From Trash Talkers to Good Friends, How Yao Ming Won Over His NBA Idol Shaquille O’Neal

In 2016, Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Many might argue that they were the last two pure centers who dominated the league during their careers.

Shaq and Yao are good friends now, but that was not true when Yao Ming first entered the league. In the 2002 draft, Yao was drafted by the Houston Rockets with their No. 1 overall pick.

Yao flourished as a star for the Rockets right from the very first season. Ming became an All-Star in his rookie year and was included in the 2002-03 All-Rookie team as well.

There was one guy who was skeptical of Yao’s popularity; the former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal. During that time, Shaq was still a dominant force in the league, and knowing Shaq, he would have never liked the spotlight going off of him.

In an interview, Shaq slandered Yao with pretty offensive language. Although Shaq apologized later for his misbehavior, it started a pretty heated rivalry.

Shaquille O’Neal vs Yao Ming: First Matchup

When Shaq and Yao first met each other as opponents it was already a hyped up matchup. The two locked horns on January 17, 2003, where the Rockets emerged victorious with a score of 108-104.

The match turned out to be more of an individual battle between Shaq and Yao rather than a Lakers vs Rockets game. After the dust settled, Yao finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Those 6 blocks included 3 on Shaq.

On the other hand, Shaq had 31 points and 13 rebounds but still ended up on the losing end. The rookie took this game and won the first of many battles between them.

How did Shaq and Yao became friends?

The two players started on a bad note. Yet, when their careers were over, they entered the Hall of Fame together. Shaq revealed in an interview that he learned about the fact that he had received fan mails from a young Yao, which was the reason their relationship changed.

“He {Step Dad] showed me letters that Yao used to write me when he was a youngster in China. Christmas cards, birthday cards. My father said, ‘The guy looked up to you.’ Most of the guys I was killing, I looked up to them. But he said Yao looked up to me, so show him a little more respect. Our relationship changed after that.”

All’s well that ends well, and this phrase describes the relationship between Shaq and Yao perfectly. The two started out as bitter rivals, but now they even hang out together. Shaq said, “I have been going to China for the last seven or eight years. And we always get together, hang out with the families. He is a great man.”

What are your thoughts about the unlikely friendship between Shaq and Ming?