Yelled at by Shaquille O’Neal, 47YO NBA Champ Was Left Upset Over Major Influence for 1 Reason

Shaquille O’Neal won his 4th NBA championship in 2006. Although the Miami Heat had both Shaq and Dwyane Wade in their ranks, the rest of the roster also played their part. The stretch-4’s have been dominating the NBA for some time now. But the Heat, especially back then, had a player who played that role way before it became the norm.

Antoine Walker was known for the joy with which he played, but one thing that was even more iconic than that was his celebration whenever he made a big shot. The younger generation associates this with Stephen Curry, but it was Walker who pioneered the ‘Shimmy’.

Antoine Walker does not get the recognition he deserves

Antoine Walker recently came on the Run It Back show as a special guest. During their conversation, Lou Williams asked him if the story of Walker getting screamed at by Shaq was true or not. Shaq had supposedly yelled at Walker for doing the ‘shimmy’ during an NBA finals match.

This led to Chandler Parsons asking him if he has seen the current NBA players doing his move and what he thinks of them. Walker said that he likes what he is seeing, but he wishes that he got the recognition that he deserved as the one who placed the move in the spotlight.

Walker said, “I just don’t like the fact that I don’t get enough credit for them, bro. I don’t mind them doing it. I like Steph’s though. Steph’s really good.”

Walker was part of the Miami Heat in the 2005–06 NBA season. In game 6 of the finals, which was a close-out game for the Heat, Walker made a shot and hit the shimmy while the Heat were making a comeback.

But Shaquille O’Neal was not going to let it slide. Shaq told Walker that it was not yet time for them to celebrate and that they should focus more on the game.

Shaquille O’Neal needed Walker for his fourth ring

Walker came into the NBA in 1996. He had great shooting ability and also had a clutch gene in him, which made him a terrifying opponent to face in any match. Indeed, an impressive addition to the Miami Heat in 2005. Walker brought shooting to the team, and this propelled them to have a top-five three-point shooting percentage collectively.

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Even in the finals, Walker was a key piece for the Heat winning its first-ever championship in franchise history. In game 6, where Shaquille O’Neal yelled at Walker, he ended the game with 14 points and scored more than Shaq. This was Walker’s one-and-only ring.

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