Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant forces in NBA history and has had his fair share of memorable moments on the court. However, one particular game stands out not just for his performance but also for the personal motivation behind it.

In a recent podcast interview, former NBA star Maurice Taylor shared an interesting anecdote about that game, revealing the family connection and the insult that fueled Shaq’s revenge on the Clippers, a team now owned by the 6th richest person in the world, Steve Ballmer.

The family insult that prompted Shaq to dominate the game

On the podcast NBA Rookie Life with Ryan Hollins, Maurice Taylor reminisced about the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers on March 6, 2000, played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was Shaq’s birthday, and he wanted tickets for his friends and family to attend the game between the Lakers and the Clippers. But when he requested an “outlandish number” of tickets from the Clippers’ organization, they refused him. Now, on this special occasion, this was considered an insult by Shaq which fueled him to dominate the game.

As the game unfolded, Shaq’s dominance on the court became apparent. The Clippers’ center Maurice Taylor was tasked with guarding O’Neal, a daunting assignment on any given night, but especially so on this particular evening. Taylor even mentions that the two players had a family connection, as their mothers knew each other from the ?NBA type thing so Shaq was always kind of cordial with me.”

The Clippers’ center further recalls the encounter with O’Neal, “Shaq was like, ‘So you’re playing center now.’ I just shook my head, and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m not gonna dunk on you.’ He just laid the ball up on me just like eight straight times. I will never forget that game.??

READ MORE: ?Sensitive? Shaquille O?Neal Once Dropped 60 Points on His Birthday Just to Prove Himself to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Shaq?s historic performance in the game?

Shaq’s performance that night was nothing short of extraordinary. He scored 61 points, grabbed 23 rebounds, and even made 13 free throws. The Lakers won the game 123-103, with Shaq overshadowing everyone else on the court, including his teammate Kobe Bryant, who scored 22 points and had five assists.

In Maurice’s own words, “I will never forget playing that game and having a guy shadow your game by just dominating. That’s when he got the MVP and got to the finals. Most dominant single player in the world at that time.?

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His career-high performance in this game indeed will never be forgotten. Let us know your favorite memories from the game in the comments!