Shaq says his 2000 team would beat Michael Jordan’s 1996 team
Shaq was once in the running for the greatest of all-time. Early in his career, he teamed with Penny Hardaway. Together, they turned the expansion Orlando Magic into championship contenders. During their 1995 Finals run, they eliminated Michael Jordan’s Bulls. They directly served as motivation for Jordan in 1996. In 2000, Shaq had a similar run. That year, he was the NBA’s undisputed best player. He recently reposted a dream team 5 on 5 matchup, pitting him in 2000 vs. Jordan in 1996. Coming as no surprise, Shaq chose his squad.
Shaq played with many all-time greats over the course of his career. When he was with the Magic, he recruited Horace Grant from the Bulls. In 1995, they reached the NBA Finals, where the Houston Rockets swept them. On that Rockets’ team was Robert Horry, his future Lakers teammate. In 1996, Shaq signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. With Kobe Bryant, he formed another duo. Together, they won three titles in four NBA Finals appearances. After that, he was traded to the Miami Heat. There, he and Dwyane Wade became a duo and won a title.
Shaq saw his play slow down during his Miami Heat run. As a result, the Heat went from champions to being the NBA’s worst team. This led to a midseason trade, sending Shaq to the Suns. After a year, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. A year there saw him sign with the Boston Celtics that offseason. His final years being a journeyman did impact his legacy. However, he remains the most dominant of all-time. That said, he chose his hypothetical squad led by him in 2000 over Jordan’s.
Shaq says his 2000 team would beat Michael Jordan’s 1996 team
