Shaquille O‘Neal Made Just 1 Three-Pointer in His 19 Season Career
As a passionate basketball fan and avid NBA 2K gamer, one stat has always baffled me – Hall of Famer Shaquille O‘Neal made just one single three-pointer over his incredible 19 season career.
Quick Profile on a Larger Than Life NBA Legend
Standing 7-foot-1 and weighing 325 pounds in his prime, Shaq was simply an unstoppable force for most of the 1990s and 2000s. He overpowered opponents using a combination of strength, size, agility and skill to average 23.7 points per game over his career. Shaq was named NBA MVP in 2000, won 4 NBA titles, and earned 15 All-Star selections.
With his sheer physical dominance close to the basket, Shaq never focused much on shooting behind the 3-point line. But no one could imagine just how inept he was from long distance until you look at the numbers.
The Stunning Lack of Scoring Ability from Downtown
Over 1,207 NBA games played, Shaquille O‘Neal attempted just 22 three-point shots. He made a grand total of one three-pointer in his career. Let‘s take a closer look at one of the most shocking statistics in NBA history:
| 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 4.5% |
As the table shows, Shaq shot an abysmal 4.5% from the three point line over nearly two decades in the NBA.
For perspective, greatest shooter ever Stephen Curry owns a 43.1% career average from downtown. Ray Allen, the NBA‘s all-time leader in three-pointers made, shot 40% for his career.
Let‘s contrast Shaq‘s numbers with Steph visually:
| Player | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaquille O‘Neal | 1 | 22 | 4.5% |
| Stephen Curry | 3,376 | 7,845 | 43.1% |
As you can see, Curry has hit over 3,300 three-point shots so far, while it took Shaq 19 seasons just to make one!
Let‘s take a closer look at Shaq‘s single made 3-pointer from long ago.
The Game Where Lightning Struck Once from Downtown
On February 16, 1996, Shaq‘s Orlando Magic faced the Milwaukee Bucks. In the first quarter of that game over 25 years ago, O‘Neal received a pass from Penny Hardaway just inside the 3-point arc with the shot clock about to expire. He turned and launched perhaps the ugliest looking shot of his career. Somehow, the basketball gods blessed Shaq by allowing that awkward attempt to find its way into the hoop.
That would prove to be the one and only 3-pointer Shaq would convert over the remainder of his Hall of Fame career. After the game, here‘s how Shaq described the magical moment:
"I‘m tired about hearing about 3-pointers. I‘m going to shoot until I make one."
And that summed up perfectly Shaq‘s long range shooting philosophy. It seemed he literally shot threes until making one out of protest, and then refused to push his luck any further after that!
Contrasting Playing Styles Between All-Time Great Big Men
So why did Shaq all but ignore shooting 3-pointers compared to other contemporary legendary big men of his era? For instance, Dirk Nowitzki retired with a career 38% average from 3-point range while hitting nearly 2,000 shots from downtown. Kevin Garnett knocked down over 1,500 threes for his career.
But Shaq focused nearly all his efforts using an unstoppable presence close to the basket rather than developing reliable outside range. We can see the same dichotomy today between players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. While Giannis does damage attacking the rim, Embiid loves operating on the perimeter and shooting threes when left open. Two contrasting styles, both tremendously effective.
As a student of NBA history, I appreciate all-time great players who used different methods to dominate games. Shaq chose to overpower people down low while Dirk stretched defenses with his shooting. Both carved out legendary careers and basketball immortality. Players can make a multitude of skills or physical gifts work on the path to greatness.
The Key Takeaway
In closing, let Shaq‘s incredibly inept 3-point shooting numbers sink in again:
| 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 4.5% |
As Shaq said himself after finally making a 3-pointer, "I‘m tired about hearing about 3-pointers." And after going 1-22 in his career, most NBA fans were probably tired hearing about O‘Neal shooting endless bricks from long distance as well!
While Shaq chose to dominate differently than predecessors like Dirk Nowitzki and contemporaries such as Stephen Curry, he carved out his own place among the NBA‘s most immortal legends all the same in the end.
