Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell would have used similar strategies to slow Shaquille O'Neal
He had the rare combination of size, power and speed that made him un-guardable most times. A few years ago, a pair of NBA legends explained how they would have defended O'Neal, often dubbed "Superman.""First of all, I would make play horizontal as much as possible," said Russell, who led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships in the 1950s and `60s. "I would make him have to run up and down the court all day.
"You take guys out of your comfort zone," Chamberlain said. "I wonder how Bill would play someone as big, as strong, as fast as Shaquille. He's right. You just find the things that he does the worst and those are the things you try to make him do the most." Slowing O'Neal is much easier said than done, but it's hard to argue with greats like Chamberlain and Russell.Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins.
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