“He’s lucky he wasn’t killed” Pat Williams on Shaquille O’Neal breaking the entire backboard with a dunk
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Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is undoubtedly the greatest force ever seen in league’s history. He was fearless back in the days when he attacked the rim while showcasing his athleticism and godlike bounce. He was an immovable, unguardable, unstoppable force during his prime years. Shaquille O’Neal is also considered as one of the most dominant players ever and he really has lived up to that tag. As the disrespect he used to throw at his rivals while bullying them in the paint was just unreal and painful to watch. But one thing the fans still very clearly remember out of all of his heroics and greats is him breaking rims and backboards.
Shaquille O’Neal was a beast or animal out there among the humans he played with. As just one step of his in the paint and you know the person guarding him is done as a dunk or a convert is sure from there onwards. Shaquille O’Neal has one evergreen moment of his basketball greats which till the day stands viral on the internet. It’s him shattering a backboard during Orlando Magics game against the New Jersey Nets in April 1993. It wasn’t the first time he did that but bringing the whole thing down was really not expected by anyone who knew Ball and him at that time, as he was just a rook. That’s really a highlight moment for Shaq and in “Shaq Uncut: My Story” it’s revisited with Orlando’s president Pat Williams’ view as penned down by Big Diesel.
Pat Williams on Shaquille O’Neal almost dying while shattering the backboard
Shaquille O’Neal in his book talking about the moment from Pat Williams’’ perspective has wrote: “Orlando shooting guard Anthony Bowie dribbled the ball down the left side of the floor, aware that Shaquille O’Neal was filling the lane on the weak side and advancing to the basket. As he released the pass to his rookie big man, he noted, ‘They’ve lost track of him. What a mistake…Seven-footer Dwayne Schintzius grabbed his arm as he rose up to slam it through, requiring O’Neal to drag New Jersey’s big man along for the ride. Shaq hung on the rim for a split second before he realized what was happening. The entire backboard was collapsing and the shot clock was about to drop on his head. He ducked as the shot clock grazed his shoulder, and the rim broke free from the stanchion and crashed in a heap.”
Further adding Pat Williams’ view who was back at home Shaquille O’Neal added: “Orlando president Pat Williams, watching from home, winced as his prize player narrowly missed serious injury. ‘He’s lucky he wasn’t killed,’ Williams said.” Yes, Pat Williams isn’t wrong at all and has said straight facts. The Big Diesel was really lucky that day and we are fortunate for it or else a legendary Hall of Fame career would have just ended down like the backboard which if crashed on his head he wouldn’t be here today. This is just one of the many rims and boards he has manhandled during his playing career. But this particular one was really a close call for his life.
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