Last Updated on January 1, 2025 by Mathew Diekhake
There has been no more dominant big man in the NBA than Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq was drafted by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and was the first face of the franchise. Orlando drafted Penny Hardaway in 1993, and the two stars became one of the most fearsome duos in the NBA. Unfortunately, when Shaq’s rookie contract was due to expire, the Magic didn’t offer Shaq a maximum contract, and he left Orlando to play with Kobe Bryant in L.A. for the Lakers. Once Shaq left, it wasn’t long before Hardaway would suffer an injury that caused him to no longer be an elite player. Meanwhile in L.A., Shaq and Kobe made the Lakers instant contenders, and they led the Lakers to championships in the years 2000, 2001, and 2002. This would also mean that Koba achieved a three-peat, something his idol Michael Jordan accomplished twice in his career for the Chicago Bulls. Jordan didn’t only three-peat twice; he three-peated back-to-back, with the only break coming from his retirement.
Shaquille O’Neal has won four championships: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006.
Career Stats
| SEASON | TM | GP | MPG | PPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
| 92-93 | ORL | 81 | 37.9 | 23.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 3.5 | .562 | .592 | 0.0 |
| 93-94 | ORL | 81 | 39.8 | 29.3 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 2.9 | .599 | .554 | 0.0 |
| 94-95 | ORL | 79 | 37.0 | 29.3 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 2.4 | .583 | .533 | 0.0 |
| 95-96 | ORL | 54 | 36.0 | 26.6 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 2.1 | .573 | .487 | 50.0 |
| 96-97 | LAL | 51 | 38.1 | 26.2 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 2.9 | .557 | .484 | 0.0 |
| 97-98 | LAL | 60 | 36.3 | 28.3 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 2.4 | .584 | .527 | |
| 98-99 | LAL | 49 | 34.8 | 26.3 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 1.7 | .576 | .540 | 0.0 |
| 99-00 | LAL | 79 | 40.0 | 29.7 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 3.0 | .574 | .524 | 0.0 |
| 00-01 | LAL | 74 | 39.5 | 28.7 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 2.8 | .572 | .513 | 0.0 |
| 01-02 | LAL | 67 | 36.1 | 27.2 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 2.0 | .579 | .555 | 0.0 |
| 02-03 | LAL | 67 | 37.8 | 27.5 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 2.4 | .574 | .622 | |
| 03-04 | LAL | 67 | 36.8 | 21.5 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 2.5 | .584 | .490 | |
| 04-05 | MIA | 73 | 34.1 | 22.9 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 2.3 | .601 | .461 | |
| 05-06 | MIA | 59 | 30.6 | 20.0 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 1.8 | .600 | .469 | |
| 06-07 | MIA | 40 | 28.4 | 17.3 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 1.4 | .591 | .422 | |
| 07-08 | MIA | 33 | 28.6 | 14.2 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.6 | .581 | .503 | |
| 07-08 | PHX | 28 | 28.7 | 12.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | .611 | .494 | |
| 07-08 | TOT | 61 | 28.7 | 13.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.4 | .593 | .513 | |
| 08-09 | PHX | 75 | 30.0 | 17.8 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | .609 | .595 | 0.0 |
| 09-10 | CLE | 53 | 23.4 | 12.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.2 | .566 | .496 | 0.0 |
| 10-11 | BOS | 37 | 20.3 | 9.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.1 | .667 | .557 | |
| Regular | 1,207 | 34.7 | 23.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 2.3 | .582 | .527 | 4.5 | |
| Playoffs | 216 | 37.5 | 24.3 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 2.1 | .563 | .504 |