"He was one of the biggest, strongest, craziest power forwards that played in that time" - Shaquille O'Neal names Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the player he derived the most inspiration from

Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant centers in NBA history, and he recently revealed the player who inspired him. During a recent interview, Shaq stated that he derived the most inspiration from Hall of Famer Kareem-Abdul Jabbar.

O'Neal dominated the NBA as part of the LA Lakers and Miami Heat at his peak, winning four championships and several awards. As part of the Lakers, Shaq joined a legacy of legendary players, including the main one who inspired him.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also one of the most dominant centers in NBA history, although he did it differently than O'Neal. Shaquille O'Neal was near unstoppable because of his powerful dunks, whereas Abdul-Jabbar relied on his Skyhook.

While O'Neal and Abdul-Jabbar scored and played differently, they both brought championships to Los Angeles. Still, Shaq revealed that he derived inspiration from Abdul-Jabbar for more than being a Lakers legend.

In an interview with MARCA, O'Neal spoke about several topics, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was always a big inspiration to me. Not only because he was a Laker, but he was also one of the biggest, strongest, craziest power forwards that played in that time. Period.

Abdul-Jabbar was undoubtedly one of the most prominent players of his era, standing at 7'2'' to Shaq's 7'1'', although O'Neal was significantly heavier. Shaquille O'Neal then revealed how much he learned from Kareem, despite not taking too much from him.

"I watched him. I learned from him, but to be honest, I probably talked to Kareem a total of three minutes while he was in the league. It would be interesting to study how many times you show respect on the court and don't do the same verbally. He was a unique and unrepeatable player."

Given where Abdul-Jabbar ranks in the history of the NBA, "unique" and "unrepeatable" are apt descriptions. Kareem is still the NBA's all-time leading scorer despite retiring in 1989.

Still, Shaq was no slouch on the court, and he would eventually join Abdul-Jabbar in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earned their Hall of Fame careers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal both made the NBA 75th-Anniversary team.

Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may have played the game of basketball differently, but they were both unstoppable at times. Their respective skills earned them both spots in the Hall of Fame and the NBA's 75th Anniversary teams.

Kareem and Shaq are among the elite of the elite in NBA history, with many listing them among the greatest players ever.

Shaquille O'Neal and Abdul-Jabbar established themselves among the greatest players at their position and greatest overall players. While O'Neal did not talk to Kareem much, he became the equivalent of Abdul-Jabbar for a generation of fans.

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