Pinpointing The Exact Moment Shaquille O’Neal Said No To Pro Football To Opt For the More Glamorous League
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Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best and most dominant players to ever play in the NBA. He was an unstoppable force during his playing days, and the opposition’s defense had nightmares about him. Even though he became one of the best basketball players ever, Shaq could have gone on to pursue another sport. Shaquille O’Neal also played football back in high school. He was a dominant tight end, and due to his size, he was a cut above the rest.
However, there was an instance that completely made him shift his focus to the NBA and quit football. Talking about that moment, Shaq said, “I actually started out playing football. I was a hell of a tight end. As you know, I have wonderful hands, my hands are impeccable, and I like to punish people. But then a guy your size, hit me in my knee one day, I was all bummed out, and my dream came true.”
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He added, “I was sitting on the couch and Jon Koncak signs for $15 million for three years. I was thinking, ‘If I can make $5 million doing the basketball thing, I think I am going to switch up now … true story.”
The Atlanta Hawks offering backup center Jon Koncak a big deal made the world witnessed one of the best players of all time. Shaquille O’Neal never looked back and made it to the league, where he became a legend.
Shaquille O’Neal was part of one of the best duos in the history of the NBA
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When Shaquille O’Neal arrived in Los Angeles, everything changed. The Los Angeles Lakers immediately became a title favorite, as they had two of the best players in the world.
Shaq was arguably the best player in the world at that point in time, and pairing him up with a young and rising Kobe Bryant was absolutely sensational. The Lakers won three championships in a row and became one of the best teams ever.
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The duo of Shaq and Kobe is one of the best in the history of the league. Both of them complimented each other’s games quite well, and they dominated the entire league together. Even though the ending of their time together wasn’t sweet, they gave fans memories to cherish forever.
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Edited by:
Gurjyot Singh Dadial