Video: Shaquille O'Neal shares first experience playing Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing "First time I played him I was terrified...Shut your a** up rookie"

Shaquille O'Neal was one of the best ever but it's always interesting to hear former NBA players talk about the first time they met each other because many of them are typically starstruck, just like many fans are the first time they see their favorite player. That didn't change this time around as Shaquille O'Neal was intimidated by arguably the greatest basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan.

Shaq had the following to say on Revolt's Drink Champs podcast:

“So, first time I played him, I was terrified,” O’Neal explained on Revolt’s Drink Champs. While Shaq insisted that Jordan wasn’t his idol or anything like that, it didn’t make things any easier on the hardwood.

“That’s just Jordan,” Shaq continued. “Cause high school, college, I never got dunked on, but I was like, ‘This dude could probably dunk on me right now and embarrass me.’ But, so, when he first came and did a little stutter move, and he shot a shot, I was right there. So, now I was like, ‘Uh-oh... “I was like, ‘He’s a god, but I’m like close to the god,'”

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Shaquille O'Neal Was Afraid of Someone?

When thinking about it from this standpoint, it's crazy to think that Shaquille O'Neal was scared of anybody in the world. Considering that he's one of the biggest NBA players that the game has ever seen and is known to be the most dominant player that has ever played the game, people should be more scared of him than he is of them. However, because of what Michael Jordan did throughout his long career at that point, Shaquille O'Neal was starstruck and was nervous to meet him.

Once they get playing, that typically stops, but the first time that you see some of these guys is always interesting. Shaquille O'Neal typically played well against Michael Jordan. Throughout his long NBA career that lasted for 1,207 games, O'Neal averaged over 23.7 points, grabbed 10.9 rebounds, and averaged 2.3 blocks. His numbers were absolutely ridiculous throughout his career and he has one of the best stat lines that we've ever seen.

Is Michael Jordan the Best of All Time?

Despite all the success that Shaquille O'Neal has found throughout his career, it would be tough to argue that anybody has ever been better than Michael Jordan. Through his 1,072 career games, he averaged over 30 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.3 steals. He was a force on both sides of the basketball and that's part of why people believe that he might be the greatest of all time.

When talking about the best player that's ever played, it's always difficult to put a finger on it. It's undoubtedly at the moment between Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but most people have a tough time picking a side. Many that are from the older generation like to say that Michael Jordan was better, while the newer generation likes to say that LeBron was better.

Either way, all three of these guys have had three of the best careers that we will ever see in NBA history.