With 17 seasons in the league, six different teams, and three consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards, O’Neal has earned the right to share his thoughts on the best players in NBA history. In an interview, he not only named his all-time favorite player but also shared a memorable anecdote about his time playing against him.

During his early years in the NBA, O’Neal was already being noticed for his performance at Cole High School in San Antonio, Texas. At that time, one of the biggest legends in the game was David Robinson, a two-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs. Robinson was O’Neal’s favorite player during his formative years.

When Shaq finally entered the NBA, he found himself facing off against his idol. O’Neal recalled the mental battle he faced, having to psych himself up to compete against a player he had always admired. With that mindset, O’Neal played at an even higher level and became nearly unstoppable in the league.

“I remember when they drafted Robinson, and he took all my shine. One day, we’re at an event, and I meet him. He says, ‘How are you doing, young fella? I know who you are, good luck out there.’ I was like, ‘Wow, Robinson knows who I am.’ But when I played against him, I realized he was a really nice guy. So, I made up a story in my mind that he didn’t sign my jersey when I was 15 years old, and that helped me compete against him,” O’Neal shared during the NBA 75 Stories feature in 2022.

Robinson’s impact on the San Antonio Spurs

Tim Duncan may be considered the cornerstone of the San Antonio Spurs’ dynasty, but before “The Big Fundamental” took the reins, it was David “The Admiral” Robinson who laid the foundation for the franchise’s success. Known for his military background, which earned him the nickname “The Admiral” during his career, Robinson was one of the NBA’s elite players in the 1990s.

Robinson led the Spurs to two NBA championships: one in the 1998-1999 season, where they triumphed over the New York Knicks, and another in 2002-2003, when they defeated the New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets). His leadership and on-court excellence were pivotal in shaping the Spurs’ identity.

Renowned for his defensive prowess, Robinson was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year (1992) and led the league in blocks during the same season. His all-around game earned him a spot on the NBA All-Defensive team eight times over his 14-year career. Additionally, Robinson was selected to the All-Star team 10 times, underscoring his consistent dominance. Among his other accolades, he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in the 1994-1995 season and the Rookie of the Year in 1990.

O’Neal’s take on the GOAT debate

The Lakers legend has long been a central figure in the NBA, both for his dominant play and candid personality. While fans often expect him to name his former teammate Kobe Bryant or the legendary Michael Jordan when asked about the greatest of all time (GOAT), O’Neal has a different choice, one that reflects the current era of basketball.

In a recent discussion on the GOAT debate, O’Neal placed Stephen Curry in the conversation. “As the supreme leader of the Big Man Alliance, I demand you fans to start putting Steph Curry in that greatest of all time conversation,” O’Neal said. “I’ve played against Mike, played with Kobe, played against and with LeBron—they’re all great. But at some point, you’ve got to put Steph Curry in that category.”

O’Neal’s endorsement of Curry as part of the GOAT conversation further solidifies the Warriors’ star’s impact on the game, a shift from the traditional debate that often centers on past legends.

Embiid’s God-given talents are just remarkable. He’s savvy and understands the flow of the game, and how to make the most of his physical edge and skills to get an advantage over any defense.

That’s why NBA insider Bill Simmons went as far as to compare him with former legends of the game, stating that he’s already a better offensive player than the great Shaquille O’Neal ever was.

Bill Simmons Says Embiid Is A Better Offensive Player Than Shaquille O’Neal

“To me, Embiid has reached this point where his f***ing offensive toolbox that he has now, his face-up stuff, his ability to overpower people,” Simmons said on his podcast.“I was thinking about watching late 80s (Patrick) Ewing when he really had his knees. He was just this awesome, could face up, could hit long shots, could hit the little jump hook, and he had this whole package, it’s like, ‘Wow, Ewing, he’s really got it together.’ To me, Embiid is just offensively better than Ewing was, and Ewing was one of the 40 best players of all time.”

“I’m not ready to go there with Hakeem (Olajuwon), but I think he’s a better offensive player than David Robinson was. I think he had more stuff to his game than Shaq ever did. Shaq was a little more overpowering, but Embiid brings more to the table,” Simmons added.

He has a valid point in terms of Embiid being a better shooter, but Shaq was more physically dominant. Also, we already know that Simmons hates everything slightly related to the Lakers, so we have to take his words with a grain of salt.

We already know that Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the highest-scoring game, with a 100-point performance. Notably, though, several players have come relatively close to that impressive mark.

Even in a scorer’s league, topping the 70-point plateau is something just a handful of NBA players have been able to accomplish throughout the years. Here, we let you know who they were.

All NBA Players With A 70-Point Game

Elgin Baylor

Elgin Baylor was Kevin Durant before Kevin Durant. Deemed one of the greatest and most dominant scorers to ever live, he recorded the first-ever 70-point game. This Los Angeles Lakers legendtorched the New York Knicks for 71 points and 25 rebounds on 58% from the floor in a 123-108 win.

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain stands alone when it comes to the craziest records in NBA history. He broke Elgin Baylor’s mark with a 78-point performance, but he didn’t stop there. Besides that legendary 100-point game, Wilt the Stilt actually recorded a whopping six games of at least 70 points.

David Thompson

While often overlooked when talking about the most talented scorers this game has ever seen, David Thompson made history back in 1978. He became the youngest player to have a 70-point game at that time, scoring 73 on 74% from the floor as a 23-year-old. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep the Detroit Pistons from beating his Denver Nuggets 139-137.

David Robinson

Tim Duncan is the greatest player in San Antonio Spurs’ history, but David Robinson is a close second. He was one of the most dominant two-way forces this game had ever seen, and he proved it with a 71-point explosion in 1994. Notably, this happened on the very last game of the season, and it helped him ‘steal’ the Scoring Title away from Shaquille O’Neal.

Kobe Bryant

Late legend Kobe Bryant is the only player that has actually come close to tying Wilt’s record. He humiliated the Toronto Raptors with an 81-game, one of the most memorable performances in sports history. The Los Angeles Lakers were a subpar team at the time, and Kobe— literally— needed to do everything to will his team to a win.

Devin Booker

Devin Booker introduced himself to the league back in 2017. He had already shown glimpses of greatness as a scorer, but the Phoenix Suns were a bottom-feeding team, and he didn’t get all that attention. He put the world on notice by putting up 70 against the Boston Celtics, albeit it came in a loss.

Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell had already shown that he could be an explosive scorer in the playoffs, but his finest performance came during a regular-season matchup. He scored 71 points against the Chicago Bulls, shooting nearly 64% from the floor and adding 11 assists during an overtime win.

Damian Lillard

And last but not least, we find Damian Lillard. Lillard destroyed the Houston Rockets for 71 points on over 50% from the floor, adding 13 three-pointers and becoming the oldest player to score 70+ points in a single game. Notably, he now ranks third in games with at least 60 points (5), trailing only Kobe Bryant (6), and Wilt Chamberlain (32).

However, most of these dazzling figures also turn out to be great at every role, or at least at more than one aspect of the game. That may explain why one gets used to watchingseveral basketballers recording triple-doubles, which still is an impressive mark and it isn’t that usual either.

But there’s an even more difficult task for an NBA player, which is scoring aquadruple-double in a single match. The fact that only five times that feat was achieved seems to explain accurately how hard it has always been. Not even the players we see nowadays could record such a mark up to now. Take a look at the last quadruple-double in the NBA.

27 years since the last quadruple-double in the NBA

The last time a basketball player finished a game scoringmore than 10+ points in four of the five categorieswasonFebruary 17, 1994. David Robinson recorded the last quadruple-double in NBA almost 27 years ago in a game between San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons.

In that win for his team, Robinson had an impressive mark of 34 points, 10 rebounds,10 assists, and10 blocks. He had a successful spell in his 14 years at San Antonio, and this accomplishment against Detroit is one of many highlights inhis career.

The center, nicknamed ‘The Admiral’for his past with the Navy, won two NBA championships and was recognized as the NBA MVP once, as well as the Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He was one of the fewbasketballers thatrecorded a quadruple-double in the NBA, and the last one to do it so far.

Over the years, we have seen players with enough talent to be good at almost every aspect of the game. Even though is rare to see them now, there are some ballers that really put up a show whenever they stepped on the court.

Versatility is something we don’t see that often in NBA players, as most of them excel at one aspect of the game and are just above average in the others. That’s why not many players have been able to record a quadruple-double in the NBA.

You must be an elite defender and playmaker to achieve such an impressive stat line. You also need your teammates to follow in line and, why not? even some luck. That’s why there have only been 5 quadruple-doubles in NBA history.

Draymond Green was pretty close to entering that list in 2017, as he logged 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals. Somehow, he failed to score 10 points to join that exclusive quadruple-double club.

The quadruple-double is so rare that, even with the faster pace, the more skilled players, and the way the game is played right now, we haven’t seen one since 1994. In the following paragraphs, we’re going to tell you everything there is to know about every quadruple-double in NBA history.

What Is A Quadruple-Double?

Just like a double-double or a triple-double, a quadruple-double happens when a basketball player records double digits in 4 major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and/or blocks).

A player must have 10+ on 4 of those 5 categories to record a quadruple-double, which is extremely difficult considering how tough it is to pile up 10+ blocks (has happened just 159 times) or 10+ steals (has happened just 24 times).

Every Quadruple-Double In NBA History

5. Nate Thurmond – October 18,1974

Stats:22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks
Nate Thurmond was the first player to ever record a quadruple-double in the NBA. More impressively, it happened on the very first game of the 1974-75 regular season, when his Chicago Bulls faced the Atlanta Hawks.

Thurmond was known for his ability to dominate both sides of the glass and his defensive expertise. He retired with averages of 15.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game, although the league didn’t keep track of blocks until 1974, his 11th season in the NBA.

4.Alvin Robertson – February18,1986

Stats:20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals
Younger fans may not know him butAlvin Robertson is one of the most underrated defenders of all time and it’s not even close. He was a hound in the backcourt that could pile up steals at a high pace. He could pick your pocket in a heartbeat and was a huge menace in passing lanes as well.

Robertson was at his peak when his San Antonio Spurs faced off vs. the Phoenix Suns. He logged the second quadruple-double in NBA history after piling up 10 steals to lead his team to a 120-114 triumph.

3. Hakeem Olajuwon – March 3,1990

Stats:29 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks
Hakeem Olajuwon is perhaps the most talented two-way big man of all time. His ability to score in the post was only topped by his unprecedented skills as a rim protector. He still holds the record for most blocks in NBA history with 3,830.

The Dream was at his best when the Houston Rockets beat the Golden State Warriors 129-109. He dominated both sides of the glass with ease and recorded 11 blocked shots, one shy of his career-high.

2.Hakeem Olajuwon –March29,1990

Stats:18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks
If having one quadruple-double wasn’t legendary enough, Hakeem Olajuwon became the first player to do it more than once. More impressively, he had both quadruple-doubles over a three-week span.

This time, the Milwaukee Bucks (and, ironically, Alvin Robertson) were The Dream’s victims. We should really praise Hakeem more, as he’s the only player to ever be named MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and win the Finals MVP all in one season.

1.David Robinson, February 17,1994

Stats:34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks
If recording a quadruple-double wasn’t difficult enough, David Robinson became the first player to ever top the 30-point plateau while also logging 10+ in 3 other categories. He did that on a Spurs win vs. the Detroit Pistons.

Robinson was stronger, bigger, more athletic than most players in the league during his prime and his skill set was in a full display that night. He’s one of the few players to ever win the MVP, DPOY, Rookie of the Year, and also win an NBA Championship.

This is something incredibly hard to achieve. NBA players are alreadt elite athletes that can do a lot of things for their teams but posting a quadruple-double goes to the next level. These men were the best of the best and they left a big mark on the game.