaq killed the Suns' best chance at winning a title because even though he slowed the team down, he brought a unique toughness and chemistry to a team that had neither of those things before his arrival.

When O'Neal was traded to Cleveland, he was traded so he could give Cleveland another big body and so LeBron haters could yell "Kobe won titles with Shaq but LeBron couldn't" in barbershops.

O'Neal was known as the X-factor for the Cavs to make a title run and put in some really solid performances in the 2010 playoffs.  The Cavaliers eventually lost to the Celtics in the playoffs after LeBron may have received some very upsetting news about a relative and Delonte West.  James still considers Shaq one of his favorite teammates, though, and that has to say something about what O'Neal brings to the table personality-wise and effort-wise.

O'Neal rejuvenated himself for the 2011 Boston Celtics season before he tragically fell to injury.  It was such a pleasure watching Shaq become one of the best five players on the Celtics for those first few games and a player that made the Celtics feel comfortable trading away Kendrick Perkins so he could play more. 

O'Neal's last game was breathtakingly sad, as he could barely walk but still had a smile on his face and was still playing with maximum effort. "The Big Conductor" brilliantly conducted the first half of his season with the Celtics but tragically fell to injury in the second half.

When O'Neal said he was retiring Saturday, it was basically a perfect summary of his entire accomplished career.  O'Neal said that he wanted to have a press conference at his house so he could "hang out" with the media, he wanted his fans to tweet him some new nicknames and then went on to thank all of his teammates for all of his greatest accomplishments. 

This showed that even when Shaq retired, he was still one of the greatest personalities we have ever seen touch a basketball at the pro level. 

Shaq is one of the greatest NBA players ever; one we will remember for tearing down rims in Orlando, for winning championships and feuding with Kobe in Los Angeles; one we will remember for bringing a title to Miami and for being a great teammate in Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston. 

We will also remember Shaq as the player with the most nicknames, the player with the most Twitter followers, the player who starred in all of the bad movies, the player who failed to have a rapping career and for having one of the biggest hearts in the history of the NBA. 

This legacy might not be replicated again in the history of professional basketball.