Over the years, Shaquille O’Neal was one of the most dominant players in the NBA and is one of the greatest centres of all time. He was an incredible player, but he also played for some incredible teams. His run with Penny Hardaway and the Orlando Magic at the start of his career established him as a world class talent and then his move to the Los Angeles Lakers and his pairing with Kobe Bryant saw him solidify himself as one of the all-time greats. The former centre won three straight NBA championships in California and then later won another ring when he teamed up with Dwyane Wade at the Miami Heat.
For a long time, he was on one of the best teams in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t other sides that gave him a tough time on the court. He played at the same time as Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls after all, but when discussing the toughest team he ever faced off against, Shaq went with someone else entirely.
Shaq’s Toughest Opponents Never Won a Title
While he’s faced some incredible teams over the years, O’Neal surprisingly named the 2000 Portland Trail Blazers as his toughest ever opponents. Speaking to Bleacher Report and quoted by NBC Sports, he said:
“They [Portland] were the toughest team and they were the only team that wasn’t scared of us.”
That Portland team consisted of the likes of Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace and Damon Stoudamire. They faced off against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals at the tail end of the 1999/2000 season. They lost in seven games, but the team left a lasting impression on O’Neal and he wasn’t the only Lakers player to speak highly of them afterwards either.
Robert Horry, who was a key figure for the California-based team as they won their trio of titles during the early 2000s, also praised the Trail Blazers and went so far as to say they were the best team he ever faced. He said: “It’s probably the best team I’ve ever faced playing basketball, period.”
That’s quite high praise from two incredibly decorated players on the level of O’Neal and Horry. They might not have got their hands on a championship, but the 2000 Trail Blazers team certainly made an impact.
