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Image credit: Fadeaway World
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most polarizing figures in basketball and has been since his 1992 debut. Coming out of LSU, it was clear that O’Neal was going to be a different guy once he arrived in the NBA. That’s what he did when he led a young, brand-new team to the NBA Finals. In his prime, he would be the most dominant force we’ve ever seen stepping onto an NBA basketball court. He would help the City of Los Angeles to 3 consecutive championships, earning 3 Finals MVPs along the way.
So how is it that O’Neal has won only one MVP award in his career? He’s been the centerpiece of basketball’s best teams for years, and once he gets the ball in the paint, he’s nearly unstoppable. He leads the league in field goal percentage every year. On top of that, he’s also one of the best interior defenders in the game. Shaq’s work from the outside would certainly constitute more than one MVP award. The impact he has on every team he’s played for and the way he’s made his teammates better, and the way he needs to be opposed, has been completely underestimated.
Here are Shaquille O’Neal’s career MVP points per season.
1992-93 – 30 points (end of MVP race: 7th)
Season stats: 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 3.5 blocks
The year before Shaq arrived in Orlando with the Magic, the 1991-92 season ended with a 21-61 loss. Shaq’s arrival was a breath of fresh air for Orlando’s new franchise, who led the team to 20 more wins than the previous year and a 41-41 record for the year. O’Neal was unlike the beast we’ve seen later in his career, with his full skill set on display for the world to see.
In his rookie season, O’Neal became an All-Star starter, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since Michael Jordan in 1984. He took home Rookie of the Year honors because no one else was bringing the house down like O’Neal. These are still the days we see him catch the ball from east to west, with his all-around athleticism at the forefront. Shaq put the world on notice during his rookie season, which is only a small part of his career.
1993-94 – 289 points (end of MVP race: 4th)
Season stats: 29.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.9 blocks
With Michael Jordan out of the league, the Eastern Conference and the entire NBA are in contention. Brian Hill took over coaching duties for the Orlando Magic, determined to get the most out of O’Neal and build a championship roster. O’Neal’s dominance began to take center stage as he shot an absurd 59.9 percent from the field and led the NBA in field goal percentage all season. His 29.3 points per game ranks second in the NBA behind David Robinson, and the Orlando Magic have emerged as serious contenders. For all the success of O’Neal and the Magic, the MVP award will go to Hakeem Olajuwon, the best two-way center in basketball.
Against the New Jersey Nets in November of the season, O’Neal had one of the greatest single games of his career. He recorded his first career triple-double with a performance of 24 points, 28 rebounds and 15 blocks. O’Neal led the Magic to 50 victories in his sophomore season and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Unfortunately for them, the Magic were swept by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. In his first playoff series, O’Neal averaged 20.7 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks.
1994-95 – 605 points (end of MVP race: 2nd)
Season stats: 29.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.4 blocks
Shaq’s third season was truly a breakout year for the big man. He finished runner-up to David Robinson in the MVP race, finishing nearly 300 points behind him in the voting. O’Neal leads the NBA in scoring with 29.3 points per game, while also leading the NBA in field goal percentage, two-point percentage and free throw percentage. This is the first time his struggles at the free throw line have become prevalent and can be pointed to as the only weakness in his game.
O’Neal led the Magic to a franchise-record 57 victories in the 1994-95 season. They’ll get their revenge in the playoffs by beating Reggie Miller and the Pacers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. O’Neal and the Magic also beat Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the second round, a massive upset by any standard. The Magic will go to the NBA Finals with O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, but Hakeem Olajuwon won’t be denied and send O’Neal through the Mixer into a 4-game sweep.
1995-96 – 63 points (end of MVP game: tied for 9th)
Season stats: 26.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.1 blocks
The 1995-96 season was difficult for O’Neal and Orlando. Despite missing 28 games this season with O’Neal due to injury, the team won 60 games for the first time in franchise history. Despite the missed time, O’Neal was honored with a third-team All-NBA selection and had the second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind Michael Jordan and the record-setting Bulls. Michael Jordan will also return to the top spot this season as MVP.
Back in the playoffs, Shaq was finally healthy and ready to compete for the NBA Championship again. Orlando will again be in the Eastern Conference, but when they get there they’re up against the greatest team of all time. The Magic were swept by the Bulls, and Chicago returned to the top of the NBA after winning 72 regular-season games. For O’Neal, it would be the last time we saw him in a Magic jersey when he joined the Lakers that offseason.
1996-97 – 7 points (MVP game over: tied for 9th)
Season stats: 26.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.9 blocks
Shaq had a brief grace period when he began his career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1996-97 season. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still unbelievable, but he’s far less impactful than he was with the Magic the first 4 seasons of his career. He also missed 32 games that season with injuries, the most of his career. As for the MVP award, O’Neal trailed the likes of Tim Hardaway and Gary Payton in voting and tied with Anthony Mason. When the dust settles at the end of the season, Karl Malone will be the winner.
Despite O’Neal’s absence, the Lakers are still on track to make the playoffs after winning 56 games during the regular season. The team was still a few seasons away from a young Kobe Bryant reaching his full potential, and outside of Shaq, the Lakers had just been beaten by other playoff teams. The Lakers advanced to the second round of the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Utah Jazz in 5 games. O’Neal averaged 26.9 points and 10.2 rebounds in the playoffs, yet again in a loss to a likely NBA Finals team.
1997-98 – 311 points (end of MVP race: 4th)
Season stats: 28.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.4 blocks
The 1997-98 season was a year of revenge and dominance for Shaq. O’Neal would lead the NBA in field goal percentage at 58.4 and lead the Lakers to 61 victories and a division title. He also had the highest player efficiency rating of the year, beating MVP winner Michael Jordan and runner-up Karl Malone. Gary Payton will once again lead the MVP race ahead of O’Neal, who trails him by 120 points for 4th.
The Lakers are in the playoffs again, but this time they’re thinking about more than a second-round exit. The Lakers easily beat the Trail Blazers in the first round and the Sonics in the second round. In 1998, the Utah Jazz met them in the Western Conference Finals under Karl Malone. Shaq and the Lakers would be swept in the Western Conference Finals, with Shaq averaging 30.5 points and 10.2 rebounds in the playoffs.
1998-99 – 89 points (end of MVP game: 6th)
Season stats: 26.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.7 blocks
The 1998-99 season was when we began to see the final form of peak O’Neal. Shaq will once again lead the NBA in field goal percentage, PER, eFG, field goal percentage and total points scored. He also led the basketball in offensive win shares, as the Lakers won 31 games in the lockout-shortened season. O’Neal will finish sixth in MVP voting behind Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Alonzo Mourning and champion Karl Malone.
This is also the season that many see the Lakers’ future dynasty coming. You could almost call this season the calm before the storm for O’Neal and the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is also on the verge of breaking out, and the NBA isn’t ready for the storm they’re about to bring. However, the season ended in disappointment as the eventual NBA champion Spurs swept the Lakers in the second round. This will be the last time in a long time that we see an O’Neal-led team lose a playoff series.
1999-00 season – 1,207 points (MVP race finish: 1st)
Season stats: 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 3.0 blocks
The 1999-00 season was the greatest of Shaq’s entire career. The Lakers made a coaching change, bringing in Phil Jackson to helm another potential dynasty. O’Neal would go on to have a near-unanimous MVP season, once again leading the NBA in PER, PPG, total points and offensive and defensive win shares. He will also be named to the All-Defensive First Team and earn his second career scoring title. O’Neal received all the first-place MVP votes and beat runner-up Kevin Garnett by 800 MVP points.
Shaq’s dominance didn’t stop during the regular season. In the playoffs, O’Neal averaged 30.7 points and 15.4 rebounds per game, leading the Lakers all the way to the NBA Finals. In the finals, the Lakers met the Indiana Pacers led by Reggie Miller. Nobody in the world can stop Shaq in that series. He’ll average 38.0 PPG and 16.7 RPG when the Lakers handle business in six games. O’Neal will add to his trophy collection by ending his first NBA title with a Finals MVP award.
2000-01 season – 578 points (end of MVP race: 3rd)
Season stats: 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.8 blocks
Here we see O’Neal at the peak of his NBA career when he could have easily won 1 or more MVP awards. After winning his first MVP and the Finals MVP award last year, O’Neal kept up the momentum, going 200-01. He’ll rank third in the NBA in scoring, but again has the highest PER, field goal percentage and win share of any basketball player. He’ll finish third in the MVP race behind Tim Duncan and champion Iverson.
Is Iverson worthy of MVP? Of course he did. He led the 76ers to the best record in the Eastern Conference while winning the scoring title. O’Neal has led his teams to just as many wins while leading the NBA in many advanced statistics that speak directly to his impact. Either way, Shaq had the last laugh as the two superstars whose teams met in the NBA Finals. Iverson and the Sixers were able to steal a game from Los Angeles, but Shaq was too big for them. O’Neal averaged 33.0 points and 15.8 rebounds as the Lakers beat Iverson and Philadelphia in five games. O’Neal won the NBA Championship and Finals MVP for the second consecutive season.
2001-02 season – 696 points (end of MVP race: 3rd)
Season stats: 27.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.0 blocks
Shaquille O’Neal continued his status as the best player in the world during the 2001-02 season. O’Neal leads the NBA in field goal percentage for the fifth straight season, and he continues to dominate the paint in ways we’ve never seen before. A year ago, Shaq had surgery on his toe, which exposed an unsightly head in places during the season. He still managed to finish third in MVP voting behind Jason Kidd and winner Tim Duncan.
year 2002…
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