In the past, Shaquille O’Neal was only a rising star that older players wanted to mentor. Now, he is one of basketball’s all-time greats. One of the players who ensured he had a smooth transition to the NBA as a superstar was Michael Jordan.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most recognizable names in basketball history. He made his name as the most dominant player on the floor. O’Neal always had the signature drop step to a powerful dunk down pat.
In his early NBA years with the Orlando Magic, the rest of the league saw a superstar. At 7’1″, he was a physical anomaly with his strength, but he was also extremely athletic. Despite his size, he had a soft touch around the rim with his hook shots.
O’Neal may never have improved from the free-throw line, but he was superb everywhere else. The transition to the NBA could have been tough, but he had the right people around him. This included basketball’s biggest name: Michael Jordan, who gave him valuable advice.
As the most distinguished superstar when O’Neal entered the league, Jordan was a respected figure. Any young player who entered the league knew that Jordan was the best, and any advice he gave was valuable.
O’Neal quickly became one of the league’s best players, so he and Jordan were able to interact. During those interactions, His Airness said the young Diesel would have a good career. However, he had to set high expectations because that would motivate him.
The dominant center had many failures in his Magic career, but he was still a fantastic player. He even led Orlando past Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to reach the 1995 NBA Finals. Unfortunately, the losses became too much, which led to O’Neal’s move to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“When you’re dealing with success, there are always higher expectations from year to year. But I think what’s very important for Shaquille is to set his own expectations and live up to those,” Jordan said in an interview about a young O’Neal.
“If he lives up to his own expectations, he’s gonna surpass the expectations that people may have for him.”
As one of the most exciting prospects in the 1990s, O’Neal already had high expectations before the NBA. It was a struggle because he had to play under immense pressure. However, he delivered with strong performances and dominance on the court.
O’Neal also became one of the most recognizable faces worldwide due to his many advertisements and projects. Alongside the money he earned, the pressure mounted. The expectations were heavy, so winning with the Lakers was a massive relief for the Diesel.
Jordan’s advice was key for O’Neal because he set high expectations and delivered on them. Winning a three-peat with the Lakers was proof of his lofty expectations and how he kept exceeding them. That era ended abruptly, but it was still successful.
He ended his career with four championships and a fantastic resume. It is safe to say that he met and surpassed expectations throughout his career. O’Neal is a superstar who rightfully deserves his place in the history books.
