Shaquille O’Neal had entire game plans built around him, but only Father Time could slow him down, according to this Nets legend.
Shaquille O’Neal got tired of losing in the playoffs over and over again. After being outplayed by an aging Houston Rockets team in the 1999 postseason, Shaq broke a bathroom, prompting Lakers General Manager Jerry West to walk in and explain to Shaq that he had lost in the Finals.
NBA 7 times before winning just one. title.
Well, that same year, it was time for Shaq. The Los Angeles Lakers would go on to win 3 straight championships with ‘The Big Aristotle’ winning Finals MVP in each of those series.
His dominance on the biggest stage in the league was shown to the entire world and it became clear that he was who he said he was: MDE
It’s safe to say that the centers Shaquille O’Neal faced in the Finals weren’t exactly the cream of the crop. The Pacers had Rik Smits, the 76ers added a mid-30s Dikembe Mutombo, and the Nets had Kenyon Martin and Todd MacCulloch.
Kenyon Martin was the most skilled of all the greats Shaq faced in the Finals, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a series sweep.
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Kenyon Martin on what could stop Shaquille O’Neal.
Kenyon Martin is one of the most underrated players of the early to mid-2000s. His engine was on par with Kevin Garnett’s and he was the anchor for Jason Kidd’s New Jersey Nets for several years, even earning an appearance at the All-Star Game in 2004. As of today, his net worth is $60 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
While discussing that Finals series between the New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Lakers in 2002, K-Mart was sparing in its praise for the 4x champion.
“It was King Shaq’s fucking team. Any team Shaq was on; I don’t care who else was in it. Because you had to plan the game with Shaquille O’Neal. Like I said, no one ever protected Shaq.
Father time is the only one who protected Shaq.
Martin said.
The purple and gold would go on to sweep the Nets in that series in what would be O’Neal’s final championship with the Lakers. The Nets would reach the NBA Finals the following year, losing once again, but this time to the team that beat the Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs.
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