Shaquille O’Neal had an outstanding college season in 1990-91. In 28 games for the Louisiana State Tigers, he averaged 27.6 points on a remarkable 62.8 percent shooting, along with 14.7 rebounds and 5.0 blocks.
Shaq’s dominance was undeniable, earning him prestigious honors like AP Player of the Year and UPI Player of the Year. However, even the future basketball superstar wasn’t untouchable. One rare example of this came during a February 1991 matchup when he was outperformed by another NCAA big man: Christian Laettner.
“Diesel” recalled their first encounter in his 2011 memoir ” Shaq Uncut: My Life ,” admitting that he was “completely destroyed” and even “embarrassed” by the Duke Blue Devil. What surprised him even more was the fact that he had been completely unfamiliar with Laettner before that game.
“I had never heard of him,” O’Neal wrote. “I remember asking, “Who the hell is this guy?”
A humbling game at Cameron Indoor
According to Shaq, the aforementioned matchup took place in Durham, North Carolina. Up to that point, he was averaging 27 points per game and leading the nation in rebounding with an impressive 15 boards per game. Unsurprisingly, the 7’1″ center became the primary focus of the Blue Devils’ defense.
Laettner , then in his third college season, later described containing LSU’s star player as a “big challenge” for him and his teammates — one they were eagerly “looking forward to.”
At Cameron Indoor Stadium in North Carolina, “Diesel” not only faced relentless defensive pressure but also endured the intensity of a hostile crowd, determined to unsettle him with their chants. As the New Jersey native later admitted, their efforts worked.
“It was like a high school gym — very loud,” he reflected after his disappointing performance. “The crowd was a factor.”
From the opening tip-off, Shaq seemed off his game, scoring only four points in the first half. To make matters worse, he ran into foul trouble, prompting LSU head coach Dale Brown to bench him for 10 minutes.
This breather didn’t provide much relief, as the then-18-year-old continued to struggle with his rhythm upon returning to the court. LSU ultimately lost 88-70, and O’Neal ended the game with just 15 points, tying his season low — a mark he had also previously recorded earlier against the Auburn Tigers. On the positive side, he managed to secure 10 rebounds, completing a double-double.
Related: “You just had to have amnesia” – Grant Hill says Kobe Bryant was the only player he guarded who had no weakness
“Best player, best team”
While “The Big Aristotle” had a performance to forget, Laettner, on the other hand, shone, “fundamentally undressing” him, as the Los Angeles Lakers legend recalled in his book.
“He back-doored me to death and walked off with 24 points and 11 boards,” added “Diesel.”
Indeed, the Blue Devils big, who was the game’s leading scorer, put on a show. Several factors contributed to his success.
On defense, Laettner and his Duke teammates managed to contain Shaq. The loud support from the crowd likely fueled their strength, and their defense was already top-notch.
“I consider myself and my team good defensive players, especially when we’re on a mission,” Laettner said after the game.
On offense, Christian was relentless, constantly attacking Shaquille. Though his first shot was blocked by his opponent, after a few more attempts, this aggressiveness got O’Neal into foul trouble — following a strategy that then-Blue Devil Brian Davis later shared.
“We just said we were all going to attack him (O’Neal) and not buy into all the hype,” said the former swingman.
Overall, this dominant performance, spearheaded by Laettner, earned praise from all sides, even from the opposing coach, Brown.
“They just neutralized Shaquille. Laettner is the best player, and they’re the best team we’ve faced this year,” he said. “We’ve played Arizona, Indiana, and Kentucky this year, and Duke is the best.”
True to these words, the Blue Devils, led by Mike Krzyzewski, proved it by winning the NCAA Championship in both 1991 and 1992.
Shaq’s revenge
Knowing the competitive nature of O’Neal, he couldn’t just let being outplayed like that slide. From then on, he made it a point to “keep an eye” on Laettner. Even better, the 2001 MVP soon had the chance to get his revenge.
Shaq recalled this happening in his “final year” at LSU before entering the NBA Draft in 1992. However, he strained his calf muscle just a week before the game.
“I was really sore, but I had to play,” recounted the four-time NBA champion. “People were talking about Laettner and Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning with a little more breath than they were about me, and I couldn’t have that. I just had to be the No. 1 pick.”
True to his word, one of the greatest big men of all time taped up his calf and went through with it.
“I took it to Laettner. Hard. I dropped 25 and 12 on him and I blocked seven shots… I’ll never forget Laettner’s face when I was dunking on him. He looked terrified. I was talking all sorts of trash to him, too,” remembered “Diesel.”
There was definitely a rivalry between the two NCAA big men, with both having their say in it.
On one side, Laettner had the edge in team success, also leading the Blue Devils to a comeback win in that game. Additionally, the New York native won the Naismith and Wooden Awards ahead of O’Neal, which Shaq didn’t take too well, as he shared in his book. Finally, Late was selected over his rival for the iconic “Dream Team” in 1992.
On the other side, “The Big Aristotle” became the top draft pick a few months later, selected by the Orlando Magic , while Laettner was “only” taken third by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Near the end of their respective NBA careers, both players eventually teamed up with the Miami Heat for the 2004-05 campaign. It was during this time that Shaquille, who had always harbored a dislike and jealousy towards Duke players, came to realize that Christian was actually a “really nice guy.”
Related: “His health was already affecting us in those last two seasons” – Kobe believed the Lakers would not have sustained their dynasty even if Shaq had stayed
In a recent interview, Shaq admitted that he had never heard of Laettner before facing off against him in college. And boy, was he in for a surprise.
Laettner, who played for Duke University, absolutely destroyed Shaq and his LSU team in the NCAA tournament. Shaq couldn’t believe the skill and finesse that Laettner displayed on the court, completely outplaying him in every aspect of the game.
Looking back, Shaq now realizes the talent and impact that Laettner had in college basketball. And while he may have been caught off guard by Laettner’s talent at the time, he has nothing but respect for the player who gave him a run for his money.
It just goes to show that sometimes, the most unexpected opponents can be the ones to leave the biggest impression. And for Shaq, Christian Laettner will always be the player who made him rethink what it means to be truly great on the basketball court.
Tags:
You must be logged in to post a comment.