"That's why I signed a two-year deal in Boston" - Shaq admits he was desperate to surpass Wilt Chamberlain in all-time points tally

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While Wilt Chamberlain may not have been crowned the greatest winner in NBA history thanks mainly to his arch-nemesis, Bill Russell, his legacy as a scorer and rebounder remains as a measuring stick for all big men.

So, when Shaquille O’Neal emerged as a dominant force, he aimed to surpass ‘The Big Dipper’ in the NBA’s all-time points tally to cement his status as the undisputed most dominant center in NBA history.

“I wanted to pass him up in points so bad because I was gonna arrogantly say, ‘I’m the most dominant big man ever.’ Like, I know he had two championships. If I got two, I’m in the conversation. But when I got three, and then I got four, and I was edging him up in points,” O’Neal said on his podcast.

“That’s why I signed a two-year deal in Boston. I need to average 10 points for two years. I was gonna have a press conference,” he added.

O’Neal pays Chamberlain the respect

Having played five more seasons than the four-time MVP, Shaq made it his mission to surpass the legendary big man on the all-time scoring list. However, he fell short by 5.942 points and retired with the fifth-most career points ever—O’Neal is now No. 9 on the list, with Chamberlain holding the seventh spot.

That said, “The Diesel” has always been the one to acknowledge Wilt’s greatness. So when Jamal Crawford asked O’Neal to name his Mount Rushmore of big men, the Lakers legend included Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Chamberlain. He also referred to the latter as the ‘other most dominant’ big man ever.

However, ‘Diesel’ once said that his best version would “bust Wilt’s a**,” despite O’Neal feeling like he failed to secure the unanimous title as the most dominant center in NBA history.

Shaq doesn’t like sharing his title with Wilt

This isn’t the first time O’Neal has voiced his annoyance with sharing the crown as the most dominant big man with Chamberlain. During his appearance on Trae Young’s “From The Point “podcast, the 15-time All-Star admitted that he had always “desired to stand alone” in this category.

Though Shaq achieved an all-time great success throughout his NBA career, his legacy will forever be compared to Wilt’s. And even though O’Neal would prefer to be head and shoulders above every other big man in NBA history, being in the company with the likes of Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell is the next best thing.