Basketball great Shaquille O’Neal told Dirk Nowitzki that he desired a trade to the Dallas Mavericks.
Two of the top 10 scorers in NBA history could have been on the same Mavericks team.
If Shaquille O’Neal had his will, the Dallas Mavericks might have had Dirk Nowitzki and Shaquille O’Neal on the same club. Or at least that’s what O’Neal disclosed about Dirk Nowitzki in the most recent “The Big Podcast” edition.
When asked which players, living or dead, he would most like to play with, Nowitzki named Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan (who, according to Mark Cuban, was also on the verge of becoming a Maverick). Although he claimed to have watched a lot of the Shaq and Penny Hardaway teams in Orlando and to have one of their pinstripe shirts in his closet, Jordan was one of his childhood idols.
Following that, O’Neal stated he desired to be traded to the Dallas Mavericks so he could play with Nowitzki. O’Neal began, “Trust me, I tried to get to Dallas many times.” “Me and [former Lakers General Manager] Mitch Kupchak worked behind the scenes. For example, when I decided to leave L.A., Mark was the first person I phoned. However, Mitch refused to transfer me to Mark, so they ended up sending me to Miami.”
“I recall there were some rumors back then,” Nowitzki retorted. “Of course, you guys went to Miami and defeated us in ’06.”
“Mark, anything you had to do to get me there,” O’Neal stated after calling him. “The Lakers won’t do it!” was his response. “Make ’em do it, Mark,” was his response. That would have been lovely, but they wouldn’t do it. I have two properties here because, as you know, I adore Dallas.”
It’s difficult to avoid imagining what Dirk Nowitzki and Shaquille O’Neal could have looked like in a tandem. When Shaq was traded to Miami in 2004, he was nearing the end of his playing career, but he was still an important member of the Miami Heat team that defeated Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals. They had a strong chance of defeating Miami that year if Shaq and Dirk play together, and they could have continued to dominate for a few more seasons. Following the championship in 2006, Shaq’s output began to decline. However, he had one more successful season with Phoenix in 2008–2009, before ending his career with forgettable stints in Cleveland and Boston.
Although Shaq had been by his side, Dirk Nowitzki might not have had to wait as long to receive his ring in 2011—those two players would have wanted the ball. With nine points overall, Nowitzki is currently sixth to O’Neal’s ninth.
Starting tonight, when they take on the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals, the Mavericks will have their own opportunity to win another championship.
