Shaquille O’Neal‘s peak in the NBA was during his days with the Los Angeles Lakers when they recorded a three-peat from 1999 to 2002. Alongside Kobe Bryant, the Big Diesel put the league on notice by demolishing any team that stood in front of them. However, in the 1999-2000 season, Shaq reached the highest point of his career, by entering the same conversation as Michael Jordan, by achieving one of the rarest stats in the NBA. It has been 24 years since another player reached this milestone, and Kevin Garnett, who discussed the above stat decided to give Shaq his flowers once again. 

On All the Smoke podcast, KG and his former teammate from the Boston Celtics Paul Pierce, sat together to speak about a milestone that only a few have achieved. Pierce asked KG, “Hey who is the last one to lead the league in scoring and win a championship? Is it Jordan?” KG and Pierce initially thought it was Jordan, who did it in 1998. 

However, just two years after that, Shaq did it in 2000. The 1999-00 season is something that Shaq will never forget. He won his first MVP, one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP, and first championship that season, along with the scoring title, by averaging 29.7 points, and 13.6 rebounds. It does not end here. He also won the Finals MVP, which instantly made him one of the greatest ever to step foot on the court. 

“It’s hard to do that. All the scoring leaders, never make finals or never win”, said Pierce. After the Celtics duo got to know what Shaq did in 2000, they were stunned. Pierce said, “That was probably most his dominant year“. Garnett also agreed, “That was a hard year“. Shaq won the championship, an MVP, a Finals MVP, and the scoring title, all in 2000. The last time someone did this, it was Jordan, but he has reached a bigger milestone. 

Michael Jordan did what Shaq achieved but on a larger scale

At the end of the day, the ultimate winner of any milestone is going to be Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls legend achieved the above-mentioned milestone in 1991, 1992, and 1998 as well. Also, note here that, he won all four accolades two years in a row, which is one of the hardest things to ever do. 

Shaq won the Finals MVP and the championship in 2001 as well. However, Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson grabbed the MVP and the scoring title. After 2000, no NBA player has achieved this milestone. 

With the awards being split between different players in the modern NBA, it shows how competitive the league has become. It is a good sign, but individual greatness like Shaq and Jordan has been reduced by a large scale in the NBA today.