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The world of basketball has seen a lot of brawls. Whether Kareem’s iconic punch or fellow Laker Brandon Ingram’s swing on Chris Paul, fistfights aren’t uncommon in the league. We all remember the Kobe Bryant-Chris Childs’ face-off resulting in a bare-knuckle punch. Following the incident, both players received suspensions. A lesser-known fact about the entire ordeal?

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Well, Shaquille O’Neal wore Kobe Bryant’s jersey during the suspension period, displaying solidarity. As one of the most dominant centers ever, O’Neal understands the physical nature of the sport.

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But even he was shocked at the vicious brawl that broke out on the court in a viral clip.

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The massive brawl left Shaquille O’Neal in shock

The clip made the rounds again and caught Shaq’s attention. The origin of the clip is from a 2018 FIBA qualifier game. A massive brawl broke out between Gilas Pilipinas and Australia in their Asian Qualifier match.

The Aussies were dominating the game. A common foul occurred with just under four minutes left in the third period. From there on, things spiraled out of control. While most would expect a bit of shoving and trash-talk, this fight reached epic proportions.

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Reminding NBA fans of the infamous Malice in the Palace, the brawl was harrowing. Even Shaquille O’Neal was bewildered. However, he had his eye on a particular player on the Australian team. In the mini slideshow, was a former Milwaukee Bucks unicorn.

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Shaq quickly voiced his suspicions. “Is that Thon Maker?” Unfortunately, Diesel is correct. Involved in the incident was the former lottery pick. The incident was the one true highlight of an otherwise disappointing career from the once revered prospect.

The consequences of the fight were immense.

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The fight, as and when it happened

Australia’s Daniel Kickert reacted strongly to the foul. He deliberately elbowed an unprepared member of the Philippines team, triggering a chaotic altercation. Players from both teams and team officials swiftly poured onto the court as the brawl extended beyond the boundaries and unfolded near one of the baskets.

Amidst all the commotion, Thon Maker engaged in a tussle between players who were grappling near one of the baskets. He then redirected his focus, sprinted toward an opposing player from the Philippines, and made an attempt to kick him before retreating toward mid-court.

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The incident caused mass hysteria and 13 players in total were ejected. Since then, multiple apologies have come out regarding the incident. Shaq, who has recently made some startling personal revelations, has a quick eye for detail. It was evident here.

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To leave a legend like Shaq, who has genuinely seen it all, dumbfounded, gives an idea of the insanity of the brawl. What are your thoughts on this? Tell us in the comments below.

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Priyanshu

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Priyanshu is an NBA beat Writer at EssentiallySports, with a healthy command over the technical aspects of the sport. Priyanshu has creatively covered the often entertaining interactions between legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley along with in-depth analysis of the games. He was at the forefront of the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, covering each and every aspect of the historic night in Springfield, Massachusetts. Furthermore, his article on Shaq and the UFC garnered close to a million pageviews. Moving away from the world of sports, Priyanshu is also an avid gamer, who can display other-worldly skills on NBA 2K.

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