Young Shaquille O?Neal ?Low Key Baffled? Prime Michael Jordan Before the 1996 All-Star Game, Unearthed Video Sends Fans Wild

Shaquille O?Neal is one of very few players to lead his team to a playoff series win over a prime Michael Jordan. Even though Jordan was understandably a bit rusty after his stint with baseball, many still expected him to pick up where he left off. Also, considering the young and relatively inexperienced Orlando Magic team, many thought it would not be a test for the Chicago Bulls. However, O’Neal and the Magic shocked the world when they beat Jordan and the Bulls in the 1994-95 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Jordan was not happy with the result and vouched to come back stronger in the 1995-96 season. The Bulls and the Magic were destined to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals that year. Interestingly, the fans were given a preview of the matchup during the all-star game.

Shaquille O?Neal vs. Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan and Shaquille O?Neal were two of the most important players for the East in the 1996 all-star game. This was Jordan’s first all-star game after his short hiatus. During the warmup, the Eastern Conference rivals indulged in a legendary one-on-one matchup. The two superstars went against each other and showed their abilities. In one instance, MJ and the crowd were awestruck by Shaq’s dream shake. The Big Diesel certainly learned a thing or two from Hakeem Olajuwon from the 1994-95 NBA Finals loss.

The video clip of the iconic one-on-one matchup between the two legends was recently shared on social media and the fans are going wild. Here are some reactions:

“Mj was low key baffled!! ??? Still my ? tho??????”

“Can you imagine if Shaq woulda stayed this level of fit.”

“And then Micheal took it personal”

“That dream shake do it every time?”

“No one could beat prime Shaq one v one”

“The speed Shaq had as a rook, people forget. He was so special.”

“Shaq put in that work throughout his career, shaq would have been the goat!”

The four-time MVP and the 2000 MVP led the East all-stars to a 129-118 win against the West all-stars. Both Shaq and Jordan dazzled the crowd with their performance.

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O’Neal had 25 points with 10 boards and Jordan had 20 points with 4 rebounds. However, the Chicago Bulls legend was crowned the all-star MVP.

Jordan and the Bulls’ revenge in 1996

After winning three straight titles from 1991 to 1993, Michael Jordan missed out on the 1993-94 NBA season playing minor league baseball. The Bulls could not make a deep run in the playoffs that year. In the 1994-95 season, when MJ came back, the Bulls were struggling to make the playoffs. He helped them clinch a playoff spot but was beaten 4-2 in the playoffs by the Magic.

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Even though Shaquille O’Neal dazzled Jordan during the 1996 all-star game. It was not the case during the 1995-96 Eastern Conference Finals. A determined Jordan and the Bulls swept the Magic effortlessly. O’Neal led the team in points, rebounds, and blocks. However, the team was no match for the Bulls.