"When I was a kid, David Robinson wasn't very nice to me" - Kobe Bryant on why Shaquille O'Neal badly wanted to torch the Spurs

david-robinson-and-shaquille-oneal

Shaquille O’Neal has had his fair share of rivalries with his fellow dominant big men throughout his NBA career. Knowing Shaq, he never really took things personally with any of them except San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson.

O’Neal was a lot of things, but plotting a vendetta against a foe wasn’t really one of his areas of expertise. However, Kobe Bryant revealed that Shaq once told him about his unpleasant past with Robinson, which fueled “Diesel” to torch “The Admiral” with a vengeance ahead of a Los Angeles Lakers vs. Spurs playoff series.

“I remember the playoff series against San Antonio, we’re going into the arena, he leans over to me and he goes, ‘Bring it to me early tonight. Bring it to me early.’ I’m looking, I’m like, ‘Alright. What’s going on?’ He said, ‘When I was a kid, David Robinson wasn’t very nice to me.’ I said, ‘Say no more. This series is in the bag. That’s it!’,” Bryant once recalled.

O’Neal  just made it all up

Taking a quick trip down memory lane, Big Diesel truly disliked that Robinson took his shine away when they were both rising to prominence. Shaq was arguably the most talented big man in college basketball, while David made waves as an NBA newcomer.

At one point during O’Neal’s teenage years, he crossed paths with the Spurs legend. But contrary to what he told Bryant, Shaq was treated politely by “The Admiral.” Years later, O’Neal confessed to making up a story because Robinson was too nice for a rival. In his defense, the LSU alumnus said he had to do it to help himself perform at the highest level every time he took on Robinson.

“David Robinson is my favorite player ever. I love David Robinson,” O’Neal said of Robinson on NBA 75 Stories. “I met him in high school. Because before David came to San Antonio, Shaquille O’Neal was the big cheese in San Antonio, Texas. Every San Antonio express, everyone on the sports page during basketball season – me, me, me, me, me. Who’s this young kid on the army base putting up all these numbers? Now they [the Spurs] draft David Robinson, he takes my shine away.”

“I loved him so much that I had to make up a fake story to be able to play against him because David was a nice man,” he confided. “He’s just so nice. So, now when I play against him I’m like, ‘I can’t be mean to a guy that nice and then I have to make up a story’… Because me, when I get upset, I play harder and I play better. So, I had to make up a wild story in my head to go against him.”

Shaq and Robinson had an epic rivalry

True to form, O’Neal and The Admiral became two of the most dominant centers in the NBA. Both big men had the skill set and physique to go toe-to-toe against one another on the court, and before long, their intense rivalry kept fans on the edge of their seats.

As expected, O’Neal was a force to be reckoned with, standing at an impressive 7-foot-1 and weighing over 300 pounds. His otherworldly strength, agility, and dominating presence made it almost impossible for him to stop down low.

On the other hand, Robinson made a name for himself for being exceptionally finesse for a 7-footer with bulging biceps. His athleticism, shot-blocking skills, rebounding prowess, and soft touch made him not only one of the most versatile players of his time but also a tough matchup for O’Neal.

The rivalry between Shaq and Robinson peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s when both players were at the zenith of their NBA superstardom. Their matchups were legendary, with each player pushing the other to their limits in a showdown of skill, strength, and strategy.

O’Neal won more NBA titles than Robinson, but statistics show that they had a close battle throughout their epic rivalry. Big Aristotle and “The Admiral” faced each other 40 times, 23 in the regular season and 17 in the playoffs. Robinson holds a winning record of 12-11 against Big Diesel in the regular season, but Shaq edged David 9-8 in the postseason.

As the rivalry between the two raged on, both players amassed impressive stats and records that cemented their legacies in the NBA lore in the process. Shaq became a four-time NBA champion, a three-time NBA Finals MVP, and a 15-time NBA All-Star. Robinson, meanwhile, became a two-time NBA champion, a one-time NBA MVP, and a 10-time NBA All-Star.

Despite their fierce NBA rivalry, O’Neal and Robinson shared a mutual respect and admiration for each other on and off the court. In conclusion, their individual achievements and contributions to the game will forever be etched in the annals of basketball history.