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Known for his in-depth NBA takes, Tim Legler is also recognized as a journeyman as he was still playing in the league. On JJ Redick's "The Old Man and The Three" podcast, Legler was recently asked to name a player he feared going up against. He replied that he was not afraid of players back in his day except one - Shaquille O'Neal.
"Shaq just wouldn't go out there and outplay you," Legler said, "dominate you statistically, like whatever. He could put you on a video clip that could last a lifetime."
In his prime, the "Big Diesel" was hard to handle at both ends of the floor due to his sheer power. Despite having already retired, O'Neal is considered one of the most dominant basketball players in the NBA.
Legler's fear was more of seeing it happen in real-time as he played in a different position to O'Neal. He also mentioned how the Lakers legend would not only embarrass players defending him on the court but even put them on his highlight reel, which is still being watched to this day.
Tim Legler speaks on guarding Shaquille O'Neal
The ESPN NBA analyst talked about when he tried guarding the big man back. O'Neal was then playing for the Orlando Magic and Legler for the Dallas Mavericks.
"[Shaq] picks up a loose ball in the middle of the lane," Legler said. "I'm the closest guy to him, and even then it was, 'Don't let this guy get layups and dunks, chop him.' He started to rise, and I swung down as hard as I could across both forearms. He kept going at full strength.
And I'm feeling kind of like my body starting to go upward," Legler added, "like in an upward motion. Like, he's about to take me off the ground. And you release, and you let go."
Leger described the moment he was guarding O'Neal. He said it felt like he was being brought up with the big man's strength alone.
It's also a testament to how stronger O'Neal had gotten when he went to the Lakers, where he played at the peak of his career.
Moreover, in the 20 seasons that the "Big Diesel" played in the NBA, he has a career average of 23.7 points (58.2% shooting) and 10.9 rebounds per game.
