Greatest NBA careers in LSU basketball history
LSU NBA. Shaquille O'Neal. . 1992-2011. Orlando Magic, LA Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics. 1. 529. Shaquille O'Neal. . player
Shaquille O'Neal, famously known as Shaq, is the most famous former LSU basketball player ever. Known for his towering size coming in at 7-foot-1, Shaq was one of if not the most dominant center to ever play in the NBA.
Shaq was the first LSU Tiger ever to get drafted with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. He was selected by the Orlando Magic in 1992 and played four seasons. Shaq was an instant star averaging 23.4 points per game his first year, winning Rookie of the Year, was an All-Star, and was even in the race for MVP, as a rookie.
In his second season, Shaq upped his numbers averaging 29.3 points per game, but led the league in field goal percentage shooting 59.9% from the floor. In his third season with the Magic, Shaq also led the league in points per game with 29.3, the same number from his season before.
After four years with the Magic, Shaq left and went to the Lakers where he would team up with the late legendary Kobe Bryant and that tag team would wreak havoc on the NBA. Shaq took some time to get acclimated in his first season in LA, but starting his second season, he led the league in field goal percentage and 2-point percentage for five straight years. There was no guarding him, but the best way to stop him from scoring was by sending him to the free-throw line.
Shaq was notoriously known for his poor free throw shooting due to the size of his hands and not having a lot of touch from the line. He hovered around 50% when it came to free throws. However, that never stopped him, In the 1999-2000 season, Shaq led the league again in points per game with 29.7 along with field goal percentage, earning him first place in MVP voting for the first time in his career.
Throughout his career, Shaq led the NBA in multiple stats throughout multiple years. He played for almost 20 years in the league and won four NBA Championships. He was a first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer and is still very active in the NBA as an analyst and also a successful DJ. Shaq finished his career averaging 23.7 points per game, 2.5 assists per game, and 10.9 rebounds per game.
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