SUMMARY
- Shaq and the Lakers faced off against Dikembe Mutombo and the 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals.
- Shaq explains why he ended up elbowing Mutombo in that series.
Shaquille O’Neal recently revealed interesting details regarding an altercation he had with Dikembe Mutombo more than two decades ago. As most NBA fans should be aware, Shaq is widely considered to be the most dominant force in the history of the league. He managed to win 4 NBA championships throughout his career and 3 of them came while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
During a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the NBA legend shared details on an exchange that occurred between him and Mutombo during the 2001 NBA Finals. Since most fans likely did not watch this series or have much information about it outside of highlights posted on social media, a closer look is undoubtedly required.
Shaquille O’Neal elbowed Mutombo in the face during the 2001 NBA Finals
One of the greatest distinctions between the modern-day NBA stars and the past generation would be how the position of the NBA center has changed drastically. In current times, centers have a wide range of skill sets and can even shoot long-distance three-pointers if the situation arises. On the other hand, centers dominated the post and only took interior shots during Shaq’s era.
Mutombo had the opportunity to go up against Shaq and the Lakers in 2001. At the time, Dikembe was on the Philadephia 76ers and managed to get all the way to the NBA Finals alongside Allen Iverson. Shaq revealed how Mutombo’s pride in his own defensive abilities forced O’Neal to get a little violent with him in order to teach him a lesson.
“I was already mad because it was actually kind of hard for me to get up for that Finals cuz I had to be made, I wasn’t made cuz Chuck is my guy, and here comes Dikembe talking ‘I don’t need I am the defensive player of the year I don’t need no double team….”
Taking an elbow to the face from a prime Shaquille O’Neal is no laughing matter. The very fact that Mutombo did not sustain any serious injury speaks to his own toughness and conditioning. While this one play may not have affected the outcome of the series between the 76ers and Lakers, it allowed Shaq and Kobe to earn themselves a rare spot in NBA history.
Shaq and the Lakers ended up concluding their three-peat with a victory over the 76ers
A three-peat refers to when an NBA team manages to win 3 NBA championships in a row. Michael Jordan managed to accomplish this feat twice with the Chicago Bulls. The only other team that has done the same in this century would be the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. After they defeated the 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers accomplished a three-peat.