What made me dive into Shaq’s Lakers highlights today
Suddenly got nostalgic watching modern centers struggle with basic post moves this morning. Thought “Man I gotta rewatch prime Shaq bullying defenders!” Just grabbed snacks and hit YouTube searching “shaquille o neal highlights lakers”. Sorted by view count like always – figured most watched gotta be the gnarliest plays.
The search struggle was real though
First three videos disappointed hard – grainy 360p footage from ’96 seasons before his prime. Nearly quit until I spotted that “Lakers Championship Years” filter. Filtered 1999-2002 specifically chasing:
- 2000 Finals against Pacers
- Backboard-shattering dunks
- Those insane putback slams where he’d maul 3 defenders
Scrolled past trash compilation with annoying techno music before finding the holy grail – 12-minute vid titled “SHAQ DOMINATION” uploaded by LakersArchive.
What actually went down during my watch session
Cued it up fullscreen on my TV instead of phone. Immediately got goosebumps seeing him in that purple #34 jersey. Rewound three times when he:
- Sent two Portland defenders flying like bowling pins (2000 WCF)
- Hulksmashed Alonzo Mourning so hard the rim bent (2001 season)
- Scored 36 points with FOUR fouls in Game 3 of 2002 Finals
Paused at 8:47 mark just to process that fastbreak where he outran Jason Kidd for a dunk. Still can’t believe a 7’1″ 330-pound dude moved like that.
My biggest takeaways from this rewatch
Modern NBA centers feel soft watching Shaq treat the paint like his personal demolition zone. Forgot how he’d catch passes at the three-point line and just steamroll toward the basket like runaway truck. What really stuck with me:
- Dude got fouled HARD constantly – no flagrants called for hits that’d bench players today
- Actual skill behind the power – footwork and touch was nasty
- That iconic head nod after big dunks? Pure swagger
My neighbor actually texted “You okay?” cause I yelled “OHHHH!” during that 2001 play where he posterized David Robinson. Finished all snacks during fourth-quarter clips. Might watch Kobe era highlights tomorrow – this got me hooked on Lakers nostalgia again.