Achieved the last 3-peat in the NBA but was Shaquille O’Neal’s first win itself a steal? The accusations came during one of the recent episodes of Inside the NBA. Appearing on the show was Jalen Rose, who, along with his Indiana Pacers, had met Shaq in the 00′ NBA Finals. And he had a hilarious accusation against Big Diesel.

While the crew was reminiscing over Rose’s career highlights, Ernie Johnson casually mentioned Jinx’s Most Improved Player title from season 1999-2000. Without missing a beat, Rose quipped, “Shaq got my ring that year, “ delivering the line with a perfect mix of humor and nostalgia. He, however, admitted, “I was going to beg him for it.”

Hardly any NBA fan would’ve forgotten Shaquille O’Neal’s first championship in 2000. It marked the start of the iconic three-peat with Kobe Bryant for the Los Angeles Lakers—the last time any NBA team achieved such dominance. But while Shaq and Kobe were making history, Jalen Rose had a career-defining season of his own.

That year, Rose’s numbers soared. His scoring average shot up to 18.2 points per game, a massive leap from his usual near-10-point performances. To top it off, he helped lead the Indiana Pacers to their first-ever NBA Finals. Unfortunately for the Pacers, they ran into an unstoppable force in Shaq, who seemed determined to bulldoze his way to the throne.

Shaq’s dominance was evident from the jump. His regular-season averages—29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and three blocks per game—were enough to make any defender break a sweat. But come the Finals, he reached an entirely new level. Over six games, Shaq decimated the Pacers, averaging a jaw-dropping 38 points, 16.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.

Rose wasn’t just a bystander in the series, though. He held his own, averaging an impressive 23 points per game. But let’s be real—how do you stop Shaq when he’s in full beast mode? Especially when he had Kobe Bryant covering him at any point where he lacked. The crucial Game 4 from the series comes to mind.

The time when Kobe Bryant had Shaquille O’Neal’s “back” in the 00′ Finals

Heading to Game 4 in 00′ Finals series, the Lakers had a 2-1 lead. But they were still reeling from a Game 3 loss that gave the Pacers a momentum. With everything on the line, this game went down to the wire—and then into overtime. Shaquille O’Neal was unstoppable for most of the night, racking up a jaw-dropping 36 points and 21 rebounds.

But when he fouled out in overtime while fighting Rik Smits for a rebound, it felt like the tide might turn. The Pacers had their chance to capitalize. But they didn’t count on one thing—Kobe Bryant wasn’t about to let the Lakers lose. “Kobe looked at me, and without a worry in the world, he said, ‘I got you big fella. Imma take over,'” Shaq recalled in an interview years later.

And take over Black Mamba did. Despite nursing a sprained ankle that had sidelined him earlier in the series, Kobe put on a display in the final moments. With the game tied and time running out, he sank the go-ahead layup with 5.9 seconds left, sealing a 120-118 win for his team. Thus providing the Lakers a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. So, although Jalen Rose joked about Shaq stealing his ring in 00′, it does not seem any team earned it more than the Lakers.