RARE: 7 Ft Giant Shaquille O’Neal Gives a Death Stare to Childhood Hero From New York as NBA Legend Wilt Chamberlain Looked On From the Crowd

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant forces in the history of the game. In his prime, the Big Diesel was unstoppable. Dunking on anyone and everyone, he ruled the NBA in his own right. However, it was no easy task for Shaq. He played during the era of the big men, and O’Neal had fierce competition. One of them was his childhood hero, New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing. Recently, Shaq shared a picture of him, death-gazing Ewing, with Wilt Chamberlain watching the two go at it.

Wilt Chamberlain was arguably the most dominant player in the history of the NBA. He set the benchmark high and no one saw another person’s breakthrough. However, that was until Shaq came into the league with the number one overall pick. Shattering backboards wasn’t new to the giant, but now it was time to face off against the best of the best. Likewise, Shaq wasn’t one to back down.

As a rookie, O’Neal was put up against his childhood hero, Patrick Ewing. And their first battle made for a legendary photograph.

Shaquille O’Neal goes up against his idol

The Big Aristotle was making all the buzz in his first-ever NBA season. The rookie out of LSU was all set to take the NBA world by storm. And his first challenge was facing off against his childhood idol. Ewing himself was a former number one pick with a dominant college record. But even the Knicks legend had no idea what Shaquille O’Neal was going to bring to the NBA.

READ MORE – “50K Fine Incoming”: Fans Accuse 2 NBA Stars of Tampering as Kevin Durant Trade Rumors Gain Friction

In November 1992, the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic met on the floor, and Shaq felt the pressure. After copying all his moves since college, O’Neal had to go up against his hero. The Big Aristotle was intimidated at first. However, after one single read, O’Neal felt the weight go off his legs. He impressed everyone that night, including the late great Wilt Chamberlain. Their iconic photo is one for the gallery as Shaq glares at Ewing.

From there, the Big Diesel went up against Ewing another 25 times. Likewise, nothing was holding him back. He averaged a whopping 28.7 points, 12 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game. He arguably surpassed Ewing after only a couple of years in the NBA.

WATCH THIS STORY: Lakers Legend Kobe Bryants Childhood Home: Where Did He Grow Up?

However, despite exchanging blows, Shaquille O’Neal always respected the Knicks giant. And this picture is where the story of his rise among the greats began.