Two of the most sensational players of their time in the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson locked heads on a string of occasions
Back in the day, Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson shared a beef which was epitomed whenever the two stepped out to face each other. The two left no stone unturned to get the better of each other, a rivalry which grew in stature owing to the staunch nature of these two players.
Where Shaq won the coveted title on four occasions, David Robinson didn’t too badly for himself either with the two wins. The early 2000s saw the two centers set the stage alight with their sprawling expertise, one which eventually transpired into a hotly contested and feisty feud.
Shaquille O’Neal Addresses Rivalry With David Robinson
However, the rivalry between the two was far from down to personal reasons. Shaq recently opened up on what lead to the two taking on each other with him talking about how things had kicked off when he had gone to San Antonio for a game.
Dwelling upon the first sparks of the rivalry, Shaq revealed that he was irked after being booed by the home crowd, an incident which also lead to him being miffed with Robinson. However, he was quick to appreciate the skill set of Robinson as well with him talking about how Robinson was always a tricky competitor to lock heads against.
“When I came down to San Antonio and the fans start booing me–‘Oh you’re booing me in my hometown?’ And then it was like a hatred thing for David & the Spurs.
“David was just so nice and respectful. He’s just a nice guy. I’m not a bully. You have to piss me off for me to get mad. I had to make something up just to make me mad,” Shaq said.