Scott Pollard played in the NBA for 11 long years. However, the ex-Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings’ big man did not come close to recreating the kind of dominance Shaquille O’Neal enjoyed in the league.
Shaq broke multiple records during his time in the league. He became a 3-time Finals MVP winner from 2000-2001, won 4 NBA titles, and also formed one-half of one of the most fearsome duos of all time, alongside Kobe Bryant, at the LA Lakers.
Shaq is rightfully remembered as one of the, if not the most dominant player of all time, and made a huge impact on both teammates and opponents during his time in the league. Recently, it was Pollard who talked about his experience guarding Shaq. The 48-year-old showed up on the Rock Chalk Unplugged podcast, claiming that his back still hurt from the times he had to guard Shaquille O’Neal:
My back still hurts [from guarding Shaquille O’Neal]. Prime Shaq was about 360 pounds. Don’t believe the hype. I know what 360 feels like. My dad was 360. And Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal] was every bit 360 pounds.
Hence, while Shaq has long left the NBA, he continues to make an impact on both former teammates and the opponents that he went up against. In some cases, it is in the form of career-ending highlights. In just a few, like Pollard’s, it takes the form of random back pains.
Shaquille O’Neal has an unmatched NBA legacy
Shaquille O’Neal arrived in Los Angeles back in 1996 already having established himself as a bonafide NBA superstar. Alongside Penny Hardaway, Shaq made the Magic a bonafide force in the East and then teamed up with a young Kobe Bryant.
While the two had their issues off the court, they were the dream duo on it. Shaq and Kobe formed the core of a 3-peat Lakers team which saw the former become the second player in NBA history to win 3 consecutive Finals MVPs.
The first to do so was Michael Jordan, who did it twice in six years in the 1990s. A player that Shaquille O’Neal himself considered his idol, the big man himself ended with a legacy that will forever be remembered by NBA fans.
Of course, that might partly also be due to his legacy off the court. Once a humungous giant in the league, Shaq is now a noted analyst, entrepreneur, a bit of a DJ, and surely an actor. Finally, he is quite easily the biggest philanthropist the NBA has ever produced.
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