In nineteen years as a center in the National Basketball Association, Shaquille O’Neal dominated every time he stepped on the court. He played for a slew of NBA teams such as the Magic, Lakers, Heat, Suns, Cavaliers, and Celtics (in that order). After being a very highly touted player coming out of LSU, the Orlando Magic drafted him with the first pick in the 1992 NBA draft. Coming out of college, he was known as the most dominant college player in the nation. He was too big, too strong, and too fast for many of his opponents and he took advantage of that. It seemed that every game he was dunking all over the other team and dropping at least twenty points, with ten rebounds. He was the most dominant center in the game for over ten years, and that is why his admittance to the Hall of Fame is a no brainer.

When he got to the NBA this style of play just continued. To see just how dominant Shaq is, take an example from his rookie season when he broke two backboards. This caused the NBA to get new, more durable backboards. Therefore, while changing the way big men played the game, he also changed the dynamics of the game as well. Throughout his professional career he won four NBA championship rings. He won 3 rings with Kobe Bryant and company out in Los Angeles. Also, he helped Dwayne Wade win his first championship ring with the Miami Heat in 2006.  Shaq accomplished many glorious records and milestones during his career and it was only right that in the end he accomplished the main goal of every player: The NBA Hall of Fame.

On September 9th, 2016 Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Yao Ming headlined the 2016 NBA Hall of Fame induction class. In Shaq’s induction speech he started off being humble and proudly accepted the award he was given. Then, as only he could do, he started to mock and make fun of all of the other inductees in his class. Going after Yao Ming,his fellow big man, especially. Also joking in his speech he requoted himself from a while before saying, “Me shooting 40% at the free throw line is just God telling me that nobody’s perfect.”

And how right he is; but concerning his basketball career, Shaq came pretty damn close to perfect. Shaq also once said, “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.”