Standing at 7’1″ and weighing over 300 pounds, Shaquille O’Neal was a formidable force on the court, boasting an average of 27 points per game during his prime. Yet, in an Indiana Pacers’ player’s third season saw him confront this titan, leading to an altercation that would later see the Pacers star claiming his own form of retribution

Brad Miller recalled that during his third year in the league, tensions escalated – marked by trash talk, physical play, and a memorable incident that left a lasting impression. Rather than letting it slide, he sought to settle the score. And now, years later, he’s spilling the tea, and it’s kind of legendary.

Recently, in the Straight Game Podcast, shared on YouTube, Brad Miller shared how he was guarding Shaquille O’Neal. He said, “ said, ‘He swung at me in my third year,’ after which Mike Bibby interjected. “I don’t think he was trying to hit you. His arm was this long, and his fist is this big. Ain’t no way he missed that.” Then Miller responded with, “Barely nicked my hair like the slightest turning, so that’s how my and Shaq’s relationship started. Here, Brad Miller shared how the competition started with Shaquille O’Neal. With an almost violent altercation. True to Big Diesel’s style.

“I’d say like third year by Pacers he went to guard me. Cause that’s when I was, like, ready to start picking popping like I’m having to guard his ass here… I’m going to take his a– out out.”  Miller’s anecdote clearly exemplifies how two competitive individuals played with mutual respect.

“I got to a point, luckily, I felt confident where I could actually hold him up in his little elbow spin offensive foul, you know. But yeah, I just had to pull his ass out and then he was done guarding me. He was like [frustrated hand signal].” It was like a long, drawn-out game of cat and mouse but with higher stakes. Ultimately, both earned each other’s respect through grit and determination.

Guarding Shaquille O’Neal was a formidable challenge. A dominant presence on the court, he combined strength with skill. From breaking backboards to overpowering opponents, few players managed to keep the ‘Big Diesel‘ in check.

The rare few who could keep Shaquille O’Neal in check

​Shaquille O’Neal’s dominance on the basketball court was nearly unparalleled, but a select few players managed to challenge him effectively. Among them were David Robinson and Yao Ming, whose unique skills and physical attributes tested O’Neal in distinctive ways.​

David Robinson, known as “The Admiral,” was celebrated for his athleticism and defensive prowess. Throughout their 40 NBA encounters, O’Neal and Robinson each secured 20 victories, highlighting the competitiveness of their matchups. Individually, O’Neal averaged 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game against Robinson, while Robinson contributed 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in these head-to-head contests.

Yao Ming presented a different set of challenges for O’Neal. Standing at 7-foot-6 with exceptional shooting touch and agility, Yao’s size and skill set were formidable. In their 18 matchups, O’Neal’s teams won 10 games to Yao’s 8. Statistically, O’Neal averaged 21.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, while Yao averaged 17.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.

O’Neal himself acknowledged the difficulty of facing Yao: “First guy to block my shot three times in a row. So he’s definitely the first guy I had to like change how I played against him, and he’s also the first guy to get it, turn around, look me right in the face, and just shoot right over me. So that’s what I thought of when I first thought of Yao.”

Shaquille O’Neal’s game was built on dominance. The unstoppable 7-foot-1 force overwhelmed anyone in his path. But even the biggest machines have weak spots, and Brad Miller figured out how to exploit them. He didn’t overpower Shaq, but he did frustrate him, pulling him away from the basket, forcing him to move in ways he didn’t want to. In the process, Miller did what so few had managed: he made Shaq uncomfortable.

In a league where defenders were just bodies for O’Neal to bulldoze, Miller made him think twice. And that, more than anything, was his real victory.