In an earlier episode with Shaquille O’Neal, Draymond Green had no doubts about the Warriors’ chances against his iconic Lakers. The question, of who takes on the Big Diesel was negotiated with a double team approach. Shaq looked just as puzzled as many of the viewers who heard him. Well, to settle matters once and for all Green invited somebody who has played with the dominant force. Los Angeles Clippers HC Ty Lue joined his podcast.

“You can’t stop him,” he openly said about Shaq explaining just how brutal it was even for centers to match against him. It led to Green opening up the conversation again. However, this time he gave his “favorite player of all time” the props he deserved.

“Quite honestly, I don’t think any of us could have stopped Shaq just like no one else in Shaq’s era could stop Shaq. I just didn’t think that was happening. But I do think that we pose challenges on the other side for Shaq that you just can’t stand in the paint against us big fella,” Draymond Green said about a matchup against Shaquille O’Neal.

But even the former DPOY realized the nightmare that Shaq truly would be. “Ain’t nobody stopping Shaq” he openly said. And that’s when the fan within him stood up for the Big Aristotle. Draymond Green felt the Hall of Famer, despite all the plaudits as the ‘most dominant’ isn’t given the pedestal he deserves.

“It actually pisses me off man when people don’t try to give Shaq the credit that he deserves and like don’t talk about Shaq in the light that Shaq is. He’s the most dominant player we have ever seen,” he said about Shaq on the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.

The team that Draymond Green and the Warriors did ruin

In 2016, the Cavaliers did something sensational. Under the coaching of Ty Lue, they came back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. It was against Draymond Green and the 73-9 Warriors. With now one chip a piece, the renowned head coach felt confident about being the A-side in the rivalry.

But that was until the move that changed NBA history forever took place. As soon as Kevin Durant announced his move in 2017, the now Clippers head coach knew it would be too hard to cope.

“When y’all got KD, it just made it I mean… you (Draymond) shot rolling, you got Iguodala for the lob and you got Klay and and KD in the corners like it just became too hard… y’all was always great defensive team, so once y’all got KD I mean it was like tough. It was just too much,” he told Green on the podcast. 

Still, in the following two finals, the rivalry did extend. But the essence of competion was lost. The Warriors only lost a single game against the LeBron James led Cavaliers in those two battles combined. As much talent and synergy Cleveland boasted, the Warriors’ strength became overwhelming with the addition of Kevin Durant.

That’s the reason Green firmly believes in establishing the era when speaking about Shaq and Kobe Bryant’s Lakers. “Depends on the time that we play in because you know when y’all were playing, you couldn’t play zone in the NBA. Now, obviously you can play some zone. But you couldn’t play zone then you know what I’m saying,” the Warriors forward explained.

Do you think the era would matter in the case of the success Shaquille O’Neal would have against the prime Warriors? Let us know your views in the comments below.