Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best NBA scorers in the history of the game. But when did Shaquille O’Neal get drafted into the NBA?
Shaquille O’Neal popularly known as Shaq is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time. He is a 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and 325-pound (147 kg) center who played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Due to his ability to dunk the basketball and score from close range, O’Neal also ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%). O’Neal was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team in 1996.
In October 2021, O’Neal was again honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He is a 4-time NBA Champion, 15-time NBA All-Star, 3-time NBA finals MVP, and a Hall of Famer. But let us find out when this magnificent player got drafted into the NBA for the first time.
When did Shaquille O’Neal got drafted?
This all-time great player was a star in college before coming to the NBA which lead to Orlando Magic selecting him as the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. Shaq was 7′ 1″ tall, weighed 301 pounds, and had a 36″ vertical with just 10% body fat during that time.
Shaq made his NBA debut on the 6th of November in 1992 against the Miami Heat. He did not disappoint on his debut as he tailed 12 points, 18 rebounds, and 3 blocks. His 18 rebounds were the most on his NBA debut after Bill Walton in 1974.
His teammates Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott also did great on his debut. Nick went on to score a career-high 42 points, whereas Dennis Scott scored 27. Due to this, Shaq only attempted 8 shots and scored just 12 points. But his presence was felt on the defensive end, where he dominated everybody.
This is what Miami’s centre Rony Seikaly who was guarding Shaq that day had to say about the power of Shaq.
“When he leaned on me, it was like a house falling on you.”
Shaq averaged 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game in his rookie season. He became the first player in NBA history to win the “Player of the Week” title in his first week in the league. He also went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award that season.
After four years with Magic O’Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. Where he won three consecutive championships in 2000,2001 and 2002. And then O’Neal got traded to Miami Heat in 2004 where he won his fourth NBA championship.
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