Shaquille O’Neal has had a wacky life, and his stories are always entertaining. He has been part of championship-winning teams but he is known more for his off-court side quests. Shaq has had his fair share of fights and tussles. But there was one that is a unique one.

As recounted by the Big Aristotle himself on the “Knuckleheads” podcast, former Nigerian player Michael Olowokandi challenged him. The ex-player was the son of a Nigerian diplomat and hence came from money and was picked No. 1 by the Los Angeles Clippers in 1998. His life was set. But that did not end there. He once decided to take on Shaq.

Shaq said, “Know what, he told me that one day in a game. He said Shaq, you think you the man, but I got more money than you. I was like, I don’t think so, brother.”

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Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson recalled that he was already driving Aston Martin’s before his rookie year. The man was a real-life version of “Prince Hakeem” from the movie “Coming to America”.

Olowokandi was a bust in the NBA

Olowokandi was one of the biggest draft busts in the entire history of the NBA. He started playing organized basketball at the age of 18 and then the Clippers drafted him first overall. In hindsight, it turned out to be a bad decision as he got drafted before the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, and Paul Pierce.

He spent nine seasons in the league and played for the Clippers, the Celtics, and the Timberwolves before quitting the game. He averaged a very poor 8.3 points per game and had 6.8 rebounds per game despite being 7ft tall.

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best No. 1 draft picks ever

Shaquille O’Neal is probably one of the greatest no. 1 picks done by a team. He was already famous, but his time in the NBA made him a megastar.

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His size and athleticism were a sight to see on the court. He was the most dominant player in the ’90s and the 2000s. If you have 3 Finals MVPs, you deserve that No. 1 draft status. Shaq went on to win four NBA titles and is one of the biggest legends of the game.

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