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Shaquille O'Neal is, without a doubt, one of the greatest NBA centers in the league's history. Multiple sources say that O'Neal is ranked second behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in terms of stats, but when looking at Shaq's dominance alone, there was no one quite like him. His opponents had difficulty throwing up shots inside the paint. "Big Diesel" was a beast at both ends of the court.
O'Neal is a star-studded NBA legend. He has accomplished many accolades during his 19-year tenure. He's a four-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, and a league MVP. He also has 15 All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVPs, 14 All-NBA selections and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections.
Shaq was unquestionably one of the most feared players on the court, but was that always the case? Let's take a look at his rookie season.
Looking back at Shaquille O'Neal's rookie season
Shaquille O'Neal was selected by the Orlando Magic as the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft.
O'Neal quickly established himself to be the best player on the team and even became an All-Star as a rookie. During the 1992-93 season, Shaq averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. He did everything at both ends of the court, winning the Rookie of the Year.
"Big Diesel" made his debut on November 11, 1992, when the Magic went up against the Miami Heat. Shaq easily put up a double-double performance in 32 minutes of play. He had 12 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks to start his career. The next day, O'Neal had another double-double outing and put up his first 20-point game against the Washington Wizards.
Come his third game, Shaq put up his first 30-point game. The Magic fell to the Charlotte Hornets 112-108, but nobody could deny O'Neal's solid outing. He had 35 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. It was another double-double performance, which fans were expecting to see in the games to come at that point.
In his fourth game, O'Neal had another historic night. This time, he achieved his first 20-rebound game. Orlando once again beat Washington, thanks to Shaq's 31 points, 21 rebounds, and four blocks.
On February 16, 1993, O'Neal put up his first 40-point game, which was his career high in points at that time. Going up against the Detroit Pistons, "Big Diesel" had 46 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks. Unfortunately, the Magic lost 124-120 despite Shaq's monster outing.
Shaquille O'Neal proceeded to achieve more or less the same figures throughout the rest of his rookie season. Looking back at how O'Neal's performances as a rookie turned out to be, it was definitely scary in a good way.
