Most Free Throws In NBA Finals Game: Shaq Took 39 Free Throws in 2000 Finals

[DevBooker'sMask]

Game 1: 6 FTA, 43 PTS
Game 2: 39 FTA, 40 PTS
Game 3: 13 FTA, 33 PTS
Game 4: 17 FTA, 36 PTS
Game 5: 6 FTA, 35 PTS
Game 6: 12 FTA, 41 PTS

Shaq did not score less than 30 for a single Finals game. He averaged 38.0 ppg and 16.7 rpg, with 15.5 FTA per game averages.

[ClipperRevival]

I had to look up the 39 FTs just to make sure it wasn't a typo. That's a lot. This was like the peak of "Hack a Shaq". He was horrible from the FT line this series (.387%).

[Taurus]

Imagine watching that game live, Lakers shot 57 FTs and Pacers shot 39 FTs

If Giannis was in that game, it would've lasted 4 hours

[DevBooker'sMask]

I had to look up the 39 FTs just to make sure it wasn't a typo. That's a lot. This was like the peak of "Hack a Shaq". He was horrible from the FT line this series (.387%).

I had to look it up too. The game announcer mentioned it and I thought that has to be fake but he was right. Game 2 he had 39 FTs. Hack A Shaq was moving big in the Finals

[HoopsNY]

I had to look it up too. The game announcer mentioned it and I thought that has to be fake but he was right. Game 2 he had 39 FTs. Hack A Shaq was moving big in the Finals

This is because the league turned the other way on Shaq's horrendous offensive fouls. The league facilitated and otherwise manufactured what most people believe to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, peaks of all time.

Just ask the Sacramento Kings about it.

[RRR3]

This is because the league turned the other way on Shaq's horrendous offensive fouls. The league facilitated and otherwise manufactured what most people believe to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, peaks of all time.

Just ask the Sacramento Kings about it.
Still seething he peaked higher than your hero I see.

[coastalmarker99]

Still seething he peaked higher than your hero I see.

Shaq got away with a lot i will admit but defences at the same time also got away with a lot as they usually fouled Shaq every time down low and the Refs wouldn't call it.

[HoopsNY]

Shaq got away with a lot i will admit but defences at the same time also got away with a lot as they usually fouled Shaq every time down low and the Refs wouldn't call it.

Right, but one was a result of the other. Defenses didn't start pouring on the fouls in the beginning of Shaq's career.

Between 1993-97, Shaq averaged 9.9 FTA per game. Between 1998-03, he averaged 11.2 FTA per game.

His peak FTA per game? Doesn't come in 1993, or 1995 (a finals appearance year), but in 2001 at 13.1 FTA per game. In the playoffs? 1999 at 14.8 per game, and then the following year, his peak season, at 12.9 per game. There's an evolution of sorts as the league facilitated this kind of play of Shaq's.

Want more proof? In the 1995 finals, he averaged 28 PPG on a godly 60% against peak Hakeem, yet only averaged 10.5 FTA a game in that series.

By contrast, between the 2000-02 finals, he put up anywhere from 15-17 FTA per game. Teams weren't stopping him, as his PPG obviously was higher, but look at the style of Shaq from the early to mid 90s to that of his peak years. There's a drastic difference.

[HoopsNY]

Still seething he peaked higher than your hero I see.

That must be it, nothing about what was actually written and spoken about in the media, by players, and the actual game fixing scandal in 2001 against the Sacramento Kings, something to which NBA referees attested, right?

Let me guess, you're a Bran stan?

[Reggie43]

Shaq was at his absolute peak and there is nothing that could have been done to stop him that year. For a single season I would take peak Shaq over anybody who has ever played the game.

[Reggie43]

This is because the league turned the other way on Shaq's horrendous offensive fouls. The league facilitated and otherwise manufactured what most people believe to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, peaks of all time.

Just ask the Sacramento Kings about it.

If Shaq was reffed fairly he would get a ton more fts lol. The hits that Shaq was receiving on the regular would be enough to injure your average center.

Thinking that the league helped or manufactured his peak is a bad take. He was just really really good and sadly the Pacers were on the receiving end of his dominance at his peak.

[HoopsNY]

If Shaq was reffed fairly he would get a ton more fts lol. The hits that Shaq was receiving on the regular would be enough to injure your average center.

You're putting the cause as the result and the result as the cause. Shaq was already an elite center between 1994-98. By 1999 and 2000, we start to see a radical shift in Shaq's weight, which resulted in him relying less on athleticism and more on low post bullying. The refs didn't call it, and defenses resorted to hacking.


Thinking that the league helped or manufactured his peak is a bad take. He was just really really good and sadly the Pacers were on the receiving end of his dominance at his peak.

The league was part of it. There's a combination of things that led to Shaq's peak:

- Shaq himself
- Shaq's bullying/persistent offensive fouls
- The decline of the center
- The addition of Phil Jackson and the rise of Kobe Bryant

Guys like Ewing, Robinson, Daughtery, Hakeem, Zo, Radja, Mutombo etc either faded out of their prime, retired, or became injured by the early 00s. There was a lack of quality big men, and when Shaq did face bigger/better big men in the playoffs, like Sabonis, his numbers dropped.

But you're acting like this is coming out of thin air. You were around then, this was often spoken about.


"I'll tell you this," continues Shaq, "it's going to be scary
when I do start running people over because I have a lot of
frustration to let go. I don't have a hit list or anything like
that, but when I go after some people, I don't want to hear
mouths running. Oh, why did Shaq do that? They're going to know
why. I've been getting beat up for nine years, and maybe it's
time to do some beating up."


Three situations can be pinpointed as particularly troublesome in
trying to whistle the ultimate power player. The first is when
Shaq comes across the lane in preparation for setting up on the
low block and seems to clear out an area, claiming it as his
own--"rooting out" his defender, in NBA parlance. "That can get a
little frustrating," says the San Antonio Spurs' Robinson. "I
remember one time he just rolled me over and kept going. I said
to the refs, 'If you're not going to let me stop him with my
hands [the league outlawed hand checking in the post in 1999],
how can you let him knock me over?'"


The glib (but accurate) assessment of these three situations is
this: Sometimes Shaq is guilty, sometimes he's not. He's more
often guilty, though, in the first situation than in the others.
Shaq frequently runs over defenders when he comes across the lane
to set up because, like all experienced players, he knows that
refs are loath to call off-the-ball fouls.

https://vault.si.com/vault/2001/10/29/shaq-vs-the-refs-does-the-lakers-shaquille-oneal-get-away-with-murder-in-the-paint-or-is-he-the-hapless-victim-of-serial-muggings

ESPN posted several articles in favor of Shaq after his swing against Brad Miller, just look at some of the fan's responses to those articles...


This has been brewing for several years. Since refs refuse to call the offensive foul on Shaq when he turns into his opponent to clear out room so he can bull you over and dunk, teams have turned to his weakness and will foul so he has to make foul shots. ... Shaq needs to understand that for all his trash talk, Superman tatoo and physical play, teams are going to come after his weakness (foul shooting). If you can't take the heat, get out of the paint!

Karl Weber
Littleton, Colo.



For quite some time now, the refs have allowed Shaq to bull his way on offense and, in turn, have allowed defenders to mug him ... For the good of the game they should call a foul if one occurs, with no regard for Shaq's size or overwhelming strength. A foul is a foul, PERIOD. Doing so would force Shaq to use more finesse and less brute force, as well as force defenders to actually make plays on the ball and not just on Shaq.

Troy Schilling
Ellendale, N.D

http://www.espn.com/nba/2002/0114/1311097.html

This isn't a bad take at all. These are just some of the things that were said by players, coaches, the media, and fans. I agree it's far more nuanced, but it's not completely without merit.

[Shaquille O'Neal]

Imagine watching that game live, Lakers shot 57 FTs and Pacers shot 39 FTs

If Giannis was in that game, it would've lasted 4 hours

I watched it live. It was rough to watch.

[ImKobe]

Shaq was at his absolute peak and there is nothing that could have been done to stop him that year. For a single season I would take peak Shaq over anybody who has ever played the game.

Portland did stop him for most of that series tbh, he had two great games but was held to 17.5 ppg on 46.2%FG in the last 2 games of the series.

[tpols]

Shaq is fake news. He's nowhere near many guys in efficiency or volume and his whole game was based on offensive fouling. But then the defender gets called a foul for headbutting his elbow or shoulder. Wilt Chamberlain agrees.

Shaq put on the dress and lipstick and heels and they made him a star.

[HoopsNY]

Shaq is fake news. He's nowhere near many guys in efficiency or volume and his whole game was based on offensive fouling. Wilt Chamberlain agrees.

Yep. Wilt spoke about it at length in an interview where he highlighted that guys in his time would be called for offensive fouls and had to adjust using skill (not weight).

What amazes me is that some 20 years later, fans want to act like this wasn't often brought up and a BIG issue in the league.

The league was coming off of a lockout season, posting some of its lowest viewership after Michael Jordan retired. It got so bad after the fixing scandal with Sacramento that Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson claimed the league is fixing games to prevent smaller market teams like Milwaukee from going to the finals.

People often forget, but one of the reasons MJ returned in 2001 was to increase the NBA's ratings.

Shaq's peak may not have been completely manufactured by the league, but there is a lot that went into it that gets lost in the conversation some 20+ years later.

[tpols]

Shaq comes across the lane in preparation for setting up on the
low block and seems to clear out an area, claiming it as his
own--"rooting out" his defender, in NBA parlance. "That can get a
little frustrating," says the San Antonio Spurs' Robinson. "I
remember one time he just rolled me over and kept going. I said
to the refs, 'If you're not going to let me stop him with my
hands [the league outlawed hand checking in the post in 1999],
how can you let him knock me over?'"


Bingo.

Same thing with Giannis. They can slam you but you can't even put a pinky on them. Its a ref/media manufactured form of basketball. Did Shaq ever do anything basketball outside NBA? Nope. Wilt could have but didn't bowl people over to be dominant. He used bank shots hooks and fadeaways. Basketball.

[Reggie43]

Shaq's peak being manufactured is bs lol. Are we gonna act that he was effective because of uncalled offensive fouls?

Reading about it vastly different compared to when your team is on the recieving end of that dominance and you are watching it live. I was hating on every Laker back then and Shaq was hitting every shot in his arsenal off double/triple teams on those Finals and passing to open teammates at the right time.

Some guys watch a few 2001 Finals highlights and you guys think all Shaq did was elbow guys in the face to be able to score lol, not realizing the insane balance, footwork and skill he had in some of his moves. You could keep him out of the paint and outlaw the dunk and he would still be effective because he was that good and never relied on only a few things to score.

[Reggie43]

Shaq may be one of the few guys that is hard to explain to kids who never saw him at his peak. That insane size, athleticism and balance are built in advantages for him and they never give him credit for the skills that he had and they think it is all about his physicality

[tpols]

Shaq may be one of the few guys that is hard to explain to kids who never saw him at his peak. That insane size, athleticism and balance are built in advantages for him and they never give him credit for the skills that he had and they think it is all about his physicality

He never won off skill. The articles highlight that when he tried to play traditionally (regular basketball), he got swept more than any superstar ever.

Then they changed the rules in 1999 and made it so guys couldn't touch him, and he made it a point to bowl guys for buckets. His peak was absolutely manufactured and the articles plus Wilt ****ing Chamberlains interview prove that.

[Carbine]

Shaq being manufactured.... SMH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te9VQbONNUY

Nothing manufactured about that.

[Reggie43]

Shaq did dish the punishment but more importantly he was also on the receiving end of some blatant, overeager hard fouls. They are a ton of no calls to that would be flagrant fouls if your average player was on the receiving end.

Shaq was complaining to the refs about all of this but the problem with it is that some of those hard hits doesnt affect his moves in going to the basket so they have a hard time calling it.

[HoopsNY]

Shaq's peak being manufactured is bs lol. Are we gonna act that he was effective because of uncalled offensive fouls?

Reading about it vastly different compared to when your team is on the recieving end of that dominance and you are watching it live. I was hating on every Laker back then and Shaq was hitting every shot in his arsenal off double/triple teams on those Finals and passing to open teammates at the right time.

Some guys watch a few 2001 Finals highlights and you guys think all Shaq did was elbow guys in the face to be able to score lol, not realizing the insane balance, footwork and skill he had in some of his moves. You could keep him out of the paint and outlaw the dunk and he would still be effective because he was that good and never relied on only a few things to score.

When all else fails, claim the guys saying the opposite of what you're saying "watched some highlights" from 2001.

Bruh, I'm probably as old as you are and watched Shaq's entire career. And I notice you completely glossed over the links, one from SI and the other ESPN. Let me guess, the other GMs, coaches, and NBA players saying similar (like Ray Allen claiming the league is fixing games) or NBA referees straight up coming out and saying they fixed games, is all fake?

Miss me with the "footwork" argument. Shaq's "footwork" was just as impeccable in 1997 as it was in 2000. He was an athletic freak coming into the league and developed his footwork early on in his career.

Shaq didn't suddenly become a monumental low-post player in 2000. He was that way before it. And I already said that his success is a combination of things, which you completely ignored as well.

[tpols]

Shaq did dish the punishment but more importantly he was also on the receiving end of some blatant, overeager hard fouls. They are a ton of no calls to that would be flagrant fouls if your average player was on the receiving end.

Shaq was complaining to the refs about all of this but the problem with it is that some of those hard hits doesnt affect his moves in going to the basket so they have a hard time calling it.

Lets see some video examples.

If you live by the sword, you die by the sword. Guys who base their careers off hitting others should expect at least 50% payback.

Or else we have a 2002 Kings situation where a whole lineup fouls our for headbutting Shaqs elbows.

[HoopsNY]

Shaq may be one of the few guys that is hard to explain to kids who never saw him at his peak. That insane size, athleticism and balance are built in advantages for him and they never give him credit for the skills that he had and they think it is all about his physicality

Bro he had insane size, athleticism, and balance before his peak. Shaq put on weight (going from 275 when he entered the league to 300 by 1999, and 330-340 by 2004), and suddenly he relied on his post game a lot more, dropping his shoulder, throwing his elbows, and pushing his ass into opposing defenders a lot more.

But I will repeat, Shaq's peak was a combination of things (Skill, league manufacturing/fixing, Phil Jackson, and the rise of Kobe Bryant). 3/4 of that isn't his fault, but when you watched the series against Portland and Sacramento, it became clear as day how officials were calling games.

Defenses adjusted. If Shaq is going to throw is weight around and defenses can't get calls, then they'll just have hack him. That's how hack-a-shaq came along. People forget that this evolution really started in 1999, not 2004. But Shaq had to face the twin towers and got swept (surprise surprise).

The notion that Shaq was just purely dominant in 2000-03 and then defenses started hacking isn't true. Shaq was dominant before 2000.

[HoopsNY]

Shaq did dish the punishment but more importantly he was also on the receiving end of some blatant, overeager hard fouls. They are a ton of no calls to that would be flagrant fouls if your average player was on the receiving end.

Shaq was complaining to the refs about all of this but the problem with it is that some of those hard hits doesnt affect his moves in going to the basket so they have a hard time calling it.

So defenses just magically started fouling him in 2000?

Shaq averaged 29.7 PPG on 57.4% in 2000.
Shaq averaged 29.3 PPG on 58.3% in 1995.

He won the scoring title in 1995.

1995 FTA: 10.8
2000 FTA: 10.4

Something isn't adding up here.

[Reggie43]

You're putting the cause as the result and the result as the cause. Shaq was already an elite center between 1994-98. By 1999 and 2000, we start to see a radical shift in Shaq's weight, which resulted in him relying less on athleticism and more on low post bullying. The refs didn't call it, and defenses resorted to hacking.



The league was part of it. There's a combination of things that led to Shaq's peak:

- Shaq himself
- Shaq's bullying/persistent offensive fouls
- The decline of the center
- The addition of Phil Jackson and the rise of Kobe Bryant

Guys like Ewing, Robinson, Daughtery, Hakeem, Zo, Radja, Mutombo etc either faded out of their prime, retired, or became injured by the early 00s. There was a lack of quality big men, and when Shaq did face bigger/better big men in the playoffs, like Sabonis, his numbers dropped.

But you're acting like this is coming out of thin air. You were around then, this was often spoken about.







https://vault.si.com/vault/2001/10/29/shaq-vs-the-refs-does-the-lakers-shaquille-oneal-get-away-with-murder-in-the-paint-or-is-he-the-hapless-victim-of-serial-muggings

ESPN posted several articles in favor of Shaq after his swing against Brad Miller, just look at some of the fan's responses to those articles...





http://www.espn.com/nba/2002/0114/1311097.html

This isn't a bad take at all. These are just some of the things that were said by players, coaches, the media, and fans. I agree it's far more nuanced, but it's not completely without merit.


Here is a quote from the link you posted but conveniently left out. As cliche as it sounds there are always two sides to every story lol


"If most players were fouled the way Shaq
gets fouled--hard fouls, hacking--they'd be ready to fight,"
Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders says, "but Shaq just
takes it and goes to the free throw line."

[HoopsNY]

Shaq being manufactured.... SMH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te9VQbONNUY

Nothing manufactured about that.

Lakers had a stacked squad. People forget they traded for Glen Rice in 1999. Look Shaq was a phenomenal center, but his peak is overrated.

We can't deny that by the early 2000s, the elite centers were old, out of their primes, retired, or injured. Shaq benefited greatly from that.

But he also benefited from rule changes, refs turning a blind eye, MJ retiring (which dipped ratings causing the league to suffer immensely), and game fixing. We're just going to pretend 2001 didn't happen?

[HoopsNY]

Here is a quote from the link you posted but conveniently left out. As cliche as it sounds there are always two sides to every story lol

Of course, but again, YOU'RE saying that Shaq's aggressive play was as a result of him being bullied. I'm saying it was clearly the other way around. Did Shaq go from weighing 330 lbs to 275 lbs, or the other way around?

Intuition says as he gained weight, he relied on it much more. And that was clearly evident from his play between 2000-03. Shaq was way more nimble when he came into the league.

[Reggie43]

Him playing with a goat level coach did wonders probably lol and are we not gonna allow players to get better. Shaq in 2000 is much better than in 1995 regardless of how similar the numbers were.

[Reggie43]

Of course, but again, YOU'RE saying that Shaq's aggressive play was as a result of him being bullied. I'm saying it was clearly the other way around. Did Shaq go from weighing 330 lbs to 275 lbs, or the other way around?

Intuition says as he gained weight, he relied on it much more. And that was clearly evident from his play between 2000-03. Shaq was way more nimble when he came into the league.

Never said anything about his agressive play was a result of him being bullied. Only pointed out that he receives equal or even more physical punishment from defenders.

[StrongLurk]

GUARANTEE anyone who says Shaq's peak is manufactured is just a lame Kobe stan.

[Carbine]

Of course, but again, YOU'RE saying that Shaq's aggressive play was as a result of him being bullied. I'm saying it was clearly the other way around. Did Shaq go from weighing 330 lbs to 275 lbs, or the other way around?

Intuition says as he gained weight, he relied on it much more. And that was clearly evident from his play between 2000-03. Shaq was way more nimble when he came into the league.

I just gave 24 minutes of video that showcases him not being manufactured at all. He's not throwing elbows in peoples face and knocking them over and dunking.

I'm sure you could find 5 examples of him bowling over someone with no call. I could do the same of LeBron James...... nobody should bring the manufactured argument because of a few plays. Not logical.

Just watch the video. He's getting offensive rebounds and putting it back up. He's getting deep position and laying it up. Plenty of jump hooks over both shoulders. Even a jump shot.

Shaq in 2000 is different than any version of Shaq. Regardless of numbers. It was his mentality and attention to detail that he didn't have prior or after.

2000 is Peak Shaq. The other years surrounded by 2000 are his prime years, but he truly only had 1 peak complete season.