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Legendary NBA big men Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming recently linked up in China. The reunion once again reminded fans that no matter how huge the American center is, he is not so much of a giant compared to the Chinese tower.
The two got together when the Los Angeles Lakers great caught the women’s basketball preliminary round match between China and Indonesia at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. They exchanged pleasantries and took time to catch up on things.
Shaquille O’Neal wrote about the get-together with Yao Ming on X:
“Always good seeing my brother @YaoMing.”
Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming had competitive battles in the Western Conference when they were playing for the Lakers and the Houston Rockets, respectively, in the 2000s.
Seven-foot-one O’Neal once admitted that 7-foot-6 Yao was one of the few players who presented problems to him with his uncanny combination of size and speed.
They battled 18 times in their careers, 13 in the regular season and five in the playoffs. Shaq took 10 games while Yao won eight. The Rockets big man, however, took their regular season head-to-head matchup 7-6.
Through the course of their showdowns, Shaquille O’Neal averaged 21.1 points, 10.1 rebounds 2.6 blocks, and 2.4 assists. Yao, meanwhile, was good for 17.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, two assists, and 1.5 blocks.
While they were competitors on the court, the two giants developed a special friendship that continues up to this day. It started when Shaquille O’Neal’s stepfather told him how Yao looked up to him and that he should show more respect towards his rival.
He told SB Nation in an interview in 2016:
“He (Step Dad) showed me letters that Yao used to write me when he was a youngster in China. Christmas cards, birthday cards. My father said, ‘The guy looked up to you.’ Most of the guys I was killing, I looked up to them. But he said Yao looked up to me, so show him a little more respect. Our relationship changed after that.”
As fate would have it, both Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming ended their NBA careers at the same time in 2011 and five years later, were part of the 2016 batch inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts.
Fans react to the latest reunion of Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming
The latest reunion between NBA greats Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, drew the interest of fans, who shared their thoughts. Below are some of their reactions:
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