Shaq Reveals the One Player Who Showed No Fear Before Playing Against Him

The NBA legend didn’t hesitate when giving his answer.
Shaq Reveals the One Player Who Showed No Fear Before Playing Against Him
Shaq Reveals the One Player Who Showed No Fear Before Playing Against Him /

Standing at 7’1”, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal spooked a lot of his opponents during his 19-year career.

But, there was one player who didn’t seem phased by O’Neal: Tim Duncan. O’Neal didn’t hesitate when naming Duncan, who stands at 6’11”, as the player who showed no fear when facing him during their playing days.

The four-time NBA champion detailed a story on his The Big Podcast in which him and Duncan exchanged looks on the court. That’s when O’Neal knew Duncan wasn’t bothered by him.

“I was looking at him, I’m bouncing, and he’s going and I’m going and he’s bouncing back and I was like s---,” O’Neal said.

It took O’Neal a few years into his career to face Duncan, though, as the San Antonio Spurs legend’s first season was in 1997. O’Neal was in his sixth season by then.

O’Neal and Duncan dominated the NBA for years as Duncan’s Spurs won five titles with him, and O’Neal won three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.