Shaquille ONeals Unforgettable Rivalry: How Arvydas Sabonis Inspired a Career-Long Grudge

A Hall of Fame member and four-time NBA champion, now a commentator and analyst, **Shaquille O’Neal** shared his thoughts on the legendary Soviet and Lithuanian basketball player, 1988 Olympic champion **Arvydas Sabonis**, and how he impacted him.

«I witnessed what he did to David Robinson at the 1988 Olympics. I’ve always respected Sabonis. Once, Jerome—my bodyguard—and I took a trip to Argentina, probably related to Reebok. There, I ran into Sabonis, and he wasn’t very friendly. In fact, he said, ‘I would destroy Shaq,’ and made comments like that.

Well, I brushed it off. But when I learned he was joining the NBA, I looked at my buddy Jerome and said, ‘That’s the guy who talked smack to me in Argentina. Every time we meet, I’m going to take him down. It doesn’t matter that he’s older and slower—I’m still going to dominate him each and every time,’” Basketball Network reports Shaquille’s words.