Fighting for another title; the gaudy digits, the two championship rings, and a smile that lights up an arena make Shaquille O'Neal the league's most unstoppable force - Interview: Shaquille O'Neal

Basketball Digest, May, 2002 by Brett Ballantini

WE'LL ADMIT IT. WHEN WE asked Shaquille O'Neal how his toes felt, he said, "Good enough for 20 and 10," and we laughed.

It wasn't a joke. Shaq's double-take staredown conveyed that.

See, when O'Neal says he feels a step slow, it means he's good for "only" 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. That's right The statistical standard that measures all superstar post players is something Shaq meets on a bad day.

Peek behind the numbers. There's never been a player like O'Neal in the NBA. Shaq combines power and finesse better than anyone who's ever played the game. Whether you rank him first, second, or 10th on your list of all-time great centers, his ultimate legacy will be how he combined hard play and a soft touch.

Peek behind the superlatives. Remember the powerless feeling you had when facing up against your older brother, or one of the bigger kids in the neighborhood? That's how NBA players defending Shaq feel all the time. And not just players like Sam Cassell or Stephon Marbury who are shadowing Shaq on a switch, but guys assigned to guard Shaq: the Rasho Nesterovics and Anthony Masons of the league. Even "Baby Shaq" himself, the Chicago Bulls' Eddy Curry, is the "before" picture to Shaq's "after."

Is it ironic that the man who stops just short of beating his chest after another thunderous alley-oop slam and dons a tattoo reading "Man of Steel" has the subtlety and grace of his game overlooked? Is it unfair that opponents and fans alike tend to see little more than his brawn (and charity-stripe clunkers), not moments where he takes a Lakers team-mate aside to explain a nuance of the triangle offense?

"Shaq reminds me of Wilt Chamberlain in one respect," says Lakers assistant Jim Cleamons. "Wilt didn't get credit for being as smart and into the game as he was. People just think they're physically dominating, but there was much more to Wilts game, and there's so much more to Shaq's."

A season removed from his feud with Kobe Bryant, O'Neal has pocketed two championship rings and is angling for a third. But like a season ago, 2001-02 has already provided plenty of ups and downs for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team burst out of the gate at 16-1, but it has played relatively mediocre ball since December. After the team's white-hot start, LA. suffered heretofore-unspeakable losses to the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, and the Bulls--gasp--twice.

For his part, O'Neal has served two stints on the injured list due to an arthritic big toe on his tight foot, which likely will require offseason surgery, and tenderness in the little toe of his left foot. He also was suspended for three games after brawling with then-Bulls center Brad Miller. In Shaq's absence during those stretches, the Lakers are a pedestrian 7-6.

Despite his injury battle this season, the nine-time All-Star is well on his way to another All-NBA berth, ranking in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring and rebounding average, field-goal percentage, blocks per game, and double-doubles.

With the sand rapidly running out on the regular season, Shaq Daddy sat down with BASKETBALL DIGEST to discuss his legacy among the all-time great centers, his frustration with Hack-a-Shaq defenses, and why he thinks the Lakers will be in the Finals yet again.

BASKETBALL DIGEST: How have you been feeling?

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: I feel one step slow, which makes me a 90% player--unacceptable for me. I like being way above 100%, but I'm still good enough to get 20 and 10. I just need to get some rest, and hopefully by the playoffs I'll be a little bit better.

BD: Are you having fun this season?

SO: No, it's never fun. It's always only been a business. [Smiles]

BD: Is it important for you to have a legacy as the greatest center ever?

SO: I probably won't be considered the greatest center of all time. But as long as I can be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, everything will be fine.

BD: What about having a legacy simply as a guy who always had fun on the court?

SO: I like working. I like dominating at my job.

BD: And doing it with a smile makes a job well done even better?

SO: Yes, yes. [Smiles]

BD: When you were selected in 1996 as one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History," you'd only played three and a half seasons. At 23, you were the youngest guy to make the cut. Were you self-conscious about that?

SO: I had room to grow and improve, but I wasn't serf-conscious at all. I was a different type of center when I came into the league. Of course, when you're different, you're constantly being judged. The NBA wasn't ready for a center like me. I was mean; I worked hard; I talked [trash]. I dominated. That's just how it was. I wanted to be a dominating center back then, and I'm happy to be a dominating center right now.

Greater than great is greater. And greater than greater is the greatest. And there's nothing better than the greatest As long as I'm in one of those groups. I came in great, I'm greater than I was before, and hopefully I'll get the title as one of the greatest centers who's ever played. If not, well, a couple more championships would be fine by me. [Smiles]