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Richard Jefferson recently revealed what it was like to face prime Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA Finals. Jefferson appeared on JJ Redick's "The Old Man and the Three" podcast to discuss his career in the NBA, as well as his transition into an on-air analyst.
One of the topics they talked about was Jefferson's time with the New Jersey Nets. In his rookie year in the 2001-02 season, the Nets made their first NBA Finals appearance and faced off against the LA Lakers. Jefferson gave his take on Shaq's dominance at the peak of his powers.
"There was no f**king guarding him," Jefferson said. "... They changed how you had to construct your roster. You had to have two or three bigs just for f**king fouls. Not like good bigs, we just need bigs there, big bodies."
Richard Jefferson also believes that Shaquille O'Neal is the most dominant player the NBA has ever seen. Jefferson pointed out Shaq's physical presence, as well as his amazing skills for his size. He also noted how the LA Lakers legend's strength changed the game.
"Shaq, physically, was the most dominant we have ever seen, maybe we'll ever see," Jefferson said. "Because of his sheer size, athleticism, skill, footwork, hands, everything. There was no guarding him. ... There was no other player that I can think of in recent history that has that type of strength and power.
"He changed the f**king equipment. Backboards were getting broken. When people talk about Steph (Curry) changing the game, true. I think there's a lot of players that changed the game, including Shaquille O'Neal. They literally had to change the physical equipment because they had never seen someone with that level of strength before."
Shaquille O'Neal won three championships with LA Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal was at the peak of his career during the LA Lakers' three-peat run from 2000 to 2002. O'Neal was nearly unstoppable, with injuries the only thing that slowed him down. He averaged 28.6 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 blocks per game during that span.
O'Neal was good in the NBA playoffs, averaging 29.9 ppg, 14.5 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.4 bpg, but he saved the best for last in the NBA Finals. He averaged 35.9 ppg, 15.2 rpg, 3.5 apg and 2.9 bpg in those three Finals.
The Hall of Fame center added another ring in 2006 as a member of the Miami Heat. However, he was not in his prime anymore, with Dwyane Wade winning the NBA Finals MVP award that year.
Guess the Lakers players!
