Shaquille O’Neal, Who Was the Last to Beat Michael Jordan in a Playoff Game, Revealed What It Was Like to Poke the Bear

Published 02/23/2022, 7:30 AM EST

If you watched the Chicago Bulls in the ’90s, there was one man who stole the show. This is none other than ‘His Airness’, Michael Jordan. Jordan exhibited pure domination on the NBA floor as he led the Bulls to six titles. For any team to win the title, it was almost certain that they had to beat MJ to get there. This was the case from the 1990-91 season to the 1992-93 season.

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However, in 1993, MJ announced his retirement from the game and took to baseball. He played for nearly two years before returning to the NBA in March 1995. It was during this 1994-95 season that he would fall short of the finals. The Bulls would lose to a young Orlando Magic team led by Shaquille O’Neal. In light of this loss, Shaq explained what it was like to beat MJ in 1995 and then get swept by him and the Bulls in 1996.

Shaquille O’Neal on Michael Jordan

Back in 2021, Shaq spoke on the ‘Full Send Podcast‘ about how it was to beat MJ in the 1995 playoffs.

“I take pride in being the last guy to beat Michael Jordan in a playoff situation. Everybody’s gonna say, ‘Oh he came back from baseball.’ But my thing is, and I know he has the same mentality, if you’re on that court, that means you’re ready to go,” explained Shaq.

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Thereafter, Shaq added that in the following season, it appeared as though MJ had learnt from his mistakes in the previous season. He would return to beat Shaq’s Magic 4-0 in 1996.

“I know Michael actually learned from Michael, and the next year, they came back and demolished us. You know, make sure we didn’t win a game,” he added.

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Clearly, after MJ’s stint in baseball, he would return to help the Bulls make the playoffs and would help them reach the Eastern Conference semifinals where they lost to the Magic. However, it seemed as though MJ came back with a vengeance the following year. He would lead the league in scoring and even win an MVP award. Furthermore, the Bulls would also win the first title of their second three-peat. Clearly, this is yet another example of the greatness of Jordan.

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Written by:

Sameer is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having graduated from Manipal Institute of Technology, he has always had a keen interest in basketball and the numbers behind the game. With a goal to become a Sports Performance Analyst for a professional sports team, Sameer brings insights backed by data.

Shaquille O’Neal, Who Was the Last to Beat Michael Jordan in a Playoff Game, Revealed What It Was Like to Poke the Bear

Shaquille O’Neal on Michael Jordan

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