Ranking Shaquille O’Neal’s 3 best performances in NBA All-Star games

Four-time NBA champion, Shaquille O’Neal was a dominant force in the league in the late 1990s and through the 2000s, using his strength and fearlessness to score easily. Like Michael Jordan, O’Neal was also an early bloomer, making his mark in the league within his first few seasons. Shaquille O’Neal played for the All-Star team for the first time in 1993, which was his rookie season.

Shaq was named in the All-Star team 15 times and won MVP honors thrice across his illustrious career. Apart from the action on the floor, Shaquille O’Neal entertained off the floor as well, as he put on a dancing master-class in the 2009 All-Star Game. He danced with Jabbawockeez, an American hip-hop dance crew, when the Phoenix Suns hosted the competition. On that note, take a look at his top three performances in All-Star games.

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#3 2009 All-Star Game

Shaquille O’Neal suffered injuries during the 2007-08 season, along with being traded from the Miami Heat. His 14-season streak of receiving All-Star game honors ended that year, but he was soon back among the stars in the 2009 edition.

Representing the Phoenix Suns, Shaq played 29 games before the All-Star break, averaging 17.7 points and nine rebounds.

On Feb 15th, 2009, Shaquille O’Neal suited up for the West and was crucial in a blowout victory. The West beat the East 146-119, as Shaq scored 17 points on an 88.9% shooting night. His former teammate, the late Kobe Bryant, was clinical as well – logging 27 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Despite playing only 11 minutes, Shaq shared the 2009 All-Star MVP award with Kobe Bryant at the US Airways Center.

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#2 2000 All-Star Game

In the 1999-00 season, the Lakers were enjoying regular-season success, as they lost only 10 games before the All-Star break.

Through the stretch of the first 47 games, Shaquille O’Neal was efficient, averaging 28 points, 14.2 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game, while shooting 57.4% from the field. He became the fourth-highest votes receiver, after Vince Carter, Alonzo Mourning and Allen Iverson – all from the East.

On Feb 13th, 2000, the big men of the West dominated, combining for 70 points, while the top-voted trio of Carter, Mourning and Iverson managed just 53. O’Neal played for only 25 minutes, logging 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, providing offense in regular spurts.

West won the fixture by a 11-point margin as the All-Star MVP award was shared by Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal. Tim Duncan scored 24 points and shot an efficient 85.7% from the field.

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#1 2004 All-Star Game

The 2004 All-Star game was like a highlight reel as the players put on a show. Alley-oops came at regular intervals, entertaining the fans at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Shaquille O’Neal’s scoring had dropped during the regular season, averaging 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks before the All-Star break, in 35 games. But he showed up in the All-Star Game.

On Feb 15th, 2004, O’Neal went on a scoring run – making 11 of his 19 attempts in just 24 minutes on the floor. Shaq logged a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds, leading the West in scoring. The East led in the first half of the game, but the West took over in the third quarter, scoring 45 points.

Shaquille O’Neal had an efficient night, shooting 63.2% from the field and helping the West win by a four-point margin. For the first time in his career, Shaq did not have to share the All-Star MVP trophy as he lifted the award at the end of the night.