Standing at a huge 7-foot-1 inch frame, Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant players of his generation. However, there was one player who was taller than him and gave him stiff competition.

It is none other than Yao Ming. The Chinese national played for the Houston Rockets, where he had memorable encounters with Shaq.

Interestingly enough, during one of their matchups, he blocked Shaq’s shot thrice; this is an achievement in itself. But due to their strong competition on the court, O’Neal and Ming had a bitter relationship.

However, their relationship changed during the latter part of their life. Although Shaq had managed to form a bond with Ming, he thought Ming did not know English for three years.

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Shaq revealed an interesting story on stage when he found out Ming speaks English. Yao hit Shaq with a brilliant move and, like a good sportsman, Shaq appreciated his move. Ming thanked the 4 time NBA champion for his kind words, which shocked Shaq.

Shaq said, “He was a great player and he tricked me. 3 years and I never spoke to Yao thinking it was a language barrier there and in one game he hit me with a Hakeem Olajuwon bing-bing fade away.”

He added, “I was like, ‘Hey Yao, nice move’ and he said, ‘thanks my brother’. I said, ‘you speak English?’. He was like, ‘Shaq, you never talk to me. Of course, I speak English.‘”

Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming’s relationship

For years, Shaquille O’Neal was the poster boy of the NBA’s huge centers. That’s when the Houston Rockets drafted Yao Ming from China. He instantly became a hit thanks to his height. Ming stands at a huge 7-foot-5 inch frame compared to Shaq, who is 7-foot-1 inch.

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The two had many memorable moments, and they shared a bitter rivalry till Shaq’s father stepped in. O’Neal was rude towards Ming until his dad revealed how Ming idolized Shaq.

His father told him, “You need to show this young man more respect.” Since then, the two have had a good bond with each other.

Shaq has faced Yao Ming 18 times in his career. Although Shaq leads the score with 10 wins, Ming was not far with 8 wins. In the games between the two, Shaquille O’Neal averaged 21.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.