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Shaquille O’Neal Scoffed at Grant Hill and Forcefully Reminded Him He Was 1 of the Best Centers of the 1990s

December 22, 2021

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In an NBA G League game, Shaquille O’Neal took a shot at former player Grant Hill. The current day Hall of Famer made the mistake of asking for respect from one who was once called “Big Game.”

Shaquille O’Neal once said that he was the best center of all time. Grant Hill, who was one of the best centers in the 90s, scoffed at his comment and reminded him that he was 1 of the best centers. Read more in detail here: best c of all time.

Shaquille O’Neal didn’t win an MVP until the new century, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and won his first NBA championship. The Diesel, on the other hand, had made a name for himself well before the year 2000.

O’Neal had already made it to the NBA Finals and won a scoring championship by the time he departed the Orlando Magic for the Lakers in the summer of 1996. Shaq continued to demonstrate his dominance with the Purple and Gold for the rest of the century, albeit he didn’t get his first championship ring until 2000.

Unfortunately, O’Neal interfered when Grant Hill used the phrase “emerging” to characterize Superman in a conversation about the 1990s.

From the moment he walked onto an NBA court, Shaquille O’Neal dominated.

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When the Orlando Magic received the No. 1 overall choice in the 1992 NBA Draft, they were still a relatively new expansion franchise. Fortunately, that selection featured one of the most must-see prospects in history.

Shaquille O’Neal was a standout for the LSU Tigers because of his stature, power, and agility. As soon as he walked on the court with the Magic, those same qualities made him one of the finest players in the league.

In 1992-93, Shaq was named Rookie of the Year after averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. In his second season, he improved dramatically, averaging 29.3 points and shooting a league-best 59.9% from the field. Penny Hardaway, a rookie at the time, became O’Neal’s co-star that season.

Shaq and Penny worked together to change the franchise. In 1995, the Magic made it to the NBA Finals. Despite being swept by the Houston Rockets and losing in the playoffs to the Chicago Bulls the next season, Orlando seemed to be a long-term contender.

That is, until the Magic declined to make good on their promise.

O’Neal left Orlando for Los Angeles in part because a newspaper survey claimed he wasn’t worth the seven-year, $115 million contract given by the Magic. Jerry West, the Lakers’ general manager, believed that The Diesel was worth the money, and he cleared practically his whole roster to get him on board.

Shaq and the Lakers struggled in the playoffs until Kobe Bryant came of age and led the team to a championship in 2000. Nonetheless, the Big Aristotle accomplished enough to be considered the finest big man of the decade.

In a conversation about the 1990s, O’Neal corrected Grant Hill.

Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal (L-R) during the Kenny Smith All-Star Bash in 2017 | WireImage/Johnny Nunez

Grant Hill probably should have been more cautious with his wording.

The panelists for NBA TV’s Open Court series’ “Decades” episode (h/t YouTube) were asked to identify their five finest players for each decade. G-Hill attempted to provide context when the subject of the 1990s came up.

“A lot of the 80s legends who played a little bit into the 90s were also retiring.” Isiah [Thomas] had just departed Detroit, Magic [Johnson] had gone a few years before, and [Larry] Bird had left a few years before. So, while Shaquille was blossoming, the NBA was in a kind of a transition…”

–Grant Hill, “Decades” at Open Court

“Emerging.” That was one of O’Neal’s pet peeves. He cut him off with a one-liner that befitted Shaq’s size and accomplishments.

“Emerging? “I had already appeared.”

In reaction to Grant Hill, Shaquille O’Neal said

The audience erupted in laughter, but Shaq made his point. Hill was also an intriguing character to chat with on the issue.

When Shaq joined the NBA in 1994, he had previously been on two All-Star teams. In reality, as Isiah Thomas pointed out, it was Hill himself who was “emerging” as the NBA’s prospective new face in the post-Michael Jordan era.

Shaq, on the other hand, didn’t need any prior knowledge of the kind of player he was in the 1990s. In 1997, members of the media had already made up their minds.

At All-Star Weekend in 1997, Shaq was chosen to the “50 Greatest Players” squad.

The 1997 “50 Greatest Players in NBA History” roster comprised storied basketball icons as well as a slew of superstars nearing the conclusion of their careers. There was also Shaquille O’Neal.

Shaq’s participation was presumably seen as premature at the time. It did, though, speak to his effect on the sport in little over four seasons. Nobody had ever seen a center with such a unique combination of agility, strength, and personality. Few players have ever dominated like him, and few will ever do so again. Plus, as The Diesel’s subsequent career demonstrates, the media got it right when he was added to the squad.

Shaq had already made a name for himself in the 1990s. As soon as he put on that Orlando Magic outfit, he blew through a brick wall like the Kool-Aid man.

Basketball Reference provided the statistics.

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